Letter to Ephron (Gen 23)

Dear Ephron,

 I am writing a very short note because I am struck by the exchange between Abraham and yourself over the cave which he wanted to use for Sarah’s tomb. You appear to want to give it to him but he is determined to pay.

I wonder if this was a cosmetic exchange on your part, something which would have been culturally expected or not? I suspect your willingness to give the land was genuine because you seem to respect Abraham as someone of great standing in your community. Even though he was a foreigner in a culture where people seemed to hold on tight to ethnic identity you appear to be extremely welcoming.

What was it you understood about migrants that others did not or was it the wealth and apparent power which Abraham had which you focused on?

Whatever I appreciate your generosity but I can also understand where Abraham was coming from. He wanted full legal claim to the land and that was important to him. I guess if you are building a tomb in a foreign land it is important that you can show it is your land for when your descendants may want to come back.

In a book where few people have shown me positive attributes you are a breath of fresh air Ephron. You don’t seem concerned with power or material goods. Rather you simply seem to want to do the right thing.