Genesis 23:1
What does Genesis 23:1 mean?
A plain-English look at Genesis 23:1 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Genesis 23:1 means
This verse states Sarah's age at the time of her death, a significant detail as it marks the end of her long and impactful life. At 127 years old, she had lived through many of God's promises to Abraham, witnessing the birth of Isaac and being a foundational matriarch of the nation of Israel. Her advanced age underscores the faithfulness of God in allowing her to see the beginning of the fulfillment of His covenant.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000And the life of Sarah was a hundred and seven and twenty years: these were the years of the life of Sarah.
KJV
King James Version · 1611And Sarah was an hundred and seven and twenty years old: these were the years of the life of Sarah.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901And the life of Sarah was a hundred and seven and twenty years: these were the years of the life of Sarah.
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949Now the years of Sarah's life were a hundred and twenty-seven.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862And the life of Sarah is a hundred and twenty and seven years--years of the life of Sarah;
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752And Sara lived a hundred and twenty-seven years.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890And the life of Sarah was a hundred and twenty-seven years: [these were] the years of the life of Sarah.
Context
This opening verse immediately establishes the somber occasion that drives the rest of the chapter: the death of Sarah. It sets the stage for Abraham's subsequent actions to secure a burial place for her. Without this initial declaration of Sarah's passing, the urgency and purpose of Abraham's negotiations with the Hittites would be lost to the reader.
v.1This passage
v.2And Sarah died in Kiriath-arba (the same is Hebron), in the land of Canaan: and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her.
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