Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Genesis 23:15/רמב"ן על בראשית כ״ג:ט״ו

אוְטַעַם אֶרֶץ אַרְבַּע מֵאֹת שֶׁקֶל כֶּסֶף עַל דַּעַת אוּנְקְלוֹס (תרגום אונקלוס על בראשית כ"ג:ט"ו) שֶׁהִיא שָׁוָה כֵן, אוּלַי רָצָה לוֹמַר שֶׁהָיוּ דָּמֶיהָ קְצוּבִים כֵּן בַּמָּקוֹם הַהוּא, כִּי כֵן הַמִּנְהָג בְּרוֹב הָאֲרָצוֹת לִהְיוֹת מְחִיר שָׂדֶה קָצוּב לְפִי מִדָּתוֹ. וּכְדִבְרֵי רַבּוֹתֵינוּ (ב"מ פז) עֶפְרוֹן קָצַב דָּמִים כִּרְצוֹנוֹ בְּיֹקֶר גָּדוֹל, וְאַבְרָהָם בְּנִדְבַת לִבּוֹ שָׁמַע וְעָשָׂה כִּרְצוֹנוֹ וְהִגְדִּיל. וְעַל דֶּרֶךְ הַפְּשָׁט "אֶרֶץ אַרְבַּע מֵאֹת שֶׁקֶל כֶּסֶף", שֶׁקָּנָה אוֹתָהּ בְּכָךְ עֶפְרוֹן אוֹ אֲבוֹתָיו הַקַּדְמוֹנִים:

1LAND OF FOUR HUNDRED SHEKELS OF SILVER. According to Onkelos’ opinion, the intent of this is that the land was so worth, [since he translated, “land worth four hundred shekels of silver.”]Perhaps it was Ephron’s intent to say that the price of the land was so fixed in that place for it was customary in most lands that the price of a field be fixed in accordance with its dimensions. In the words of our Rabbis,⁴⁴ however, Ephron set an exorbitant arbitrary price, and Abraham, out of the willingness of his heart, listened and did according to his will, and magnified himself.⁴⁵) which says that Abraham gave Ephron shekels of large size. If we follow the simple interpretation of Scripture, land of four hundred shekels of silver means that either Ephron bought it for that price, or it was so purchased by his forefathers.