What does Genesis 25:8 mean?
As the previous verse revealed, Abraham was 175 years old when he breathed his last. His life was marked by the blessing of God. That includes an extraordinarily long life span for his era (Genesis 6:3). We're told he was an old man and, poetically, that he was "full of years."It's important to note that Abraham is one of the key figures in all of history. As this chapter alone makes clear, he was the primary ancestor for many Middle Eastern tribes and nations, including Israel. Three of the most influential religions in human history—Christianity, Judaism, and Islam—all claim Abraham as a spiritual patriarch. The life of Abraham marks the beginning of God's plan to create a people that were His very own and, eventually, to bring from that people the Messiah who would bring salvation to all nations.
Still, for such an important and consequential figure, Abraham led the life of a nomad. He was blessed and wealthy, but he lived out his days in the Promised Land in tents, frequently on the move. In spite of God's promises to give to his people the land of Canaan, Abraham died owning land which consisted only of a well, a field, and the cave in which he would be buried, as described in the following verse.
He did however apparently live to see the birth of his twin grandsons, an encouraging sign that God was keeping his promises to the next generation. Genesis 25:26 tells us that Isaac was 60 when Jacob and Esau were born. Thus, Abraham would have been 160 or so (Genesis 21:5), with the opportunity to watch the boys grow out of childhood before he died.
