And the children of Heth answered Abraham, saying unto him,
And the children of Heth answered Abraham,…. In a very civil and respectful manner:
saying unto him, as follows:
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
‘And the children of Heth answered Abraham, saying, “Hear us, my lord. You are a mighty prince among us. In the choice of our sepulchres bury your dead. None of us will withhold from you his sepulchre, but that you may bury your dead”.’
Their reply, while couched in polite oriental terms, gives consent to his suggestion. At a price they are willing to consider giving him ownership of a piece of land and thus altering his status in their eyes.
“You are a mighty prince (literally ‘a prince of God”) among us.’ Recognition is given to the fact that Abraham is a man of means and of some power. They are prepared to deal with him as an equal and as having the status to be accepted. There may also be some recognition here of his prophetic status. The writer probably intends us to see it as signifying Abraham’s status before God.
The remaining flowery language is not to be taken literally. The last thing that they expect is that Abraham will make use of their own sepulchres. They are simply saying that they recognise that it is reasonable for him as ‘a mighty prince’ to want a sepulchre for burying important members of his own family.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Gen 23:5-6. The children of Heth answered, &c. The people of Heth no sooner hear, than they grant with one voice, and in the most respectful manner, the petition of Abraham. They call him a mighty prince, in the Hebrew, a prince of God, i.e.. a prince of distinguished greatness and worth, peculiarly favoured and blessed of God, and so regarded by men. Abraham was well known, as he had long dwelt and distinguished himself among that people. See particularly in ch. 14: the account of his confederacy with Mamre, chief of the Hittites, against Chedorlaomer.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Gen 23:5 And the children of Heth answered Abraham, saying unto him,
Ver. 5. And the children of Heth answered Abraham. ] “With good words and comfortable”. as Zec 1:13 “Be pitiful, be courteous”. 1Pe 3:8
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
children. Hebrew. sons, and so elsewhere.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Reciprocal: Gen 23:3 – Heth 1Ch 1:13 – Heth Psa 107:41 – maketh
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Gen 23:5. The children of Heth answered From Abrahams treating with the people of Heth, and from many other transactions related in the Scriptures, it seems as if kings and magistrates in those days did nothing of a public nature, but in conjunction with the people; and that the people had a great share in the management of all affairs.