Now Ephron was sitting among the sons of Heth. So in the presence of all the Hittites who had come to the gate of his city, Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham,
Parallel translations
- WEB Now Ephron was sitting in the middle of the children of Heth. Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of the children of Heth, even of all who went in at the gate of his city, saying,
- KJV And Ephron dwelt among the children of Heth: and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the audience of the children of Heth, even of all that went in at the gate of his city, saying,
- NKJV Now Ephron dwelt among the sons of Heth; and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the presence of the sons of Heth, all who entered at the gate of his city, saying,
- NASB Now Ephron was sitting among the sons of Heth; and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham so that the sons of Heth heard, that is, all who entered the gate of his city, saying,
- NLT Ephron was sitting there among the others, and he answered Abraham as the others listened, speaking publicly before all the Hittite elders of the town.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Ephron, sitting among his people at the city gate, answers Abraham publicly. The transaction is conducted openly before legal witnesses.
Overview
Ephron responds in the public hearing at the city gate, the place of legal and commercial business. The public setting ensures the sale is binding and witnessed. The narrative stresses the legitimacy of Abraham's acquisition.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- Gen 34:24All the men who went out of the city gate listened to Hamor and his son Shechem, and every male of the city was circumcised.
- Gen 34:20So Hamor and his son Shechem went to the gate of their city and addressed the men of their city:
- Gen 23:18to Abraham’s possession in the presence of all the Hittites who had come to the gate of his city.
- Job 29:7When I went out to the city gate and took my seat in the public square,
- Luke 2:3–4And everyone went to his own town to register.
- Matt 9:1Jesus got into a boat, crossed over, and came to His own town.
- Ruth 4:1–4Meanwhile, Boaz went to the gate and sat down there. Soon the kinsman-redeemer of whom he had spoken came along, and Boaz said, “Come over here, my friend, and sit down.” So he went over and sat down.
- Gen 24:10Then the servant took ten of his master’s camels and departed with all manner of good things from his master in hand. And he set out for Nahor’s hometown in Aram-naharaim.
- Isa 28:6a spirit of justice to him who sits in judgment, and a strength to those who repel the onslaught at the gate.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
From the first promise that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent (3:15), through Abraham's blessing to all nations and Judah's coming ruler, Genesis sows every seed that flowers in Christ — the true offspring, the better Adam, the ram caught for Isaac.
How Genesis 23:10 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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