1 Sarah lived a hundred and twenty-seven years; these were the years of the life of Sarah.
2 And Sarah died at Kir'iath-ar'ba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan; and Abraham went in to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her.
The name Kiriath-arba means "city of Arba," "city foursquare." Symbolically, Kiriath-arba denotes the state of consciousness that attributes to material reason the perfection belonging to and coming from spiritual understanding only; that attributes Strength, Power, Knowledge, and Greatness to the outer formed world, instead of knowing that all Power and Reality exists in Spirit, in the unformed ideas of the One Mind. Sarah (symbolizing the spiritual soul in a certain degree of awakening) died in Kiriath-arba. The death of Sarah symbolizes the spiritual soul becoming entangled in thoughts on the physical plane and disappearing for a season from the conscious mind. However, it is enjoying a period of rest in preparation for a new and higher expression.
3 And Abraham rose up from before his dead, and said to the Hittites,
The spiritual consciousness begins dealing with the thoughts that oppose spiritual enlightenment.
4 "I am a stranger and a sojourner among you; give me property among you for a burying place, that I may bury my dead out of my sight."
This denotes the acknowledgment of the sinking of the spiritual soul into thoughts of the physical plane and needs.
5 The Hittites answered Abraham,
6 "Hear us, my Lord; you are a mighty prince among us. Bury your dead in the choicest of our sepulchres; none of us will withhold from you his sepulchre, or hinder you from burying your dead."
7 Abraham rose and bowed to the Hittites, the people of the land.
8 And he said to them, "If you are willing that I should bury my dead out of my sight, hear me, and entreat for me Ephron the son of Zohar,
The name Ephron means "Gazelle-like," "Quick," "Volatile." Ephron represents a type of thought that is very impulsive, light, airy, and quick to change. The name Zohar means "Whiteness," "Brightness," "Nobility." Zohar represents thoughts of a pure, clear, lofty and discriminating character.
9 that he may give me the cave of Mach-pe'lah, which he owns; it is at the end of his field. For the full price let him give it to me in your presence as a possession for a burying place."
The name Machpelah means "Equally Divided," "Twofold," "Spiral Form." Machpelah represents soul substance in the body (a field in which there was a cave). Sarah and the others buried in this cave symbolize the submergence of spiritual ideals in us. When these ideals have done their work in the conscious realm of our mind for the time being, they give way to other activities of the mind, while they sink back into the subconscious (cave). There, they take deep root in substance and continue their work, which is not apparent to the conscious, thinking part of the mind. They work out into the material consciousness in another incarnation, thus aiding in raising the whole organism to a higher plane of expression.
10 Now Ephron was sitting among the Hittites; and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of the Hittites, of all who went in at the gate of his city,
11 "No, my Lord, hear me; I give you the field, and I give you the cave that is in it; in the presence of the sons of my people I give it to you; bury your dead."
In this scene, what is depicted is impulsive thought that is still part of the thoughts that oppose spiritual enlightenment. The nature of the events that occur here depict the swift absorption into the subconscious of the new ideas learned from spiritual awakening. The cave of Machpelah denotes the rapid sinking of ideas into the subconscious, where they continue to work on the conscious mind under the surface.
12 Then Abraham bowed down before the people of the land.
13 And he said to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, "But if you will, hear me; I will give the price of the field; accept it from me, that I may bury my dead there."
14 Ephron answered Abraham,
15 "My Lord, listen to me; a piece of land worth four hundred shekels of silver, what is that between you and me? Bury your dead."
16 Abraham agreed with Ephron; and Abraham weighed out for Ephron the silver which he had named in the hearing of the Hittites, four hundred shekels of silver, according to the weights current among the merchants.
Abraham's insistence on paying Ephron for the ground where Sarah was to be buried emphasizes the sufficiency of Spirit and the opulence of those who live under its law. Abraham possessed an all-producing Consciousness, and he was expected to use it on all occasions to supply his every need.
17 So the field of Ephron in Mach-pe'lah, which was to the east of Mamre, the field with the cave which was in it and all the trees that were in the field, throughout its whole area, was made over
18 to Abraham as a possession in the presence of the Hittites, before all who went in at the gate of his city.
19 After this, Abraham buried Sarah, his wife, in the cave of the field of Machpelah, East of Mamre (that is, Hebron), in the land of Canaan.
The word Mamre means "Firmness," "Vigor," "Strength." The oak trees (which surrounded Mamre) in themselves denote strength and protection. Thus, we are reminded of the truth that those who trust in God (which includes their metaphysical powers) as their defense, their refuge, and their fortress, and who dwell in the secret place of the Most High, abide under the shadow of the Almighty, and not only are kept from all evil and its results, but also continue to grow and develop greater understanding of spirituality and every good.
20 The field and the cave that is in it were made over to Abraham as a possession for a burying place by the Hittites.
Once the spiritual ideals have done their work in the Conscious mind, they are permitted to become buried temporarily within the subconscious, allowing the ideas generated by the Conscious Mind to remain on the surface of the mind. This is symbolized by Sarah being buried in the cave of Machpelah.