Fear No Fear

(All scripture from the World English Bible, ebible.org, all rights reserved)

“Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him, “My lord, listen to me. What is a piece of land worth four hundred shekels of silver between me and you? Therefore bury your dead.” Abraham 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. So the field of Ephron, which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field, the cave which was in it, and all the trees that were in the field, that were in all of its borders, were deeded to Abraham for a possession in the presence of the children of Heth, before all who went in at the gate of his city.”
(Genesis 23:14-18)

Ephron had clearly been willing to give it away as a free gift to Abraham, but if Abraham was insisting, it would be foolish to refuse the money. Ephron named his price, Abraham paid it, and it was a done deal.

Abraham did it all before witnesses. His willingness to pay. His acceptance of the price. His weighing out of the money and the handing it over. No one could say he was dishonest. No one could say it wasn’t his. No one could fault him for any of it. And it was all done with respect, honour, and kindness. There was no room for rumours, hard feelings, or take backsies.

This transaction is proof of Abraham’s prosperity. He didn’t have to bargain. He was blessed enough to be able to do what was right and needed. God always supplies what we need, if we are doing what is proper – God doesn’t sponsor our follies and disobedience.

This was a legal deed. A lot of what took place in the ancient world was based on your word. This is singled out as a legal transaction. As proof that Abraham owned the land. In fact, Jacob’s sons came and buried him in this cave even though they didn’t live there anymore at the time. Abraham got the land in perpetuity and it was – and is – always his.

The sage Ramban writes: ‘LAND OF FOUR HUNDRED SHEKELS OF SILVER. According to Onkelos’ opinion, the intent of this is that the land was so worth, [since he translated, “land worth four hundred shekels of silver.”]
Perhaps it was Ephron’s intent to say that the price of the land was so fixed in that place for it was customary in most lands that the price of a field be fixed in accordance with its dimensions. In the words of our Rabbis, however, Ephron set an exorbitant arbitrary price, and Abraham, out of the willingness of his heart, listened and did according to his will, and magnified himself. If we follow the simple interpretation of Scripture, land of four hundred shekels of silver means that either Ephron bought it for that price, or it was so purchased by his forefathers.’

The sage Sforno writes: ‘?מה היא, “after all it is a very minor transaction! It is so insignificant a matter that the acquisition can be made by a mere declaration without being recorded in a document. As soon as you have handed over the money you may consider yourself as burying Sarah in your property.” (1) AVRAHAM HEARKENED TO EFRON. He accepted his view of the value of the field. (2) AND HE WEIGHED OUT [JPS: PAID]. He paid off, as (I Kings 20:39), “or you will have to pay a talent of silver.” ויקם השדה לאברהם למקנה, the word ויקם teaches that the purchase was confirmed by a sealed document.’

The sage Rashbam writes: ‘לאברהם למקנה, “it arose” after Avraham had paid the money, a normal procedure which we are familiar with from the (misquote) in Erchin 33 ונתן הבסף וקם לו. The purchase was concluded in verse 18, i.e. the field became a מקנה for Avraham. It became an ancestral piece of property only after Sarah had actually been buried there, i.e. after the purpose of the transaction had been carried out (verse 20)’