Genesis 23 · a question people ask
Stephen says Abraham bought a tomb from the children of Hamor in Shechem. Genesis says he bought one from Ephron near Hebron. How do these fit?
Stephen says the fathers "were brought back to Shechem and laid in the tomb that Abraham bought for a price in silver from the children of Hamor of Shechem" (Acts 7:16). Genesis records Abraham buying the cave of Machpelah from Ephron the Hittite (23:16-20), and Jacob buying ground at Shechem "at the hand of the children of Hamor" (33:19), where Joseph's bones were later buried (Joshua 24:32). Protestants explain it in two main ways.
How Christians read it
Where Christians differ, Favor sets out the main views side by side and doesn't pick one.
Two purchases in one sentence
Those who hold this view read Stephen's short account as joining the two purchases Genesis records, Abraham's at Machpelah (23:16-20) and Jacob's at Shechem (33:19), in a single sentence, as his speech moves quickly through Israel's history (Acts 7:2-16).
Genesis 23:16-20 · Genesis 33:19 · Acts 7:2-16
Abraham also bought at Shechem
Those who hold this view take Stephen's words as stating something Genesis doesn't record: that Abraham also bought ground at Shechem, where he had built an altar (12:6-7), and that Jacob later bought it again from the children of Hamor (33:19).
Genesis 12:6-7 · Genesis 33:19 · Acts 7:16
The verses
“Jacob went down into Egypt and he died, himself and our fathers; and they were brought back to Shechem and laid in the tomb that Abraham bought for a price in silver from the children of Hamor of Shechem.”
“He bought the parcel of ground where he had spread his tent, at the hand of the children of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for one hundred pieces of money.”
“They buried the bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel brought up out of Egypt, in Shechem, in the parcel of ground which Jacob bought from the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for a hundred pieces of silver. They became the inheritance of the children of Joseph.”