King James Version:
(The Lord speaking is red text)
¶ And Abraham hearkened unto Ephron; and Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver, which he had named in the audience of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, current [money] with the merchant.
Complete Jewish Bible:
Avraham got the point of what 'Efron had said, so he weighed out for 'Efron the amount of money he had specified in the presence of the sons of Het, 400 silver shekels of the weight accepted among merchants [ten pounds].
Berean Standard Bible:
Abraham agreed to Ephron’s terms and weighed out for him the price he had named in the hearing of the Hittites: four hundred shekels of silver, according to the standard of the merchants.
American Standard Version:
And Abraham hearkened unto Ephron; and Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver which he had named in the audience of the children of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, current money with the merchant.
KJV with Strong’s Numbers:
And Abraham{H85} hearkened{H8085} unto Ephron{H6085}; and Abraham{H85} weighed{H8254} to Ephron{H6085} the silver{H3701}, which he had named{H1696} in the audience{H241} of the sons{H1121} of Heth{H2845}, four{H702} hundred{H3967} shekels{H8255} of silver{H3701}, current{H5674} money with the merchant{H5503}.
Cross-References (KJV):
Zechariah 11:12
- And I said unto them, If ye think good, give [me] my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price thirty [pieces] of silver.
Jeremiah 32:9
- And I bought the field of Hanameel my uncle's son, that [was] in Anathoth, and weighed him the money, [even] seventeen shekels of silver.
Ezekiel 45:12
- And the shekel [shall be] twenty gerahs: twenty shekels, five and twenty shekels, fifteen shekels, shall be your maneh.
Ezra 8:25
- And weighed unto them the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, [even] the offering of the house of our God, which the king, and his counsellors, and his lords, and all Israel [there] present, had offered:
Ezra 8:30
- So took the priests and the Levites the weight of the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, to bring [them] to Jerusalem unto the house of our God.
Genesis 43:21
- And it came to pass, when we came to the inn, that we opened our sacks, and, behold, [every] man's money [was] in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight: and we have brought it again in our hand.
Genesis 23:15
- My lord, hearken unto me: the land [is worth] four hundred shekels of silver; what [is] that betwixt me and thee? bury therefore thy dead.
Explore This Verse Across Other Resources:
Commentary for Genesis 23:16
Genesis 23:16 is a part of the narrative in the Book of Genesis that deals with the death of Sarah, Abraham's wife. The verse specifically describes the transaction between Abraham and Ephron the Hittite for the purchase of a burial site, which is the cave of Machpelah. After Sarah's death, Abraham sought to secure a permanent burial place for his family, and he approached the Hittites, the inhabitants of the land, to purchase a piece of land with a cave.
In the cultural context of the time, it was significant for Abraham, a patriarch of the Israelites and a man of God, to legally acquire property in the land of Canaan, which was promised to his descendants. This transaction is an affirmation of Abraham's commitment to and faith in God's promise, as well as his practical engagement with the local inhabitants to secure a legacy for his family.
The verse highlights the negotiation process, where Ephron initially offered the land for free, but Abraham insisted on paying the full price to avoid any future disputes. The amount agreed upon was four hundred shekels of silver, a substantial sum that reflected the value of the land and the honorable nature of the transaction. The mention of the silver being weighed in the presence of the sons of Heth underscores the public and transparent nature of the deal, ensuring that the purchase was legally and socially recognized.
This event is historically important as it represents one of the first documented real estate transactions in the Bible and establishes Abraham's family's legal claim to a piece of the Promised Land. It also illustrates the customs of the time regarding property rights and the importance of legal documentation and public witnesses in the transfer of property. The cave of Machpelah would go on to become a significant burial site for the patriarchs and matriarchs of Israel.
