Ephron

Biblical Account

Ephron appears in Genesis 23. When Sarah died at Kiriath-arba, that is, Hebron, Abraham described himself as "a stranger and a sojourner" and asked the Hittites for a burial place (Genesis 23:4). The site he wanted was the cave of Machpelah at the end of the field belonging to Ephron the son of Zohar (Genesis 23:8–9).

In the presence of the Hittites gathered at the city gate, Ephron offered to give Abraham the field and the cave (Genesis 23:10–11). When Abraham insisted on paying, Ephron replied, "the land is worth four hundred shekels of silver; what is that betwixt me and thee?" (Genesis 23:15). Abraham weighed out four hundred shekels of silver, "current money with the merchant." The field, the cave, and the trees in the field were thereby confirmed as Abraham's possession in the presence of all the Hittites who went in at the gate of the city (Genesis 23:16–18).

Thereafter the cave is repeatedly identified with "the field of Ephron the Hittite." Isaac and Ishmael buried Abraham there (Genesis 25:9–10). Jacob, noting that Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, and Leah were buried there, charged his sons to bury him in the same place (Genesis 49:29–32). His sons buried him as he had instructed (Genesis 50:13).

Significance Within Scripture

The field of Machpelah was the first land that Abraham, to whom the land of Canaan had been promised, acquired by formal purchase. For this reason many interpreters read the transaction in connection with the land promise of the Abrahamic covenant. Ephron's name does not appear in the New Testament, although Stephen's speech mentions the burial place of the patriarchs (Acts 7:16). Because that verse refers to "the sepulchre that Abraham bought for a sum of money of the sons of Emmor the father of Sychem," its relationship to Genesis 23 has been a matter of discussion.

Interpretation and Points of Debate

• Nature of the transaction: Many commentators regard Ephron's offer to give the land freely as a convention of ancient Near Eastern bargaining, meaning that he intended from the outset to receive payment. Others read the offer literally as an act of goodwill. Many hold that four hundred shekels was a high price, but the text itself makes no judgment about the fairness of the price or about Ephron's character.
• Jewish tradition: Some rabbinic traditions connected the shortened spelling of Ephron's name in Genesis 23:16 with his greed. This is a later interpretation and not something the text states directly.
• The Hittites: Scholars differ on how the Hittites of Genesis relate to the Hittite Empire of Asia Minor.
• Acts 7:16: Several explanations have been proposed for this verse. Some suggest that Stephen telescoped the two transactions of Genesis 23 and 33:19; others attribute the difficulty to the textual tradition. The approach taken varies according to one's understanding of biblical inerrancy.

In the Korean Church

Ephron is mentioned chiefly alongside Abraham in expositions of Genesis 23 or in sermons on the account of Sarah's burial. Such sermons commonly emphasize Abraham's willingness to pay a fair price openly and his faith in the promise of the land. Ephron is rarely treated as a subject in his own right.