Lexical Definition

‎מַכְפֵּלָה‎ Makpêlâh (mak-pay-law') Machpelah ^N:N--L
from ‎כָּפַל‎; a fold

Machpelah.

• § Machpelah = "double" or "portion"
• Makpelah, a place in Palestine

1) the location of a burial cave for the patriarchs, near Hebron

Brown-Driver-Briggs

‎מַכְפֵּלָה‎ proper name, of a location near Hebron, where the patriarchs and their wives were buried, only in P, always with article; ‎׳‎‎שׂדה אשׁר בַּמּ‎ Gen 23:17, ‎׳‎‎מְעָדַת הַמּ‎ the cave of Machpelah vGen 23:9, Gen 25:9, ‎מְעָרַת‎‎׳‎‎שְׂדֵה הַמּ‎ Gen 23:19; Gen 50:13, ‎׳‎‎מְעָרָה אֲשֶׁר בִּשְׂדֵה הַמּ‎ Gen 49:30. — compare Buhl^{Geogr. 160, 161.} — (Evidently originally appellative, but meaning dubious; ᵐ5 τό διπλοῦν; according to Thes = part, lot, portion, as Ethiopic ).

Brown-Driver-Briggs References

Profile

Machpelah • A cave near Hebron; burial place of patriarchs

Machpelah, a cave near Hebron purchased by Abraham as a burial place for Sarah and later used for other patriarchs (Genesis 23:9, 17-19).

• A location first mentioned at Gen.23.9;
• only referred to as Machpelah מַכְפֵּלָה.
  

Machpelah was a cave located near Hebron in Canaan, which Abraham purchased from Ephron the Hittite as a burial place for his wife Sarah (Genesis 23:9, 17-19). The field and the cave were deeded to Abraham as a possession for a burying place (Genesis 23:20). Abraham himself was later buried in the cave of Machpelah by his sons Isaac and Ishmael (Genesis 25:9-10). The cave also became the burial place for Isaac, Rebekah, and Leah (Genesis 49:30-31), as well as Israel (or 'Jacob') (Genesis 50:13). The cave of Machpelah served as a significant burial site for the patriarchs and their wives, and it represented the Israelites' connection to the land of Canaan.

All entries for Machpelah: מַכְפֵּלָה