Genesis 23:16

23:16 So Abraham agreed to Ephron’s price ¹  and weighed ²  out for him ³  the price ⁴  that Ephron had quoted ⁵  in the hearing of the sons of Heth – 400 pieces of silver, according to the standard measurement at the time. ⁶ 

Genesis 34:21

34:21 “These men are at peace with us. So let them live in the land and travel freely in it, for the land is wide enough ⁷  for them. We will take their daughters for wives, and we will give them our daughters to marry. ⁸ 

Genesis 37:28

37:28 So when the Midianite ⁹  merchants passed by, Joseph’s brothers pulled ¹⁰  him ¹¹  out of the cistern and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. The Ishmaelites ¹²  then took Joseph to Egypt.

Genesis 42:34

42:34 But bring your youngest brother back to me so I will know ¹³  that you are honest men and not spies. ¹⁴  Then I will give your brother back to you and you may move about freely in the land.’” ¹⁵ 

¹ tn Heb “listened to Ephron.”

² tn Heb “and Abraham weighed out.”

³ tn Heb “to Ephron.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“him”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

⁴ tn Heb “silver.”

⁵ tn Heb “that he had spoken.” The referent (Ephron) has been specified here in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.

⁶ tn Heb “passing for the merchant.” The final clause affirms that the measurement of silver was according to the standards used by the merchants of the time.

⁷ tn Heb “wide on both hands,” that is, in both directions.

⁸ tn The words “to marry” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarity.

¹³ sn On the close relationship between Ishmaelites (v. 25) and Midianites, see Judg 8:24.

¹⁴ tn Heb “they drew and they lifted up.” The referent (Joseph’s brothers) has been specified in the translation for clarity; otherwise the reader might assume the Midianites had pulled Joseph from the cistern (but cf. NAB).

¹⁵ tn Heb “Joseph” (both here and in the following clause); the proper name has been replaced both times by the pronoun “him” in the translation for stylistic reasons.

¹⁶ tn Heb “they”; the referent (the Ishmaelites) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

¹⁹ tn After the imperative, the cohortative with prefixed vav indicates purpose/result.

²⁰ tn Heb “that you are not spies, that you are honest men.”

²¹ sn Joseph’s brothers soften the news considerably, making it sound like Simeon was a guest of Joseph (Leave one of your brothers with me) instead of being bound in prison. They do not mention the threat of death and do not at this time speak of the money in the one sack.