Verse Lens · Expanded explanation
Genesis 23:16 Explained in Context
Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.
Verse 16. 16And 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.
King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions
Quick Meaning
Abraham accepts Ephron's stated amount and weighs four hundred shekels of silver according to the accepted merchant standard before the witnesses. The payment completes the financial part of the public transaction.
Read It With
- Genesis 23:1–20
Read verses 15–18. Ephron names the sum; Abraham weighs it; then field, cave, trees, boundaries, and witnesses are formally enumerated.
Why This Verse Appears Here
Abraham's weighed silver turns the agreed figure into completed, verifiable payment.
Read Genesis 23:12–16 together
Why these verses belong together: Abraham insists on payment, Ephron names four hundred shekels, and Abraham weighs the amount.
Verse 12. 12 And Abraham bowed down himself before the people of the land.
Verse 13. 13 And he spake unto Ephron in the audience of the people of the land, saying, But if thou wilt give it, I pray thee, hear me: I will give thee money for the field; take it of me, and I will bury my dead there.
Verse 14. 14 And Ephron answered Abraham, saying unto him,
Verse 15. 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.
Verse 16. 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.
Follow the Context
- Sarah dies at Kiriath-arba, that is Hebron, and Abraham mourns and weeps for her (23:1–2).
- Abraham rises from before Sarah's body, identifies himself as a resident outsider, and asks the sons of Heth for a burial possession; they honor him and offer their tombs (23:3–6).
- Abraham bows and asks them to intercede with Ephron for the cave of Machpelah at full price (23:7–9).
- At the city gate before the people, Ephron offers the field and cave; Abraham again bows and insists on paying for the field (23:10–13).
- Ephron names four hundred shekels of silver, Abraham weighs that amount according to the merchant standard, and the field, cave, trees, boundaries, and witnesses are specified (23:14–18).
- Abraham buries Sarah in the cave, and the field and cave are confirmed to him as a burial possession (23:19–20).
Phrase-by-Phrase Explanation
“weighed”
In plain language: Measured by weight.
Abraham delivers the stated amount as silver weight.
Why it matters: The shekel is a unit of weight here, not a coin.
How certain? very strong“current money with the merchant”
In plain language: Silver accepted according to the trading standard.
The payment is recognizable and verifiable in commerce.
Why it matters: It supports the transaction's clarity without giving a modern exchange rate.
How certain? very strongWhat This Verse Is Not Saying
The verse does not describe minted coins or a modern currency system.
Abraham's payment does not prove that the price was morally fair.
The merchant standard does not supply a timeless conversion into modern money.
What Remains True
Trustworthy transactions make the agreed exchange concrete and verifiable.
How It Can Shape Life
- Use transparent measures, receipts, and records rather than vague promises when money and property rights are involved.
Teach It Back
Explain Genesis 23:16's contribution to Genesis 23:1–20. Include why the nearby verses are required, what the verse clearly says, and one conclusion it does not justify.
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Continue in Context
The full thought-unit study remains the final contextual authority for this Verse Lens.
Read Genesis 23:1–20 — Abraham Buys a Burial Place for SarahSources used for this Verse Lens
How certain is this explanation? very strong
These are the sources used directly for this lens. Language, grammar, disagreements, and the complete source shelf remain attached to the full thought-unit research record.
Biblical text
King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006
eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society
USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.
Supports: Displayed wording, death and mourning, negotiation, payment, conveyance, burial, and later family-tomb connections.
Exact location: Genesis 23:1–20 in the pinned eng-kjv2006 source; compared with Genesis 25:9–10; 35:19–20, 27–29; 49:29–32; 50:13
Open source ↗hebrew text morphology and lemma data
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible — Genesis
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible Project
Open Scriptures, Version 2.2 released 2021; repository inspected 2026
Supports: Mourning and weeping roots, ger vetoshav, burial possession, full silver, gate, weighing, merchant standard, boundary, acquisition, and confirmation language.
Exact location: Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible, wlc/Gen.xml, Genesis 23:1–20
Open source ↗Translation and textual notes
NET Bible — Genesis with translators' notes
Biblical Studies Press
Biblical Studies Press, Digital edition accessed 2026
Supports: Resident-outsider terminology, prince-of-God idiom, sons-of-Heth caution, sale/conveyance language, gate setting, weighed silver, merchant standard, and property-confirmation wording.
Exact location: NET Bible, Genesis 23 and translator notes 1–44
Open NET Genesis 23 ↗