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.
16. weighed ] The scales were ready. “Weighed” is the appropriate word for the payment of money in days when money was not coined. Coined money seems not to have been in use among the Israelites before the Exile. The price of an article was reckoned by the weight of metal silver or bronze given in exchange for it. The metal might consist of bars or rings. Possibly in Jos 7:21, “a wedge of gold” was a bar, or ingot. For other instances in which the word for “to pay” is in the Hebrew “to weigh,” cf. 1Ki 20:39; Isa 55:2 (“spend”); Jer 32:9-10; Zec 11:12. Sayce (quoted by Skinner, p. 338, n.) mentions evidence for “shekels stamped with a seal” in the period of Hammurabi ( Cont. Rev. Aug. 1907).
silver, current money with the merchant ] Lit. “silver passing over to the merchant,” i.e. pieces of good metal used in commercial exchange. LXX , Lat. quadringentos siclos argenti probatae monetae publicae.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 16. Current with the merchant] ober lassocher, passing to or with the traveller – such as was commonly used by those who travelled about with merchandise of any sort. The word signifies the same as hawker or pedlar among us.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
In those times silver was paid by weight, Gen 43:21; Jer 32:10.
Current money with the merchant, i.e. right for quality as well as weight in the judgment of merchants, whose frequent dealing in it makes them more able to judge of it.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
16. Abraham weighed . . . thesilverThe money, amounting to 50 was paid in presence of theassembled witnesses; and it was weighed. The practice of weighingmoney, which is often in lumps or rings, each stamped with theirweight, is still common in many parts of the East; and every merchantat the gates or the bazaar has his scales at his girdle.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And Abraham hearkened unto Ephron,…. He agreed at once to give him the sum proposed, judging it to be a moderate price between man and man, and he was satisfied with it, and well content to pay him the money:
and Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver: for in those times money had no mark or stamp upon it to show its value, and therefore was not told by pieces, but weighed, by which its full worth was known; and that Ephron might have his whole and just demand, the silver was weighed to him:
which he had named, in the audience of the sons of Heth; who were witnesses of the bargain, of the price set by Ephron, and of the payment of it by Abraham:
four hundred shekels of silver: the sum before mentioned,
Ge 23:15:
current [money] with the merchant; such as was used by merchants in buying and selling; such as they would receive, who knew the value of it, and were careful not to take any that was bad; wherefore such as would pass, with them would go anywhere, was current money; how all this is consistent with what Stephen says; [See comments on Ac 7:16].
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
| Sarah’s Funeral. | B. C. 1857. |
16 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. 17 And the field of Ephron, which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field, and the cave which was therein, and all the trees that were in the field, that were in all the borders round about, were made sure 18 Unto Abraham for a possession in the presence of the children of Heth, before all that went in at the gate of his city. 19 And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre: the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan. 20 And the field, and the cave that is therein, were made sure unto Abraham for a possession of a buryingplace by the sons of Heth.
We have here the conclusion of the treaty between Abraham and Ephron about the burying-place. The bargain was publicly made before all the neighbours, in the presence and audience of the sons of Heth,Gen 23:16; Gen 23:17. Note, Prudence, as well as justice, directs us to be fair, and open, and above-board, in our dealings. Fraudulent contracts hate the light, and choose to be clandestine; but those that design honestly in their bargains care not who are witnesses to them. Our law countenances sales made in market-overt, and by deed enrolled. Observe, 1. Abraham, without fraud, covin, or further delay, pays the money, v. 16. He pays it readily, without hesitation,–pays it in full, without diminution,–and pays it by weight, current money with the merchant, without deceit. See how anciently money was used for the help of commerce; and see how honestly money should be paid where it is due. Observe, Though all the land of Canaan was Abraham’s by promise, yet, the time of his possessing not having come, what he had now occasion for he bought and paid for. Note, Dominion is not founded in grace. The saints’ title to an eternal inheritance does not entitle them to the possessions of this world, nor justify them in doing wrong. 2. Ephron honestly and fairly makes him a good title to the land, Gen 23:17; Gen 23:18; Gen 23:20. The field, with all its appurtenances, is conveyed to Abraham and his heirs for ever, in open court, not by writing (it does not appear that writing was then used), but by such a public solemn declaration before witnesses as was sufficient to pass it. Note, As that which is bought must be honestly paid for, so that which is sold must be honestly delivered and secured. 3. Abraham, thereupon, takes possession, and buries Sarah in the cave or vault (whether framed by nature or art is not certain) which was in the purchased field. It is probable that Abraham had buried servants out of his family since he came to Canaan, but the graves of the common people (2 Kings xxiii. 6) might suffice for them; now that Sarah was dead a peculiar place must be found for her remains. It is worth noting, (1.) That a burying-place was the first spot of ground Abraham possessed in Canaan. Note, When we are entering into the world it is good to think of our going out of it; for, as soon as we are born, we begin to die. (2.) That it was the only piece of land he ever possessed, though the country was all his own in reversion. Those that have least of this earth find a grave in it. Abraham provided, not cities, as Cain and Nimrod, but a sepulchre, [1.] To be a constant memorandum of death to himself and his posterity, that he and they might learn to die daily. This sepulchre is said to be at the end of the field (v. 9); for, whatever our possessions are, there is a sepulchre at the end of them. [2.] To be a token of his belief and expectation of the resurrection; for why should such care be taken of the body if it be thrown away for ever, and must not rise again? Abraham, in this, said plainly that he sought a better country, that is, a heavenly. Abraham is content to be still flitting, while he lives, but secures a place where, when he dies his flesh may rest in hope.
