What does Genesis 23:13 mean?
Abraham has offered to buy a cave owned by Ephron the Hittite, for use as a permanent burial place for his people. Ephron had offered to "give" the cave to Abraham, along with the field attached to it. It is likely this was a form of negotiation, however. In reality, Ephron may have been saying, "I don't want to sell you the cave without the field." Or, "I'll lend you the field as long as it is still mine."Now Abraham responds to this counter offer of the "gift" of the cave and field together by agreeing to buy the field with the cave. In fact, Abraham insisted on it. Again, Abraham understood that God had promised all of the land of Canaan to his descendants. His desire here was to permanently own a place to bury his people in what would become their land.