For the past four years, we’ve embarked on a chapter-by-chapter exploration of prophetic texts. Now, we are starting a one-year sprint through the first five books of the Bible, the Torah. We are following the weekly Jewish reading calendar—the oldest Bible reading challenge that exists. This week’s Torah portion is called Chayei Sarah, which means “the life of Sarah.” It covers Genesis 23:1–25:18.
The title of this portion is ironic because it begins with the death of Sarah, at the ripe age of 127. The passing of Sarah sets the stage for two great movements in Abraham’s later life. First, he purchases a piece of land in the place God promised him and his descendants. Second, he finds a suitable bride for his son, Isaac.
The Cave of Machpelah
After Sarah dies in Hebron, Abraham rises from his mourning to address the local residents, the Hittites. He has been living in Canaan for years at this point, but the patriarch of the Jewish people has yet to secure any land as his own. Abraham asked the Hittites, “I am a foreigner and a sojourner among you; give me a possession for a burying place among you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight” (Gen. 23:4).
The Hittites respond with what appears to be remarkable generosity. They recognize Abraham’s stature, calling him a “mighty prince” of God, and tell him to bury his dead in the “choicest of our tombs.” This insistence is central to the entire narrative. Ephron the Hittite offers him a field with cave on it as a gift, but Abraham does not accept. His refusal is strategic. A gift could be easily contested or revoked later. A purchase made publicly and sealed by a monetary transaction in the presence of witnesses is legally binding. This act establishes the first undisputed, purchased piece of the promised land. The cave is like the down payment on the entire land of Israel. It proves that the land is not just covenanted by God, it is also purchased.
Abraham pays 400 shekels of silver, an exorbitant sum for a burial plot. The text establishes the parameters of the purchase: “So the field of Ephron in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field and the cave that was in it, and all the trees that were in the field, which were within all the surrounding borders, were deeded to Abraham as a possession” (Gen. 23:17-18).
The importance of the Cave of Machpelah is reinforced throughout Genesis. Jacob, on his deathbed in Egypt, makes his sons swear that they will carry his bones all the way back to this cave. He recites the litany of those already interred: “Bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite… There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife, there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife, and there I buried Leah” (Genesis 49:29-31). Joseph carries out the difficult task of bringing Jacob’s remains out of Egypt to be buried with his ancestors in the covenanted land.
A Wife for Isaac
The second major event in the Torah portions is securing a wife for Isaac. Genesis says that Abraham was “old, well advanced in years,” and his son Isaac was nearing forty. He asks his servant, Eliezer, to start the wife search, but he insists she not come from the Canaanites among whom they dwell. The land of Canaan is morally corrupt, and God’s people must remain separate from its pagan practices. However, Isaac, the heir, must not leave the Promised Land for fear he might settle somewhere else and undo all of Abraham’s efforts. The continuity of the line must be rooted in the place of promise.
Eliezer journeys back to the land of Abraham’s ancestors. He understands that the selection of the next matriarch cannot be left to chance or merely human judgment. He sets a test for God to reveal the character of the woman God intends. The test is highly specific. If he asks a woman at the well for a drink, the chosen woman will, without prompting, offer to water his ten camels as well. For a young woman to draw enough water to satisfy ten thirsty camels is an act of extreme physical exertion and overwhelming generosity toward a stranger.
Rebekah appears, fulfills the test perfectly, and the text emphasizes her speed and diligence: “she quickly emptied her jar into the trough, and ran again to the well to draw water, and she drew for all his camels” (Gen. 24:20). Her character—her inner worth—is what qualifies her to be the next matriarch. It is a sign not just to Eliezer, but to the reader, that God is actively guiding this process to select a woman worthy of the covenant.
Eliezer returns and meets Rebekah’s family. When he explains to them how Rebekkah answered his exact prayer, they conclude, “The thing has come from the Lord; we cannot speak to you bad or good” (Gen. 24:50). Rebekah leaves her home, her family, and her comfort, all based on the promise of the journey and the conviction that God is leading her.
The portion concludes with the meeting of Isaac and Rebekah: “Then Isaac brought her into the tent of Sarah his mother, and he took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her. So, Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death” (Genesis 24:67). Their union fulfills the final part of Abraham’s two-part mission: securing the land through purchase and securing the seed through a divinely chosen, righteous bride.
