Genesis 23:15

15 My lord, hear me. The ground which thou desirest, is worth four hundred sicles of silver: this is the price between me and thee: but what is this? bury thy 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 spoke to Ephron, in the presence of the people: I beseech thee to hear me: I will give money for the field; take it, and so will I bury my dead in it.

14 And Ephron answered

15 My lord, hear me. The ground which thou desirest, is worth four hundred sicles of silver: this is the price between me and thee: but what is this? bury thy dead.

16 And when Abraham had heard this, he weighed out the money that Ephron had asked, in the hearing of the children of Heth, four hundred sicles of silver, of common current money.

17 And the field that before was Ephron’s, wherein was the double cave, looking towards Mambre, both it and the cave, and all the trees thereof, in all its limits round about,