Places of the Bible

Machpelah

Judean hill country (at Hebron) · Old Testament · 6 verses

Machpelah was a field with a cave near Hebron that Abraham bought as a burial place. It became the family tomb of the patriarchs. The name appears in Genesis in the King James text.

About Machpelah

Machpelah was a field with a cave near Hebron that Abraham bought as a burial place. It became the family tomb of the patriarchs.

Its place in the story

Abraham purchased the cave of Machpelah from Ephron the Hittite to bury Sarah, and there Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and their wives were buried. It was the first piece of the promised land the patriarchs owned.

Machpelah in Scripture (KJV)

“That he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he hath, which is in the end of his field; for as much money as it is worth he shall give it me for a possession of a buryingplace amongst you.”
Genesis 23:9 (KJV)
“And the field of Ephron, which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field, and the cave which was therein, and all the trees that were in the field, that were in all the borders round about, were made sure”
Genesis 23:17 (KJV)
“And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre: the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan.”
Genesis 23:19 (KJV)
“And his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, which is before Mamre;”
Genesis 25:9 (KJV)
“In the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field of Ephron the Hittite for a possession of a buryingplace.”
Genesis 49:30 (KJV)
“For his sons carried him into the land of Canaan, and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, which Abraham bought with the field for a possession of a buryingplace of Ephron the Hittite, before Mamre.”
Genesis 50:13 (KJV)

Where it leads

Machpelah, the patriarchs' burial place and first foothold in the land, is a sign of the promise held in hope, fulfilled in Christ.

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People also ask

Where is Machpelah in the Bible?

Machpelah was a field with a cave near Hebron that Abraham bought as a burial place. It became the family tomb of the patriarchs. The name appears in Genesis in the King James text.

What happened at Machpelah?

Abraham purchased the cave of Machpelah from Ephron the Hittite to bury Sarah, and there Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and their wives were buried. It was the first piece of the promised land the patriarchs owned.

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Scripture verbatim KJV. Place facts curated; any coordinates via Wikidata (CC0).

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