Bible Strands
Genesis 23:7
Then Abraham rose and bowed down before the people of the land, the Hittites.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Abraham responds to the Hittites' offer of burial ground by rising and bowing before them immediately after they address him as a prince in the preceding verse.
The words — The Hebrew verbs וַיָּקָם (va-yāqōm, "he arose") and וַיִּשְׁתַּחֲוֶה (va-yishtachav, "he bowed down") describe Abraham's physical response of standing up and prostrating himself before the local populace.
The thread — The text links this posture of respect to Abraham's initial reception of the three men in Genesis 18:2 and Lot's greeting of the angels in Genesis 19:1, while Hebrews 12:14 later commands believers to pursue peace with everyone.
Why it lands — The text states that Abraham physically rises and bows before the Hittites to acknowledge their offer, requiring the reader to observe how diplomatic courtesy functions in land negotiations without relying on force or divine intervention.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And Abraham stood up, and bowed himself to the people of the land, even to the children of Heth.
Cross-references
- Hebrews 12:14 Pursue peace with everyone, as well as holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.
- Genesis 18:2 And Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he ran from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground.
- Genesis 19:1 Now the two angels arrived at Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gateway of the city. When Lot saw them, he got up to meet them, bowed facedown,
- Proverbs 18:24 A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who stays closer than a brother.
- Romans 12:17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Carefully consider what is right in the eyes of everybody.
- 1 Peter 3:8 Finally, all of you, be like-minded and sympathetic, love as brothers, be tenderhearted and humble.