Discovery BoxGenesis 20:16 
Context20:16 To Sarah he said, “Look, I have given a thousand pieces of silver 1 to your ‘brother.’ 2 This is compensation for you so that you will stand vindicated before all who are with you.” 3
Genesis 23:16
Context23:16 So Abraham agreed to Ephron’s price 4 and weighed 5 out for him 6 the price 7 that Ephron had quoted 8 in the hearing of the sons of Heth – 400 pieces of silver, according to the standard measurement at the time. 9
Genesis 33:19
Context33:19 Then he purchased the portion of the field where he had pitched his tent; he bought it 10 from the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for a hundred pieces of money. 11
Genesis 37:28
Context37:28 So when the Midianite 12 merchants passed by, Joseph’s brothers pulled 13 him 14 out of the cistern and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. The Ishmaelites 15 then took Joseph to Egypt.
1 sn A thousand pieces [Heb “shekels”] of silver. The standards for weighing money varied considerably in the ancient Near East, but the generally accepted weight for the shekel is 11.5 grams (0.4 ounce). This makes the weight of silver here 11.5 kilograms, or 400 ounces (about 25 pounds).
2 sn To your ‘brother.’ Note the way that the king refers to Abraham. Was he being sarcastic? It was surely a rebuke to Sarah. What is amazing is how patient this king was. It is proof that the fear of God was in that place, contrary to what Abraham believed (see v. 11).
3 tn Heb “Look, it is for you a covering of the eyes, for all who are with you, and with all, and you are set right.” The exact meaning of the statement is unclear. Apparently it means that the gift of money somehow exonerates her in other people’s eyes. They will not look on her as compromised (see G. J. Wenham, Genesis [WBC], 2:74).
4 tn Heb “listened to Ephron.”
5 tn Heb “and Abraham weighed out.”
6 tn Heb “to Ephron.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“him”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
7 tn Heb “silver.”
8 tn Heb “that he had spoken.” The referent (Ephron) has been specified here in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.
9 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.
10 tn The words “he bought it” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the Hebrew text v. 19 is one long sentence.
11 tn The Hebrew word קְשִׂיטָה (qÿsitah) is generally understood to refer to a unit of money, but the value is unknown. (However, cf. REB, which renders the term as “sheep”).
12 sn On the close relationship between Ishmaelites (v. 25) and Midianites, see Judg 8:24.
13 tn Heb “they drew and they lifted up.” The referent (Joseph’s brothers) has been specified in the translation for clarity; otherwise the reader might assume the Midianites had pulled Joseph from the cistern (but cf. NAB).
14 tn Heb “Joseph” (both here and in the following clause); the proper name has been replaced both times by the pronoun “him” in the translation for stylistic reasons.
15 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the Ishmaelites) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
