23:3 Then Abraham got up from mourning his dead wife 1 and said to the sons of Heth, 2
23:16 So Abraham agreed to Ephron’s price 3 and weighed 4 out for him 5 the price 6 that Ephron had quoted 7 in the hearing of the sons of Heth – 400 pieces of silver, according to the standard measurement at the time. 8
23:17 So Abraham secured 9 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, 23:18 as his property in the presence of the sons of Heth before all who entered the gate of Ephron’s city. 10
23:19 After this Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave in the field of Machpelah next to Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. 23:20 So Abraham secured the field and the cave that was in it as a burial site 11 from the sons of Heth.
1 tn Heb “And Abraham arose from upon the face of his dead.”
2 tn Some translate the Hebrew term “Heth” as “Hittites” here (also in vv. 5, 7, 10, 16, 18, 20), but this gives the impression that these people were the classical Hittites of Anatolia. However, there is no known connection between these sons of Heth, apparently a Canaanite group (see Gen 10:15), and the Hittites of Asia Minor. See H. A. Hoffner, Jr., “Hittites,” Peoples of the Old Testament World, 152-53.
3 tn Heb “listened to Ephron.”
4 tn Heb “and Abraham weighed out.”
5 tn Heb “to Ephron.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“him”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
6 tn Heb “silver.”
7 tn Heb “that he had spoken.” The referent (Ephron) has been specified here in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.
8 tn Heb “passing for the merchant.” The final clause affirms that the measurement of silver was according to the standards used by the merchants of the time.
9 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.
10 tn Heb “his city”; the referent (Ephron) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
sn See G. M. Tucker, “The Legal Background of Genesis 23,” JBL 85 (1966):77-84; and M. R. Lehmann, “Abraham’s Purchase of Machpelah and Hittite Law,” BASOR 129 (1953): 15-18.
11 tn Heb “possession of a grave.”