Abraham’s Final Years: The Patriarch’s Legacy
Having secured the two great pillars of the covenant—a place for his family’s future and a righteous wife for his heir, Isaac—Abraham’s life concludes with two significant, often-overlooked events. First, the text records that Abraham takes another wife, Keturah, and has six more sons. God’s blessing of fruitfulness continues, even in Abraham’s old age. However, Abraham gives all his possessions and full inheritance to Isaac, the son of promise. As for the sons of Keturah and his other son, Ishmael, he gives them gifts and sends them away from Isaac, eastward (Gen. 25:5-6). This action is the final, practical boundary-setting act that establishes Isaac alone as the covenant heir.
Finally, “Abraham breathed his last and died in a ripe old age, an old man and satisfied” (Gen. 25:8). He is then buried by his two sons, Isaac and Ishmael, in the Cave of Machpelah, alongside Sarah. His burial in the purchased cave seals the covenant promise. He rests forever in the first, legally owned parcel of the land God swore to him and his descendants. His earthly journey ends in the place of his spiritual destiny.
1967
Jewish access to the Cave of Machpelah was severely restricted in 1267 CE when the Ottoman Sultan banned Jews from entering the site. According to Ottoman laws, Jews could only pray at the seventh step outside the structure. For centuries, Jews continued visiting the cave of the matriarchs and patriarchs but never went past the seventh step.
This changed dramatically during the Six-Day War of 1967. As the Israeli military defended itself against the surrounding Arab nations, it successfully liberated Judea and Samaria, the ancient city of Hebron. On June 8, 1967, Israeli soldiers entered Hebron and made their way to the Cave of Machpelah. Rabbi Shlomo Goren, the chief rabbi of the IDF, was among the first to enter. In an emotional moment, he blew the shofar at the site.
Israel’s regaining of the site was seen as a fulfillment of biblical prophecy and a reconnection to the very beginnings of Jewish history. The Israeli government quickly took steps to ensure the site would be accessible to worshippers of all faiths, demonstrating its commitment to religious freedom.
Despite challenges and tensions, Israel has consistently upheld its responsibility as guardian of this sacred place, ensuring that it remains open for prayer and pilgrimage. The return of Jewish access to the Cave of Machpelah stands as a powerful testament to Israel’s deep historical connection to the land and its commitment to protecting sites of religious importance for all faiths.
That’s it for this week. Join me next week as we read Toldot (Genesis 25:19–28:9)
Shabbat Shalom and Am Israel Chai.
Welcome to Bible Fiber, where we explore the textures and shades of the biblical tapestry. I’m Shelley Neese, president of The Jerusalem Connection, a Christian organization dedicated to sharing the stories of Israel’s people, both ancient and modern.
For the past four years, we’ve embarked on a chapter-by-chapter exploration of prophetic texts. Now, we are starting a one-year sprint through the first five books of the Bible, the Torah. We are following the weekly Jewish reading calendar—the oldest Bible reading challenge that exists. This week’s Torah portion is called Chayei Sarah, which means “the life of Sarah.” It covers Genesis 23:1–25:18.
The title of this portion is ironic because it begins with the death of Sarah, at the ripe age of 127. The passing of Sarah sets the stage for two great movements in Abraham’s later life. First, he purchases a piece of land in the place God promised him and his descendants. Second, he finds a suitable bride for his son, Isaac.
The Cave of Machpelah
After Sarah dies in Hebron, Abraham rises from his mourning to address the local residents, the Hittites. He has been living in Canaan for years at this point, but the patriarch of the Jewish people has yet to secure any land as his own. Abraham asked the Hittites, “I am a foreigner and a sojourner among you; give me a possession for a burying place among you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight” (Gen. 23:4).
The Hittites respond with what appears to be remarkable generosity. They recognize Abraham’s stature, calling him a “mighty prince” of God, and tell him to bury his dead in the “choicest of our tombs.” This insistence is central to the entire narrative. Ephron the Hittite offers him a field with cave on it as a gift, but Abraham does not accept. His refusal is strategic. A gift could be easily contested or revoked later. A purchase made publicly and sealed by a monetary transaction in the presence of witnesses is legally binding. This act establishes the first undisputed, purchased piece of the promised land. The cave is like the down payment on the entire land of Israel. It proves that the land is not just covenanted by God, it is also purchased.
Abraham pays 400 shekels of silver, an exorbitant sum for a burial plot. The text establishes the parameters of the purchase: “So the field of Ephron in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field and the cave that was in it, and all the trees that were in the field, which were within all the surrounding borders, were deeded to Abraham as a possession” (Gen. 23:17-18).
The importance of the Cave of Machpelah is reinforced throughout Genesis. Jacob, on his deathbed in Egypt, makes his sons swear that they will carry his bones all the way back to this cave. He recites the litany of those already interred: “Bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite… There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife, there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife, and there I buried Leah” (Genesis 49:29-31). Joseph carries out the difficult task of bringing Jacob’s remains out of Egypt to be buried with his ancestors in the covenanted land.
