וַיָּ֣קָם ׀ שְׂדֵ֣ה עֶפְר֗וֹן אֲשֶׁר֙ בַּמַּכְפֵּלָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֖ר לִפְנֵ֣י מַמְרֵ֑א הַשָּׂדֶה֙ וְהַמְּעָרָ֣ה אֲשֶׁר־בּ֔וֹ וְכָל־הָעֵץ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בַּשָּׂדֶ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר בְּכָל־גְּבֻל֖וֹ סָבִֽיב׃

The field of Efron that was in Makhpela, the field that surrounded the Cave of Makhpela, that was before Mamre, the field and the cave that was in it, and every tree that was in the field, that was within its border all around, were established as Abraham’s property. Abraham was not satisfied in purchasing the cave alone; he also acquired the surrounding area and an access path to the cave.

לְאַבְרָהָ֥ם לְמִקְנָ֖ה לְעֵינֵ֣י בְנֵי־חֵ֑ת בְּכֹ֖ל בָּאֵ֥י שַֽׁעַר־עִירֽוֹ׃

All of this was transferred as a possession for Abraham in the eyes of the children of Het, of all coming to his city gate.

וְאַחֲרֵי־כֵן֩ קָבַ֨ר אַבְרָהָ֜ם אֶת־שָׂרָ֣ה אִשְׁתּ֗וֹ אֶל־מְעָרַ֞ת שְׂדֵ֧ה הַמַּכְפֵּלָ֛ה עַל־פְּנֵ֥י מַמְרֵ֖א הִ֣וא חֶבְר֑וֹן בְּאֶ֖רֶץ כְּנָֽעַן׃

And thereafter, after the property was transferred to his ownership, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Makhpela opposite Mamre, which is Hebron, in the land of Canaan.

וַיָּ֨קָם הַשָּׂדֶ֜ה וְהַמְּעָרָ֧ה אֲשֶׁר־בּ֛וֹ לְאַבְרָהָ֖ם לַאֲחֻזַּת־קָ֑בֶר מֵאֵ֖ת בְּנֵי־חֵֽת׃ (ס)

The field and the cave that was in it were established as a burial portion for Abraham, for his family, which he had purchased from the children of Het.

וְאַבְרָהָ֣ם זָקֵ֔ן בָּ֖א בַּיָּמִ֑ים וַֽיהוָ֛ה בֵּרַ֥ךְ אֶת־אַבְרָהָ֖ם בַּכֹּֽל׃

And Abraham was old, advanced in years. Isaac at that time was thirty-seven or thirty-eight years old; Abraham was therefore one hundred and thirty-seven or slightly older. It is possible that this introductory phrase reflects Abraham’s perception of himself. And the Lord blessed Abraham with everything, including rest and tranquility from troubles and from his nomadic travels.

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אַבְרָהָ֗ם אֶל־עַבְדּוֹ֙ זְקַ֣ן בֵּית֔וֹ הַמֹּשֵׁ֖ל בְּכָל־אֲשֶׁר־ל֑וֹ שִֽׂים־נָ֥א יָדְךָ֖ תַּ֥חַת יְרֵכִֽי׃

Abraham said to his servant, the elder of his household. This individual was not necessarily elderly, but was the senior and most distinguished attendant, who oversaw everything that he had, the general administrator of finances in Abraham’s household. Abraham said to him: Please, place your hand under my thigh, which was an ancient manner of taking an oath. In contrast to grasping or shaking hands, which expresses a commitment between two individuals of similar social status, an oath accepted by placing one’s hand under the thigh of a seated person was typically used in the case of an agreement between an individual with a senior status and someone under his jurisdiction. By this action, the taker of the vow expresses his commitment to perform the bidding of the one administering the oath.

