In the landscape of the patriarchs, Ephron appears not as a man of the covenant, but as a man of the earth—a representative of the world that Abraham walked through as a stranger and a sojourner.
The Testimony of the Times
Ephron was a Hittite, the son of Zohar, dwelling among the “children of Heth” in Hebron. During this period, the Hittites were a dominant and sophisticated culture in the ancient Near East. When Sarah died, Abraham, despite being a “mighty prince” in status, owned not a single foot of burial ground. This forced a public negotiation at the city gate—the ancient equivalent of a high court and marketplace—where Ephron stood as the owner of the desired property.
The Scriptural Exhibit
The account of Ephron is found in the detailed legal and diplomatic exchange of Genesis 23:
- The Request: “And he communed with them, saying… entreat for me to Ephron the son of Zohar, That he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he hath… for as much money as it is worth.” (Genesis 23:8-9, KJV).
- The Public Negotiation: “And Ephron dwelt among the children of Heth: and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the audience of the children of Heth… Nay, my lord, hear me: the field give I thee, and the cave that is therein.” (Genesis 23:10-11, KJV).
- The Price Named: “Ephron answered Abraham… the land is worth four hundred shekels of silver; what is that betwixt me and thee?” (Genesis 23:14-15, KJV).
The Forensic Analysis
Ephron’s interaction with Abraham is a classic study in ancient Near Eastern “face-saving” and commercial shrewdness.
- The “Gift” That Wasn’t: Ephron’s initial offer to “give” the land was likely a cultural formality. To accept it for free would have left Abraham in a position of perpetual obligation to the Hittites. Abraham, discerning this, insisted on paying.
- The High Price: Scholars often note that 400 shekels of silver was an exorbitant price for a single field and cave (compare this to David buying a threshing floor and oxen for only 50 shekels centuries later). Ephron named a high price while framing it as a trifle (“what is that betwixt me and thee?”).
- The Legal Deeding: By weighing the silver “current money with the merchant,” Abraham ensured the transaction was irreversible. Ephron’s field, trees, and cave were “made sure” unto Abraham—marking the first legal possession of the Promised Land by the seed of Israel.
Ephron is a figure of “the world” who inadvertently facilitated a divine milestone. While he likely viewed the transaction as a profitable business deal with a wealthy foreigner, he was actually deeding over the ground that would hold the remains of the Patriarchs—Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—waiting for the Resurrection.
Ephron’s name (meaning “dust-like” or “fawn”) serves as a reminder: the men of the world deal in dust and silver, but the men of faith deal in promises and inheritances that last beyond the grave.