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary
16. And Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver. I know not what had come into Jerome’s mind, when he says, that one letter was abstracted from Ephron’s name, after he had been persuaded, by Abraham’s entreaties, to receive money for the field; because, by the sale of the sepulcher, his virtue was maimed or diminished: for, in fact, the name of Ephron is found written in the very same manner, after that event, as before. Nor ought it to be imputed to Ephron as a fault, that, being pressed, he took the lawful price for his estate; when he had been prepared liberally to give it. If there was any sin in the case, Abraham must bear the whole blame. But who shall dare to condemn a just sale, in which, on both sides, religion, good faith, and equity, are maintained? Abraham, it is argued, bought the field for the sake of having a sepulcher. But ought Ephron on that account to give it freely, and under the pretext of a sepulcher, to be defrauded of his right? We see here, then, nothing but mere trifling. The Canonists, however, — preposterous and infatuated as they are, — rashly laying hold of the expressions of Jerome, have determined that it is a prodigious sacrilege to sell sepulchres. Yet, in the meantime, all the Papal sacrificers securely exercise this traffic: and while they acknowledge the cemetery to be a common sepulcher, they suffer no grave to be dug, unless the price be paid.
Current money with the merchant. Moses speaks thus, because money is a medium of mutual communication between men. It is principally employed in buying and selling merchandise. Whereas Moses says, in the close of the chapter, that the field was confirmed by the Hittites to Abraham for a possession; the sense is, that the purchase was publicly attested; for although a private person sold it, yet the people were present, and ratified the contract between the two parties.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(16) Abraham weighed . . . current money with the merchant.Shekel literally means weight, and money was not coined until long afterwards. In the last clause, by inserting money our version antedates facts. According to the Hebrew, it was the silver that was current with the merchants. The metal was probably made into small bars, marked by the refiner to indicate their quality: and Abraham weighed out to Ephron about 200 ounces of silver in bars of the quality usual in trade.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
16. Abraham weighed the silver “Ancient money, being uncoined, was weighed instead of being counted . Even to this day the Oriental merchants weigh the silver and the gold which are the medium of traffic; not only the bullion, but the coined pieces also, lest some dishonest trader might pass upon them a coin of light weight . The ancient Egyptians, and some other nations, used rings of gold and silver for the same purposes that coins are now used.” FREEMAN’S Handbook of Bible Manners and Customs.
Current money Hebrews, silver passing to the merchant. That is, such as passed among the merchants of that time.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘And Abraham listened to Ephron, and Abraham weighed for Ephron the silver which he had named in the hearing of the children of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, according to the weights current with the merchant.’
Abraham feels the price well worth paying. We have here a demonstration of how rich Abraham was. He could afford the price without argument.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Gen 23:16. Abraham weighed, &c. They did not tell the money, as we do now, but gave it out by weight. In time, convenience taught men to give it a public stamp, in order to denote its value: yet it continued to be weighed among the Jews, in David’s time; see 1Ch 21:25 and even till the captivity. Indeed, as Bp. Patrick observes, the very word shekel comes from shakal, to weigh. The same custom of weighing prevailed among the Romans till about the four hundred and seventy-fifth year of Rome.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
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.
In point of value about 50l. of our money.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Gen 23:16 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.
Ver. 16. In the audience of the sons of Heth. ] Whom he takes to witness, and so provideth for his security and quietness afterwards; as did also Jeremiah in the purchase of his uncle’s field. Wisdom and circumspection are to be used in contracts and covenants.
Current with the merchant.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
And Abraham
(See Scofield “Gen 23:4”).
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
weighed: Gen 43:21, Ezr 8:25-30, Job 28:15, Jer 32:9, Zec 11:12, Mat 7:12, Rom 13:8, Phi 4:8, 1Th 4:6
four: Gen 23:15, Exo 30:13, Eze 45:12
Reciprocal: Gen 20:16 – thousand Gen 24:22 – of half Gen 25:10 – The field Gen 49:31 – General Gen 50:13 – the cave Exo 22:17 – pay Rth 4:9 – Ye are witnesses 2Sa 14:26 – two hundred shekels Est 3:9 – and I will pay Isa 33:18 – receiver Joe 1:17 – seed Act 7:16 – were