וְאַשְׁבִּ֣יעֲךָ֔ בַּֽיהוָה֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וֵֽאלֹהֵ֖י הָאָ֑רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֨ר לֹֽא־תִקַּ֤ח אִשָּׁה֙ לִבְנִ֔י מִבְּנוֹת֙ הַֽכְּנַעֲנִ֔י אֲשֶׁ֥ר אָנֹכִ֖י יוֹשֵׁ֥ב בְּקִרְבּֽוֹ׃

And I will administer an oath to you by the Lord, God of the heavens and the God of the earth, who is all-powerful, that you shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose midst I live. Abraham did not know how many years he had left, and whether he would succeed in marrying off Isaac himself. He therefore requested that his servant promise not to marry off his son to one of the daughters of the Canaanites after his death.

כִּ֧י אֶל־אַרְצִ֛י וְאֶל־מוֹלַדְתִּ֖י תֵּלֵ֑ךְ וְלָקַחְתָּ֥ אִשָּׁ֖ה לִבְנִ֥י לְיִצְחָֽק׃

Rather, you shall go to my land, Aram Naharayim, and to my birthplace, Haran, where my extended family is located, the tribe into which I was born, and take from there a wife for my son, for Isaac.

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֵלָיו֙ הָעֶ֔בֶד אוּלַי֙ לֹא־תֹאבֶ֣ה הָֽאִשָּׁ֔ה לָלֶ֥כֶת אַחֲרַ֖י אֶל־הָאָ֣רֶץ הַזֹּ֑את הֶֽהָשֵׁ֤ב אָשִׁיב֙ אֶת־בִּנְךָ֔ אֶל־הָאָ֖רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־יָצָ֥אתָ מִשָּֽׁם׃

The servant said to him: Perhaps the woman will not wish to follow me to this land, as it is a long journey to Canaan from Haran, which is located on the southern border of modern-day Turkey. What should I do if she refuses to leave her home to come here? Shall I return your son to the land from which you departed?

וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אֵלָ֖יו אַבְרָהָ֑ם הִשָּׁ֣מֶר לְךָ֔ פֶּן־תָּשִׁ֥יב אֶת־בְּנִ֖י שָֽׁמָּה׃

Abraham said to him: Beware lest you return my son there. It was not my choice to distance myself from the land of my birth. Therefore,

יְהוָ֣ה ׀ אֱלֹהֵ֣י הַשָּׁמַ֗יִם אֲשֶׁ֨ר לְקָחַ֜נִי מִבֵּ֣ית אָבִי֮ וּמֵאֶ֣רֶץ מֽוֹלַדְתִּי֒ וַאֲשֶׁ֨ר דִּבֶּר־לִ֜י וַאֲשֶׁ֤ר נִֽשְׁבַּֽע־לִי֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר לְזַ֨רְעֲךָ֔ אֶתֵּ֖ן אֶת־הָאָ֣רֶץ הַזֹּ֑את ה֗וּא יִשְׁלַ֤ח מַלְאָכוֹ֙ לְפָנֶ֔יךָ וְלָקַחְתָּ֥ אִשָּׁ֛ה לִבְנִ֖י מִשָּֽׁם׃

the Lord, God of the heavens, who took me from my father’s house, and from my birthplace, and who spoke to me in a prophecy, and who took an oath to me, saying: To your descendants I will give this land; He will send His angel before you to assist you, and you will successfully find and take a wife for my son from there.

וְאִם־לֹ֨א תֹאבֶ֤ה הָֽאִשָּׁה֙ לָלֶ֣כֶת אַחֲרֶ֔יךָ וְנִקִּ֕יתָ מִשְּׁבֻעָתִ֖י זֹ֑את רַ֣ק אֶת־בְּנִ֔י לֹ֥א תָשֵׁ֖ב שָֽׁמָּה׃

And if the woman will not wish to follow you, you shall be absolved from this oath of mine, and you need not continue searching for a wife for Isaac; only you shall not return my son there, as he must remain in this land. God gave me this land, and He commanded me to dwell here; therefore, my son may not leave it either.

וַיָּ֤שֶׂם הָעֶ֙בֶד֙ אֶת־יָד֔וֹ תַּ֛חַת יֶ֥רֶךְ אַבְרָהָ֖ם אֲדֹנָ֑יו וַיִּשָּׁ֣בַֽע ל֔וֹ עַל־הַדָּבָ֖ר הַזֶּֽה׃

The servant placed his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and took an oath to him with regard to this matter.