Genesis 23:15

15 “Listen to me, my lord; the land is worth four hundred shekels[a] of silver, but what is that between you and me? Bury your dead.”

Genesis 23:15 in Other Translations

KJV
15 My lord, hearken unto me: the land is worth four hundred shekels of silver; what is that betwixt me and thee? bury therefore thy dead.
ESV
15 "My lord, listen to me: a piece of land worth four hundred shekels of silver, what is that between you and me? Bury your dead."
NLT
15 “My lord, please listen to me. The land is worth 400 pieces of silver, but what is that between friends? Go ahead and bury your dead.”
MSG
15 "If you insist, master. What's four hundred silver shekels between us? Now go ahead and bury your wife."
CSB
15 "My lord, listen to me. Land worth 400 shekels of silver-what is that between you and me? Bury your dead."

Genesis 23:15 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 23:15

My lord, hearken unto me
Since it is your mind to buy the field, and not receive it as a gift, then hear what I have to say as to the value of it: the land [is worth] four hundred shekels of silver;
which, reckoning a shekel at two shillings and sixpence, comes to fifty pounds of our money; what [is] that betwixt thee and me?
between two persons so rich, the sum was trifling and inconsiderable, whether the one paid it, and the other received it, or not; or between two such friends it was not worth speaking of, it was no matter whether it was paid or not: or else the sense is, between us both it is honestly worth so much; it is a good bargain, and must be owned to be so, what is it? the sum is so small, and it is so clearly the worth of it, that there needs no more to be said about it: bury therefore thy dead:
in it, and give thyself no more trouble and concern about it.

Genesis 23:15 In-Context

13 and he said to Ephron in their hearing, “Listen to me, if you will. I will pay the price of the field. Accept it from me so I can bury my dead there.”
14 Ephron answered Abraham,
15 “Listen to me, my lord; the land is worth four hundred shekels of silver, but what is that between you and me? Bury your dead.”
16 Abraham agreed to Ephron’s terms and weighed out for him the price he had named in the hearing of the Hittites: four hundred shekels of silver, according to the weight current among the merchants.
17 So Ephron’s field in Machpelah near Mamre—both the field and the cave in it, and all the trees within the borders of the field—was deeded

Cross References 1

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. That is, about 10 pounds or about 4.6 kilograms
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