{
  "id": "dict_003420",
  "term": "Machpelah",
  "slug": "machpelah",
  "letter": "M",
  "entry_type": "biblical_place",
  "entry_family": "theological_term",
  "depth_profile": "standard",
  "short_definition": "Machpelah is the burial site Abraham purchased near Mamre, where Sarah was buried and where several patriarchs and matriarchs were later laid to rest.",
  "simple_one_line": "Machpelah is Abraham’s burial cave and field near Hebron.",
  "tooltip_text": "The burial cave and field Abraham bought near Mamre (Hebron), later used for patriarchal burial.",
  "aliases": [],
  "scripture_references": [],
  "original_language_terms": [],
  "related_entries": [
    "Abraham",
    "Sarah",
    "Isaac",
    "Jacob",
    "Hebron",
    "Covenant",
    "Promise of the Land"
  ],
  "see_also": [
    "Cave of the patriarchs",
    "Hebron",
    "Patriarchs",
    "Burial",
    "Genesis 23"
  ],
  "lede_intro": "Machpelah is the cave and field Abraham purchased near Mamre in Canaan as a burial place for Sarah. Scripture later presents it as the family tomb of the patriarchs and matriarchs.",
  "at_a_glance_definition": "A biblical place name for the cave and field Abraham bought for Sarah’s burial near Hebron.",
  "at_a_glance_key_points": [
    "Purchased by Abraham from Ephron the Hittite",
    "First used for Sarah’s burial",
    "Later became the burial place of Abraham, Isaac, Rebekah, Leah, and Jacob",
    "Signifies legal possession and covenant continuity in the promised land"
  ],
  "description_academic_short": "Machpelah refers to the cave and surrounding field Abraham bought from Ephron the Hittite as a burial place for Sarah. Scripture presents the purchase as a legally recognized possession in Canaan, and the site later became the burial place of Abraham, Isaac, Rebekah, Leah, and Jacob. Its importance is mainly historical and covenantal rather than theological in a technical sense.",
  "description_academic_full": "Machpelah is the name of the cave, and by extension the field associated with it, that Abraham purchased near Mamre (that is, Hebron) to bury Sarah (Genesis 23). The narrative emphasizes the public, legal character of the transaction, showing that Abraham obtained a recognized burial possession in the land God had promised to his descendants. According to later passages, Machpelah became the family burial place for key members of the patriarchal line, including Abraham, Isaac, Rebekah, Leah, and Jacob (Genesis 25:9-10; 49:29-32; 50:13). The term is therefore best understood as a biblical place name with covenant-historical significance rather than as a theological concept in the narrower sense.",
  "background_biblical_context": "Machpelah appears in the Abraham narratives as a purchased burial place in Canaan. The account highlights Abraham’s faith and his secure though partial foothold in the promised land. Later patriarchal burials in the same location reinforce the continuity of God’s covenant promises across generations.",
  "background_historical_context": "In the ancient Near East, family tombs and burial caves were important markers of identity, inheritance, and remembered lineage. The careful legal transaction in Genesis 23 fits that setting and shows the public, witnessed nature of the purchase. The site is traditionally associated with the area of Hebron.",
  "background_jewish_ancient_context": "Later Jewish tradition strongly associated Machpelah with the tomb of the patriarchs. The burial of the ancestral family there became a significant marker of covenant memory, land promise, and family continuity within Israel’s story.",
  "key_texts_primary": [
    "Genesis 23",
    "Genesis 25:9-10"
  ],
  "key_texts_secondary": [
    "Genesis 49:29-32",
    "Genesis 50:13"
  ],
  "original_language_note": "Machpelah is a Hebrew place name. Its exact etymology is uncertain, though it is often associated with the idea of something “double” or “paired.”",
  "theological_significance": "Machpelah matters because it shows Abraham acting in faith with respect to the promised land while still living as a sojourner. It also provides a burial place for the patriarchal line, underscoring covenant continuity, inheritance, and hope in God’s promises.",
  "philosophical_explanation": "The entry is best read as a concrete historical place rather than an abstract idea. Its significance lies in how a physical location can serve as a legal, familial, and covenantal witness within biblical history.",
  "interpretive_cautions": "Do not over-spiritualize Machpelah or turn it into a doctrine by itself. Its significance comes from the biblical narrative, especially the legal purchase and the patriarchal burials, not from speculative symbolism. Modern identification is traditional rather than archaeologically certain.",
  "major_views_note": "Readers generally agree that Machpelah is the burial cave and field purchased by Abraham. The main discussion concerns the precise location and later historical identification, not the basic biblical meaning of the term.",
  "doctrinal_boundaries": "Machpelah is not a separate doctrine and should not be used to build speculative teaching. Its value is historical, covenantal, and illustrative, with Scripture itself supplying the significance.",
  "practical_significance": "Machpelah reminds readers that faith can be expressed in ordinary, concrete acts of obedience and stewardship. It also points to the importance of remembering God’s promises across generations and honoring family burial and memory.",
  "meta_description": "Machpelah was Abraham’s burial field and cave near Hebron, later the resting place of the patriarchs and matriarchs.",
  "public_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/machpelah/",
  "json_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/data/dictionary/machpelah.json",
  "final_disposition": "PUBLISH_CANONICAL"
}