Discovery BoxGenesis 23:5 
Context23:5 The sons of Heth answered Abraham, 1
Genesis 23:7
Context23:7 Abraham got up and bowed down to the local people, 2 the sons of Heth.
Genesis 23:10
Context23:10 (Now Ephron was sitting among the sons of Heth.) Ephron the Hethite 3 replied to Abraham in the hearing 4 of the sons of Heth – before all who entered the gate 5 of his city –
Genesis 23:16
Context23:16 So Abraham agreed to Ephron’s price 6 and weighed 7 out for him 8 the price 9 that Ephron had quoted 10 in the hearing of the sons of Heth – 400 pieces of silver, according to the standard measurement at the time. 11
Genesis 23:18
Context23:18 as his property in the presence of the sons of Heth before all who entered the gate of Ephron’s city. 12
Genesis 23:20
Context23:20 So Abraham secured the field and the cave that was in it as a burial site 13 from the sons of Heth.
1 tn Heb “answered Abraham saying to him.”
2 tn Heb “to the people of the land” (also in v. 12).
3 tn Or perhaps “Hittite,” but see the note on the name “Heth” in v. 3.
4 tn Heb “ears.” By metonymy the “ears” stand for the presence or proximity (i.e., within earshot) of the persons named.
5 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.
6 tn Heb “listened to Ephron.”
7 tn Heb “and Abraham weighed out.”
8 tn Heb “to Ephron.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“him”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
9 tn Heb “silver.”
10 tn Heb “that he had spoken.” The referent (Ephron) has been specified here in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.
11 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.
12 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.
13 tn Heb “possession of a grave.”
