Genesis 23:16

Genesis 23:16 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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.
• New International Version (NIV)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 weight current among the merchants.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Abraham listened to Ephron, and Abraham weighed out for Ephron the silver that he had named in the hearing of the Hittites, four hundred shekels of silver, according to the weights current among the merchants.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And Abraham listened to Ephron; and Abraham weighed out the silver for Ephron which he had named in the hearing of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, currency of the merchants.

Context of Genesis 23:16

14Ephron replied to Abraham, 15‘Listen to me, sir. The land is worth 400 shekels of silver. But the price is not important, because we are friends. Now bury your dead wife there.’ Abraham agreed to the price that Ephron had asked for. He weighed the correct amount of silver to give to Ephron. The Hittites there knew that it had been done properly. The weight of 400 shekels agreed with the weights that people used at that time. 17In that way, Ephron's field in Machpelah, near Mamre, now belonged to Abraham. This included the field, the cave in the field and all the trees in the field as far as its edge. 18All the Hittite people who were sitting there at the city gate agreed that Abraham was the new owner.

Genesis 23:16 word by word

וַיִּשְׁמַ֣ע אַבְרָהָם֮ אֶל־עֶפְרוֹן֒ וַיִּשְׁקֹ֤ל אַבְרָהָם֙ לְעֶפְרֹ֔ן אֶת־הַכֶּ֕סֶף אֲשֶׁ֥ר דִּבֶּ֖ר בְּאָזְנֵ֣י בְנֵי־חֵ֑ת אַרְבַּ֤ע מֵאוֹת֙ שֶׁ֣קֶל כֶּ֔סֶף עֹבֵ֖ר לַסֹּחֵֽר׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And Abrahamאַבְרָהָם'abrâhâm · AbrahamH85
• hearkenedשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: hearH8085
• unto Ephronעֶפְרוֹן‛ephrôn · EphronH6085
• weighedשָׁקַלshâqal · to weighH8254
• the silverכֶּ֫סֶףkeseph · silver: moneyH3701
• which he had namedדָבַרdâbar · to speak: promiseH1696
• in the audienceאֹ֫זֶן'ôzen · ear: hearingH241
• of the sonsבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
• of Hethחֵתchêth · HethH2845
• fourאַרְבַּע'arba‛ 'arbâ‛âh · fourH702
• hundredמֵאָהmê'âh mê'yâh · hundredH3967
• shekelsשֶׁ֫קֶלsheqel · shekelH8255
• currentעָבַר‛âbar · to passH5674
• with the merchantסָחַרsâchar · to tradeH5503

Cross-references for Genesis 23:16

• Genesis 43:21But on our journey back, we stopped at a place to sleep for the night. When we opened our bags, each of us found our money there. It was the same amount of money that each of us had taken to buy food in Egypt. The money was in the top of our bags. Now we have brought the money back here.
• Ezra 8:25I told them to take care of the valuable things that we had received for the temple of our God. These were silver and gold things and other special things that the king, his helpers and his officers had given to us. Israelite people who were living in Babylonia had also given us valuable things for the temple. I weighed all these things.
• Job 28:15Nobody can buy wisdom. You may have lots of gold and silver, but you can never buy wisdom.
• Jeremiah 32:9So I bought the field at Anathoth from my cousin Hanamel. I weighed 17 shekels of silver to pay him for it.
• Zechariah 11:12I said to them, ‘You may think that I should have some money for my work. If you do think that, pay me my money. If you do not want to pay me, keep it.’ So they paid me 30 silver coins.
• Matthew 7:12So do the good things for other people that you would want them to do for you. That is true in everything you do. That is what God's Law and the messages of God's prophets teach us.’
• Romans 13:8Always pay your debts to people. The only debt that you should have is to love each other. Anyone who loves other people has obeyed God's Law completely.
• Philippians 4:8Now my friends, I want to say this to you. Fill your minds with thoughts about good things. Think about things that are true, clean, right and lovely. Always think about things which people know are very good.
• 1 Thessalonians 4:6No man among you should ever have sex with the wife of a Christian friend. That would be the same as if you robbed him. It would be a bad thing to do against him. Remember that the Lord will punish everyone who does things like that. We have already told you that. We warned you very seriously about it.
• Genesis 23:15‘Listen to me, sir. The land is worth 400 shekels of silver. But the price is not important, because we are friends. Now bury your dead wife there.’
• Exodus 30:13Each person that you count must give six grams of silver. That is the proper weight that they use in the tabernacle. The silver is an offering to the Lord.
• Ezekiel 45:1220 gerahs will be equal to one shekel. 60 shekels will be equal to one mina.

Commentaries on Genesis 23:16

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16Current with the merchant - לסחר עבר ober lassocher, passing to or with the traveler - such as was commonly used by those who traveled about with merchandise of any sort. The word signifies the same as hawker or peddler among us.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1-20Verses 1-20 - The Death of Sarah 2. ארבע קרית qı̂ryat -'arba‛ “Qirjath-arba, city of Arba.” ארבע 'arba‛ “Arba, four.” 8. עפרון ‛eprôn “Ephron, of the dust, or resembling a calf.” צחר tshochar “Tsochar, whiteness.” 9. מכפלה makpêlâh “Makpelah, doubled.” The death and burial of Sarah are here recorded. This occasions the purchase of the field of Makpelah, in the cave of which is her sepulchre. Genesis 23:1-2 Sarah is the only woman whose age is recorded…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 14-20Verses 14-20 Prudence, as well as justice, directs us to be fair and open in our dealings; cheating bargains will not bear the light. Abraham, without fraud or delay, pays the money. He pays it at once in full, without keeping any part back; and by weight, current money with the merchant, without deceit. See how anciently money was used for the help of trade, and how honestly it should be paid when it is due. Though all the land of Canaan was Abraham by…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 16-20Abraham paid the full amount and completed the deal. He avoided debt by not accepting gifts from the people (compare 14:21–24). The Hittite elders witnessed the deal, ensuring no one could dispute Abraham's ownership of the land. The transaction happened at the city gate, where they conducted public legal and business matters (see 19:1). The land became Abraham's permanent property, a first step toward God's promise to give him the land. God had not yet…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1616. Abraham weighed ... the silver--The money, amounting to £50 was paid in presence of the assembled witnesses; and it was weighed. The practice of weighing money, which is often in lumps or rings, each stamped with their weight, is still common in many parts of the East; and every merchant at the gates or the bazaar has his scales at his girdle.Read the comment

Topics related to Genesis 23:16

• Abraham
• Cave
• Commerce
• Ephron
• Gates
• Heth
• Land
• Merchant
• Money
• Silver
• Witness

In the dictionaries

• Abraham
• Abraham, Abram
• Current Money
• Four Hundred
• Burial
• Cave
• Choice
• Coin
• Cunning
• Ephron

Commentaries on Genesis 23

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings