Genesis 25:9

Gen 25:9 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;

Ver. 9. And his sons Isaac and Ishmael, &c.] It is like that Abraham, a little afore his death, sent for his two sons and reconciled them. This joining with Isaac in the burying of Abraham, some take for an argument of his repentance; whereunto also they add, that his whole lifetime is recorded in Holy Scripture, which cannot be showed of any reprobate, and that he is said, when he died, to be gathered to his fathers.

Which is beside Mamre.] Where, seventy-six years before, he had entertained the Lord Christ, and heard from his mouth the promise of the Messiah. Wherefore, in remembrance of that most amiable apparition, and for love and honour of the divine promise there uttered, he would there be buried, in full hope of a glorious resurrection; and that his posterity might take notice that he even died upon the promise. As that brave Roman captain {a} told his soldiers, that if they could not conquer Britain, yet they would get possession of it by laying their bones in it.

{a} Xiphilinus.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

his sons . . . buried him--Death often puts an end to strife, reconciles those who have been alienated, and brings rival relations, as in this instance, to mingle tears over a father's grave.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 9. His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him] Though Ishmael and his mother had been expelled from Abraham's family on the account of Isaac, yet, as he was under the same obligation to a most loving affectionate father as his brother Isaac, if any personal feuds remained, they agreed to bury them on this occasion, that both might dutifully join in doing the last offices to a parent who was an honour to them and to human nature: and, considering the rejection of Ishmael from the inheritance, this transaction shows his character in an amiable point of view; for though he was a wild man, (see Ge 16:12,) yet this appellation appears to be more characteristic of his habits of life than of his disposition.

For the character of Abraham see the conclusion of this chapter. See Clarke on Ge 25:34.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

9. And his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him. Hence it appears, that although Ishmael had long ago been dismissed, he was not utterly alienated from his father, because he performed the office of a son in celebrating the obsequies of his deceased parent. Ishmael, rather than the other sons did this, as being nearer.

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

(9) His sons Isaac and Ishmael.—Isaac was now seventy-five years of age, and Ishmael eighty-nine, and the two old men, with their enmity long over, metas friends at their father’s burial. While Keturah’s sons were apparently sent far away into Arabia, Ishmael at Paran (Gen_21:21) would be at no very great distance from the well Lahai-roi, which was Isaac’s favourite residence.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

9. Isaac and Ishmael] The two sons are mentioned once more together, as paying the last tribute of honour to their father. The banishment of Ishmael, recorded by E in 21, was not apparently included in the narrative of P, which avoids the notice of anything derogatory to the patriarchs.

in the cave of Machpelah, &c.] Isaac and Ishmael bury their father in the burial-place where he had laid Sarah his wife to rest. Cf. Gen_23:17-20.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah,.... Isaac, though the younger brother, is set first, because he was born of the lawful wife of Abraham, the free woman, whereas Ishmael was born of a concubine and a bondwoman; Isaac was heir not only to Abraham's temporal estate, but of the promise made concerning the Messiah, (not so Ishmael,) and was on all accounts the greater man. It appears from hence, that, though them had been a quarrel between Ishmael and Isaac, and the latter had been persecuted by the former, yet the difference was now made up, and they were reconciled, at least they agreed in this act of showing their last respect to their father; and that, though Ishmael had been expelled his father's house, yet he was not at any great distance from him, and there was a correspondence between him and his father; nor was he forgotten by him, as is clear from Gen 25:6; and he retained a filial affection for him; and Jarchi from hence concludes, that he was a penitent and a good man. The place where these two brothers buried their father was the cave of Machpelah:

in the field of Ephron, the son of Zohar the Hittite, which is before Mamre; see Gen 23:8; wherefore very false is the tradition of the Mahometans (g), that Abraham's sepulchre is at Mecca, which they, now show, and stands about twelve paces from the temple there, enclosed with iron rails.

(g) Pitt's Account of the Religion of the Mahometans, c. 7. p. 93.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Ishmael, though banished from his father’s house, lived in a place not very far from him; and as no doubt he received many favours from his father after his departure, which is implied here, Gen 25:6, though it be not mentioned elsewhere; so it is probable that he had a true respect and affection to his father, which he here expresseth.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

9. Isaac and Ishmael buried him — There is something touching in this statement. No wrongs, or bitterness, or antipathy of the past, prevent their union in a common sorrow over their great father. So at a later date Esau and Jacob, similarly estranged, come together to bury their father, Isaac. Gen_35:29. The sons of Keturah, now, perhaps, far scattered, and less attached to Abraham than Ishmael and Isaac, are not mentioned here.

Machpelah — See on Gen_23:9.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Here is nothing recorded of the pomp or ceremony of his funeral; only we are told, his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him - It was the last office of respect they had to pay to their good father. Some distance there had formerly been between Isaac and Ishmael, but it seems either Abraham had himself brought them together while he lived, or at least his death reconciled them. They buried him, in his own burying-place which he had purchased and in which he had buried Sarah. Those that in life have been very dear to each other, may not only innocently, but laudably, desire to be buried together, that, in their deaths, they may not be divided, and in token of their hopes of rising together.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

The burial of the patriarch in the cave of Machpelah was attended to by Isaac and Ishmael; since the latter, although excluded from the blessings of the covenant, was acknowledged by God as the son of Abraham by a distinct blessing (Gen 17:20), and was thus elevated above the sons of Keturah.

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)

the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron

Ephron owned a field in Machpelah and the cave that was in that field. Abraham bought the field from Ephron.

Machpelah

Machpelah was the name of an area or region. See how you translated this in Genesis 23:9. (See: How to Translate Names)

Ephron ... Zohar

These are names of men. See how you translated these men's names in Genesis 23:8. (See: How to Translate Names)

which is near Mamre

Machpela was near Mamre.

Mamre

This was another name for the city of Hebron. It may have been named after Mamre, the friend of Abraham who lived there. See how you translated this place name in Genesis 23:17. (See: How to Translate Names)

This field Abraham had bought

"Abraham had bought this field"

sons of Heth

"the descendants of Heth" or "the Hittites." See how you translated this in Genesis 23:5.

Abraham was buried

This can be stated in active form. AT: "They buried Abraham" (See: Active or Passive)

his son

"Abraham's son"

Beer Lahai Roi

This name means "the well of the living one who sees me." See how you translated this place name in Genesis 16:14. (See: How to Translate Names)

translationWords

Isaac

Ishmael

bury

Hittite

Abraham

Sarah

God

bless

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

יצחק וישמעאל ISAAC AND ISHMAEL — From this we gather that Ishmael repented of his evil ways (cf.Bava Batra 16b) and yielded the precedence to Isaac. This is what is meant by the “good old age” mentioned in connection with Abraham (Genesis Rabbah 38:12).

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.

AND HIS SONS ISAAC AND ISHMAEL BURIED HIM. In the language of Bereshith Rabbah, “Here the son of the handmaid bestowed respect upon the son of the mistress” [since he yielded precedence to Isaac].

Ramban (Nachmanides) on the Tanakh — English translation: “Commentary on the Torah by Ramban (Nachmanides). Translated and annotated by Charles B. Chavel. New York, Shilo Pub. House, 1971-1976” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.

ויקברו אותו יצחק וישמעאל בניו, seeing they were more honoured than his other sons and had been more beloved by him. This is why they took upon them themselves the procedures connected with their father’s burial even though the sons of Keturah were also in this region. Alternately, Avraham had already sent those sons away during his lifetime so that only Yitzchok and Ishmael remained in the region.

'אל מרת המכפלה אל שדה וגו, the expression אל מערת is equivalent to the word במערת “in the cave of.” We find a similar expression in Exodus 25,21 concerning the Holy Ark. There are many more examples of this formulation.

על פני ממרא, we have explained this term already on 23,17.

Radak on the Tanakh — English translations: “Sefaria Community Translation” (CC0 1.0 (public-domain dedication)); “Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash” (CC BY 4.0); “Rabbi Mike Feuer, Jerusalem Anthology” (CC BY 4.0); and “R. David Kimhi on the first book of Psalms, Translated by R.G. Finch, London, 1919” (public domain). Text via Sefaria.