Genesis 23 · Verse 16

Genesis 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.
Genesis 23:16, King James Version

Genesis 23:16 in other translations

BSBAbraham 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 standard of the merchants.
WEBAbraham listened to Ephron. Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver which he had named in the hearing of the children of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, according to the current merchants’ standard.
ASVAnd Abraham hearkened unto Ephron; and Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver which he had named in the audience of the children of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, current money with the merchant.
YLTAnd Abraham hearkeneth unto Ephron, and Abraham weigheth to Ephron the silver which he hath spoken of in the ears of the sons of Heth, four hundred silver shekels, passing with the merchant.
DARBYAnd Abraham hearkened to Ephron; and Abraham weighed to Ephron the money that he had named in the ears of the sons of Heth — four hundred shekels of silver, current with the merchant.
BBEAnd Abraham took note of the price fixed by Ephron in the hearing of the children of Heth, and gave him four hundred shekels in current money.
WebsterAnd Abraham hearkened to 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.

What does Genesis 23:16 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
16. Abraham weighed ... the silver--The money, amounting to £50 was paid in presence of the assembled witnesses; and it was weighed. The practice of weighing money, which is often in lumps or rings, each stamped with their weight, is still common in many parts of the East; and every merchant at the gates or the bazaar has his scales at his girdle.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 16 Current with the merchant - עבר לסחר ober lassocher, passing to or with the traveler - such as was commonly used by those who traveled about with merchandise of any sort. The word signifies the same as hawker or peddler among us.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Genesis 23:14-20

Prudence, as well as justice, directs us to be fair and open in our dealings; cheating bargains will not bear the light. Abraham, without fraud or delay, pays the money. He pays it at once in full, without keeping any part back; and by weight, current money with the merchant, without deceit. See how anciently money was used for the help of trade, and how honestly it should be paid when it is due. Though all the land…

Read the full comment on Genesis 23:14-20 →

Genesis 23:16 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיִּשְׁמַ֣עvai.yish.Ma'and he listenedH8085
אַבְרָהָם֮'av.ra.HamAbrahamH85
אֶל\־'el-toH413
עֶפְרוֹן֒'ef.rOnEphronH6085
וַיִּשְׁקֹ֤לvai.yish.Koland he weighed outH8254
אַבְרָהָם֙'av.ra.HamAbrahamH85
לְעֶפְרֹ֔ןle.'ef.Ronfor EphronH6085
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
הַכֶּ֕סֶףha.Ke.sefthe moneyH3701
אֲשֶׁ֥ר'a.SherwhichH834
דִּבֶּ֖רdi.Berhe had spokenH1696
בְּאָזְנֵ֣יbe.'a.ze.Neiin [the] ears ofH241
בְנֵי\־ve.nei-[the] people ofH1121
חֵ֑תChetHethH2845
אַרְבַּ֤ע'ar.Ba'fourH702
מֵאוֹת֙me.'othundred<s>H3967
שֶׁ֣קֶלShe.kelshekel[s] ofH8255
כֶּ֔סֶףKe.sefsilverH3701
עֹבֵ֖ר'o.Verpassing alongH5674
לַסֹּחֵֽר\׃la.so.Cherto the traderH5503

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Genesis 23:16

  • Jeremiah 32:9

    And I bought the field of Hanameel my uncle’s son, that was in Anathoth, and weighed him the money, even seventeen shekels of silver.

  • Zechariah 11:12

    And I said unto them, If ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver.

  • Exodus 30:13

    This they shall give, every one that passeth among them that are numbered, half a shekel after the shekel of the sanctuary: (a shekel is twenty gerahs:) an half shekel shall be the offering of the Lord.

  • Romans 13:8

    Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.

  • Matthew 7:12

    Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.

  • Job 28:15

    It cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof.

  • Philippians 4:8

    Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

  • Ezekiel 45:12

    And the shekel shall be twenty gerahs: twenty shekels, five and twenty shekels, fifteen shekels, shall be your maneh.

  • Ezra 8:25-30

    And weighed unto them the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, even the offering of the house of our God, which the king, and his counsellors, and his lords, and all Israel there present, had offered: I even weighed unto their hand six hundred and fifty talents of silver, and silver vessels an hundred talents, and of gold an hundred talents; Also twenty basons of gold, of a thousand drams; and two vessels of fine copper, precious as gold. And I said unto them, Ye are holy unto the Lord; the vessels are holy also; and the silver and the gold are a freewill offering unto the Lord God of your fathers. …

  • 1 Thessalonians 4:6

    That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified.

  • Genesis 23:15

    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.

  • Genesis 43:21

    And it came to pass, when we came to the inn, that we opened our sacks, and, behold, every man’s money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight: and we have brought it again in our hand.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
weighed.
43:21; Ezr 8:25-30; Job 28:15; Jer 32:9; Zec 11:12; Mt 7:12; Ro 13:8
Php 4:8; 1Th 4:6
four.
15; Ex 30:13; Eze 45:12

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Genesis 23:15

    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.

  • Genesis 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.

  • Genesis 23:17

    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

Read all of Genesis 23

Genesis 23:16 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Entonces Abraham se convino con Ephrón, y pesó Abraham á Ephrón el dinero que dijo, oyéndolo los hijos de Heth, cuatrocientos siclos de plata, de buena ley entre mercaderes.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et Abraham écouta Éphron, et Abraham pesa à Éphron l’argent dont il avait parlé en présence des fils de Heth, 400 sicles d’argent ayant cours entre les marchands.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und Abraham hörte auf Ephron; und Abraham wog dem Ephron das Geld dar, wovon er vor den Ohren der Kinder Heth geredet hatte, vierhundert Sekel Silber, gangbar beim Kaufmann.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Quod cum audisset Abraham, appendit pecuniam, quam Ephron postulaverat, audientibus filiis Heth, quadringentos siclos argenti probatæ monetæ publicæ.