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,

GENESIS 23:10KJV
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Genesis 23:10 (KJV)

What does Genesis 23:10 mean?

Genesis 23:10 describes how Ephron the Hittite, who lived among the people of Heth, responded to Abraham in front of all the townspeople gathered at the city gate. The verse sets the scene for a public conversation between Abraham and Ephron about a piece of land.

In this verse, the focus is on the setting and the people involved. Ephron is named as a Hittite living among the descendants of Heth, and he answers Abraham in the presence of the community, specifically at the city gate, which was the traditional place for public business and legal matters. This detail shows that the negotiation about the land is open and witnessed by others, giving it legal and social weight.

The Hebrew behind Genesis 23:10

  • "Gate" (שַׁעַר, sha'ar): In ancient towns, the gate was where official business, legal decisions, and public gatherings took place. Mentioning the gate emphasizes that this negotiation was formal, witnessed, and binding.
  • "Audience" (אֹזֶן, ozen): The Hebrew word literally means "ear," often used for "hearing" or "presence." Here, it highlights that the conversation happened in front of those who could hear—meaning it was public and transparent.
  • "Children of Heth" (בְּנֵי-חֵת, b'nei-chet): This phrase identifies the local people group and roots the story in a real, local community, not just among strangers.

Why Genesis 23:10 matters

  • The verse clarifies that the discussion about the land was not private but took place publicly, ensuring that the transaction would be recognized and respected by the community.
  • By naming Ephron as a Hittite among the children of Heth, the verse shows the diversity and organization of the people living in the area, which helps explain the social setting of Abraham's negotiations.
  • The mention of the city gate connects this story to other legal and social customs in the Bible, where important agreements are often made in public spaces for accountability.

Where else these words appear

“Ephron” Hebrew H6085 · used in 12 verses

  • Genesis 23:8 And he communed with them, saying, If it be your mind that I should bury my dead out of my sight; hear me, and intreat for me to Ephron the son of Zohar,
  • Genesis 23:16 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.
  • Genesis 49:30 In the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field of Ephron the Hittite for a possession of a buryingplace.

“Heth” Hebrew H2845 · used in 12 verses

  • Genesis 10:15 And Canaan begat Sidon his firstborn, and Heth,
  • Genesis 23:7 And Abraham stood up, and bowed himself to the people of the land, even to the children of Heth.
  • Genesis 25:10 The field which Abraham purchased of the sons of Heth: there was Abraham buried, and Sarah his wife.

“Hittite” Hebrew H2850 · used in 47 verses

  • Genesis 15:20 And the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaims,
  • Deuteronomy 7:1 When the LORD thy God shall bring thee into the land whither thou goest to possess it, and hath cast out many nations before thee, the Hittites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than thou;
  • 2 Samuel 11:24 And the shooters shot from off the wall upon thy servants; and some of the king's servants be dead, and thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.