Ge. 23: Mmmm....business deal

OK, so on the surface, not much appears to happen in chapter 23.

Sarah dies, and Abraham negotiates a business deal with the Hittites, who we first hear of in Gen. 10:7 as descendants of Canaan, and again as whose land God promises to Abraham in Gen. 15:20.

There is this kind of weird back-and-forth, as if the two sides would be honored to give everything to the other side. Well, I'm not buying it.

Abraham wants to buy property in Hittite land to bury Sarah.

The Hittites say, "No problem, no one is refusing you. Take the best tomb."

Abraham says, "OK, tell that to Ephron son of Zohar, so I can buy Machpelah."

Ephron was sitting there anyway, and said, "No. You can have it."

Abraham comes back like, "I will pay you the price of the field. Please accept whatever I offer."

This is where it gets sleazy. Ephron goes, "Hey, you know, the land is worth 400 shekels of silver. But, come onnnnnnnn, what's 400 shekels between me and you? Bury your dead." So...Ephron expected 400 shekels, which basically forced Abraham into a corner...how could Abraham not pay him less than 400 shekels? On the other hand, Abraham gains legal property in their country.

Its as if Ephron is trying to hitch his wagon to Abraham's gravy train, or get as much money out of him as possible if he's going to get land foothold.

I don't really know what 400 shekels a million years ago compares to nowadays...but maybe it was a lot?

So Abraham pays up, and is deeded the plain of Machpelah, the trees and the cave, and he buries Sarah there in the land of Canaan.