3 And Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spake unto the sons of Heth, saying,

4 I am a stranger and a sojourner with you: give me a possession of a buryingplace with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.

5 And the children of Heth answered Abraham, saying unto him,

6 Hear us, my lord: thou art a mighty prince among us: in the choice of our sepulchres bury thy dead; none of us shall withhold from thee his sepulchre, but that thou mayest bury thy dead.

7 And Abraham stood up, and bowed himself to the people of the land, even to the children of Heth.

No sooner did Abraham rise from his grieving than he went to buy a place to bury Sarah.

Notice how Abraham describes himself to them: “a stranger and a sojourner.” He is well aware that he has foreign roots, that he is not like the natives of this place. But in return the people call him “a mighty prince among us.” They revere him and are honored by his presence. They state that every one of them will gladly give a plot of land for his sepulcher. Abraham bows before them, perhaps to show gratitude for their response, perhaps to still show humility before moving on with his request.

The good manners here are abundant, and they will only continue as the narrative proceeds. Abraham is meek and unassuming, but that doesn’t mean he is passive-aggressive. He shows a great deal of decorum before making his request, but then he still makes it, clearly and plainly. These verses show what it is to walk the fine line of being polite, but direct.