*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model
Strong's Numbers and Definitions:
Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)
- Strong's Number: H85
There are 1159 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אַבְרָהָם
Transliteration: ʼAbrâhâm
Pronunciation: ab-raw-hawm'
Description: contracted from אָב and an unused root (probably meaning to be populous); father of a multitude; Abraham, the later name of Abram; Abraham. - Strong's Number: H8085
There are 1072 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: שָׁמַע
Transliteration: shâmaʻ
Pronunciation: shaw-mah'
Description: a primitive root; to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell, etc.); [idiom] attentively, call (gather) together, [idiom] carefully, [idiom] certainly, consent, consider, be content, declare, [idiom] diligently, discern, give ear, (cause to, let, make to) hear(-ken, tell), [idiom] indeed, listen, make (a) noise, (be) obedient, obey, perceive, (make a) proclaim(-ation), publish, regard, report, shew (forth), (make a) sound, [idiom] surely, tell, understand, whosoever (heareth), witness. - Strong's Number: H6085
There are 12 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: עֶפְרוֹן
Transliteration: ʻEphrôwn
Pronunciation: ef-rone'
Description: from the same as עֵפֶר; fawn-like; Ephron, the name of a Canaanite and of two places in Palestine; Ephron, Ephrain (from the margin). - Strong's Number: H8254
There are 21 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: שָׁקַל
Transliteration: shâqal
Pronunciation: shaw-kal'
Description: a primitive root; to suspend or poise (especially in trade); pay, receive(-r), spend, [idiom] throughly, weigh. - Strong's Number: H3701
There are 343 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: כֶּסֶף
Transliteration: keçeph
Pronunciation: keh'-sef
Description: from כָּסַף; silver (from its pale color); by implication, money; money, price, silver(-ling). - Strong's Number: H1696
There are 1050 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: דָבַר
Transliteration: dâbar
Pronunciation: daw-bar'
Description: a primitive root; perhaps properly, to arrange; but used figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a destructive sense) to subdue; answer, appoint, bid, command, commune, declare, destroy, give, name, promise, pronounce, rehearse, say, speak, be spokesman, subdue, talk, teach, tell, think, use (entreaties), utter, [idiom] well, [idiom] work. - Strong's Number: H241
There are 652 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אֹזֶן
Transliteration: ʼôzen
Pronunciation: o'-zen
Description: from אָזַן; broadness. i.e. (concrete) the ear (from its form in man); [phrase] advertise, audience, [phrase] displease, ear, hearing, [phrase] show. - Strong's Number: H1121
There are 3654 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: בֵּן
Transliteration: bên
Pronunciation: bane
Description: from בָּנָה; a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.); [phrase] afflicted, age, (Ahoh-) (Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-) ite, (anoint-) ed one, appointed to, ([phrase]) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-) ian, one born, bough, branch, breed, [phrase] (young) bullock, [phrase] (young) calf, [idiom] came up in, child, colt, [idiom] common, [idiom] corn, daughter, [idiom] of first, [phrase] firstborn, foal, [phrase] very fruitful, [phrase] postage, [idiom] in, [phrase] kid, [phrase] lamb, ([phrase]) man, meet, [phrase] mighty, [phrase] nephew, old, ([phrase]) people, [phrase] rebel, [phrase] robber, [idiom] servant born, [idiom] soldier, son, [phrase] spark, [phrase] steward, [phrase] stranger, [idiom] surely, them of, [phrase] tumultuous one, [phrase] valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth. - Strong's Number: H2845
There are 12 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: חֵת
Transliteration: Chêth
Pronunciation: khayth
Description: from חָתַת; terror; Cheth, an aboriginal Canaanite; Heth. - Strong's Number: H702
There are 383 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אַרְבַּע
Transliteration: ʼarbaʻ
Pronunciation: ar-bah'
Description: masculine אַרְבָּעָה; from רָבַע; four; four. - Strong's Number: H3967
There are 512 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: מֵאָה
Transliteration: mêʼâh
Pronunciation: may-aw'
Description: or מֵאיָה; properly, a primitive numeral; a hundred; also as a multiplicative and a fraction; hundred((-fold), -th), [phrase] sixscore. - Strong's Number: H8255
There are 54 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: שֶׁקֶל
Transliteration: sheqel
Pronunciation: sheh'-kel
Description: from שָׁקַל; probably a weight; used as a commercial standard; shekel. - Strong's Number: H5674
There are 493 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: עָבַר
Transliteration: ʻâbar
Pronunciation: aw-bar'
Description: a primitive root; to cross over; used very widely of any transition (literal or figurative; transitive, intransitive, intensive, causative); specifically, to cover (in copulation); alienate, alter, [idiom] at all, beyond, bring (over, through), carry over, (over-) come (on, over), conduct (over), convey over, current, deliver, do away, enter, escape, fail, gender, get over, (make) go (away, beyond, by, forth, his way, in, on, over, through), have away (more), lay, meddle, overrun, make partition, (cause to, give, make to, over) pass(-age, along, away, beyond, by, -enger, on, out, over, through), (cause to, make) [phrase] proclaim(-amation), perish, provoke to anger, put away, rage, [phrase] raiser of taxes, remove, send over, set apart, [phrase] shave, cause to (make) sound, [idiom] speedily, [idiom] sweet smelling, take (away), (make to) transgress(-or), translate, turn away, (way-) faring man, be wrath. - Strong's Number: H5503
There are 20 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: סָחַר
Transliteration: çâchar
Pronunciation: saw-khar'
Description: a primitive root; to travel round (specifically as a pedlar); intensively, to palpitate; go about, merchant(-man), occupy with, pant, trade, traffick.