A Wife for Isaac
The second major event in the Torah portions is securing a wife for Isaac. Genesis says that Abraham was “old, well advanced in years,” and his son Isaac was nearing forty. He asks his servant, Eliezer, to start the wife search, but he insists she not come from the Canaanites among whom they dwell. The land of Canaan is morally corrupt, and God’s people must remain separate from its pagan practices. However, Isaac, the heir, must not leave the Promised Land for fear he might settle somewhere else and undo all of Abraham’s efforts. The continuity of the line must be rooted in the place of promise.
Eliezer journeys back to the land of Abraham’s ancestors. He understands that the selection of the next matriarch cannot be left to chance or merely human judgment. He sets a test for God to reveal the character of the woman God intends. The test is highly specific. If he asks a woman at the well for a drink, the chosen woman will, without prompting, offer to water his ten camels as well. For a young woman to draw enough water to satisfy ten thirsty camels is an act of extreme physical exertion and overwhelming generosity toward a stranger.
Rebekah appears, fulfills the test perfectly, and the text emphasizes her speed and diligence: “she quickly emptied her jar into the trough, and ran again to the well to draw water, and she drew for all his camels” (Gen. 24:20). Her character—her inner worth—is what qualifies her to be the next matriarch. It is a sign not just to Eliezer, but to the reader, that God is actively guiding this process to select a woman worthy of the covenant.
Eliezer returns and meets Rebekah’s family. When he explains to them how Rebekkah answered his exact prayer, they conclude, “The thing has come from the Lord; we cannot speak to you bad or good” (Gen. 24:50). Rebekah leaves her home, her family, and her comfort, all based on the promise of the journey and the conviction that God is leading her.
The portion concludes with the meeting of Isaac and Rebekah: “Then Isaac brought her into the tent of Sarah his mother, and he took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her. So, Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death” (Genesis 24:67). Their union fulfills the final part of Abraham’s two-part mission: securing the land through purchase and securing the seed through a divinely chosen, righteous bride.
Abraham’s Final Years: The Patriarch’s Legacy
Having secured the two great pillars of the covenant—a place for his family’s future and a righteous wife for his heir, Isaac—Abraham’s life concludes with two significant, often-overlooked events. First, the text records that Abraham takes another wife, Keturah, and has six more sons. God’s blessing of fruitfulness continues, even in Abraham’s old age. However, Abraham gives all his possessions and full inheritance to Isaac, the son of promise. As for the sons of Keturah and his other son, Ishmael, he gives them gifts and sends them away from Isaac, eastward (Gen. 25:5-6). This action is the final, practical boundary-setting act that establishes Isaac alone as the covenant heir.
Finally, “Abraham breathed his last and died in a ripe old age, an old man and satisfied” (Gen. 25:8). He is then buried by his two sons, Isaac and Ishmael, in the Cave of Machpelah, alongside Sarah. His burial in the purchased cave seals the covenant promise. He rests forever in the first, legally owned parcel of the land God swore to him and his descendants. His earthly journey ends in the place of his spiritual destiny.
1967
Jewish access to the Cave of Machpelah was severely restricted in 1267 CE when the Ottoman Sultan banned Jews from entering the site. According to Ottoman laws, Jews could only pray at the seventh step outside the structure. For centuries, Jews continued visiting the cave of the matriarchs and patriarchs but never went past the seventh step.
This changed dramatically during the Six-Day War of 1967. As the Israeli military defended itself against the surrounding Arab nations, it successfully liberated Judea and Samaria, the ancient city of Hebron. On June 8, 1967, Israeli soldiers entered Hebron and made their way to the Cave of Machpelah. Rabbi Shlomo Goren, the chief rabbi of the IDF, was among the first to enter. In an emotional moment, he blew the shofar at the site.
Israel’s regaining of the site was seen as a fulfillment of biblical prophecy and a reconnection to the very beginnings of Jewish history. The Israeli government quickly took steps to ensure the site would be accessible to worshippers of all faiths, demonstrating its commitment to religious freedom.
Despite challenges and tensions, Israel has consistently upheld its responsibility as guardian of this sacred place, ensuring that it remains open for prayer and pilgrimage. The return of Jewish access to the Cave of Machpelah stands as a powerful testament to Israel’s deep historical connection to the land and its commitment to protecting sites of religious importance for all faiths.
That’s it for this week. Join me next week as we read Toldot (Genesis 25:19–28:9)
Shabbat Shalom and Am Israel Chai.