And Sarah died at Kiriath-arba (that is Hebron) in the land of Canaan: Kiriath-arba means “City of four” and is found elsewhere in 35.27; Neh 11.25. It is regularly used for Hebron in Josh 15.13, 54; 20.7; 21.11, and is said in Josh 14.15 and Judges 1.10 to have been the older name for Hebron. Good News Translation and others translate it “Hebron.” Speiser says “Kiriath-arba—now Hebron.” Revised English Bible have “Kiriath-arba, which is Hebron.” Unless there is a reason to retain the ancient name, translators are advised to use “Hebron.” Land of Canaan is often called “the area [region, country] called Canaan.”

Went in to mourn for Sarah: went in in this context may refer to going inside the tent where her body was kept. Moffatt says “after going indoors.” Went in, however, may signal that Abraham performed or carried out the rites of mourning, or, as Bible en français courant says, “Abraham celebrated the mourning….” Note Good News Translation “Abraham mourned her death.”

Mourn and weep are understood as two verbs in which the second describes the action of the first; that is, “he wept in mourning,” or more generally “he mourned.” Mourning rites involved wailing or weeping, as seen in 2 Sam 1.12; 3.31-32; 1 Kgs 13.30; Zech 12.10-12. A common way of expressing Abraham’s mourning is “Abraham cried very much for some time when Sarah died.” In translation it is important that the description of mourning represent biblical practice. It may be appropriate to say in a footnote, for example, “This is equivalent to the custom called…,” in which a local mourning custom is referred to.

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .