23:10 (Now Ephron was sitting among the sons of Heth.) Ephron the Hethite 1 replied to Abraham in the hearing 2 of the sons of Heth – before all who entered the gate 3 of his city – 23:11 “No, my lord! Hear me out. I sell 4 you both the field and the cave that is in it. 5 In the presence of my people 6 I sell it to you. Bury your dead.”
23:17 So Abraham secured 7 Ephron’s field in Machpelah, next to Mamre, including the field, the cave that was in it, and all the trees that were in the field and all around its border,
1 tn Or perhaps “Hittite,” but see the note on the name “Heth” in v. 3.
2 tn Heb “ears.” By metonymy the “ears” stand for the presence or proximity (i.e., within earshot) of the persons named.
3 sn On the expression all who entered the gate see E. A. Speiser, “‘Coming’ and ‘Going’ at the City Gate,” BASOR 144 (1956): 20-23; and G. Evans, “‘Coming’ and ‘Going’ at the City Gate: A Discussion of Professor Speiser’s Paper,” BASOR 150 (1958): 28-33.
4 tn Heb “give.” The perfect tense has here a present nuance; this is a formal, legally binding declaration. Abraham asked only for a burial site/cave within the field; Ephron agrees to sell him the entire field.
5 tn The Hebrew text adds “to you I give [i.e., sell] it.” This is redundant in English and has not been translated for stylistic reasons.
6 tn Heb “in the presence of the sons of my people.”
7 tn Heb “And it was conveyed.” The recipient, Abraham (mentioned in the Hebrew text at the beginning of v. 18) has been placed here in the translation for stylistic reasons.