Genesis Chapter 23 verse 12 Holy Bible
And Abraham bowed himself down before the people of the land.
read chapter 23 in ASV
And Abraham went down on his face before the people of the land.
read chapter 23 in BBE
And Abraham bowed down before the people of the land;
read chapter 23 in DARBY
And Abraham bowed down himself before the people of the land.
read chapter 23 in KJV
And Abraham bowed himself before the people of the land.
read chapter 23 in WBT
Abraham bowed himself down before the people of the land.
read chapter 23 in WEB
And Abraham boweth himself before the people of the land,
read chapter 23 in YLT
Pulpit Commentary
Pulpit CommentaryVerses 12, 13. - And Abraham bowed down himself before the people of the land. To express his sense of their kindness, and appreciation of Ephron's offer in particular; aider which he courteously but firmly urged forward the contemplated purchase. And he spake unto Ephron in the audience of the people of the land, saying, But if thou wilt give it, I pray thee, hear me. Literally, if thou, I would that thou wouldst hear me, the two particles אִם and לוּ being conjoined to express the intensity of the speaker's desire. I will give thee money for the field. Literally, money of the field, i.e. the value of the field in money. This seems to indicate that Abraham at least imagined Ephron's offer of the field and cave as a gift to be not wholly formal. Had he regarded Ephron as all the while desirous of a sale, he would not have employed the language of entreaty. Take it of me, and I will bury my dead there.
Ellicott's Commentary
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(12) Abraham bowed down.--This obeisance on the patriarch's part is the Oriental method of returning thanks for the granting of a request; and so in Genesis 23:7. The next step is to fix the price.