and they were carried back to Shechem and laid in the tomb that Abraham had bought for a sum of silver from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Stephen is highlighting a specific, non-obvious tradition about Abraham's purchase at Shechem. While Genesis records Abraham buying a burial site at Hebron, Stephen asserts he also bought one at Shechem from Hamor's descendants, a detail likely rooted in Samaritan tradition and meant to underscore Shechem's ancient significance for God's people.
and they were carried back to Shechem and laid in the tomb that Abraham had bought for a sum of silver from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Stephen is recounting the history of Israel, tracing their story from Abraham. He's just described how Jacob and his family went down into Egypt, and now he's explaining their eventual burial in the promised land after generations. This verse highlights a tradition that the patriarchs, including Jacob and Joseph, were buried in Shechem, a site with significant history for Abraham and Jacob, even though the Genesis account primarily links Abraham's purchase to Hebron.
Stephen's speech jumps from Jacob's death to a burial site. But the details he uses don't quite match the Old Testament accounts of Abraham's purchases. What's going on here?
Stephen is weaving together different traditions about the patriarchs' burial places.
Two Purchases, One Story
Reconciling the Traditions
Commentators suggest Stephen might be blending these accounts due to:
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Stephen's reference to Shechem as a burial place was likely provocative to his Jewish audience. Why would he bring up this particular location?
Stephen uses Shechem deliberately, knowing it would stir strong emotions.
Shechem's Dual Identity
Stephen's Bold Claim
By asserting that the patriarchs, and even Abraham himself, were buried in Shechem, Stephen was:
Stephen's speech merges two distinct burial traditions—Hebron (Abraham's purchase, Jacob's burial) and Shechem (Jacob's purchase, Joseph's burial)—to highlight Samaria's ancient connection to the patriarchs, challenging his accusers' exclusive claim to sacred history.
c. 1800 BC
Abraham settles near Shechem
Abraham is the first patriarch to settle in the land of Canaan, building an altar near Shechem, indicating a connection to the place.
c. 1700 BC
Jacob purchases land at Shechem
Jacob buys a parcel of land from the sons of Hamor in Shechem, where he later sets up an altar and his sons tragically interact with the city.
c. 1600 BC
Abraham buys burial cave at Hebron
Abraham purchases the cave of Machpelah from Ephron the Hittite near Hebron to serve as a family burial site.
c. 1450 BC
Jacob buried at Hebron
Jacob requests to be buried with his fathers in the cave of Machpelah at Hebron, not in Shechem.
c. 1400 BC
Joseph's bones buried at Shechem
After the Israelites leave Egypt, Joseph's bones are carried to Canaan and buried in the plot of land at Shechem that Jacob had purchased.
c. 30 AD— this verse
Stephen's speech and martyrdom
Stephen recounts Israel's history to the Sanhedrin, including details about the patriarchs' burials, leading to his stoning.
This passage directly states that Jacob purchased a field in Shechem from the sons of Hamor, which is closely related to Stephen's account, though it attributes the purchase to Abraham.
Genesis 49:29-32This passage details Jacob's request to be buried in the cave of Machpelah in Hebron with his fathers, contrasting with the burial location mentioned in Acts 7:16 and highlighting potential discrepancies in burial traditions.
Joshua 24:32This verse confirms that the bones of Joseph were buried in Shechem in the parcel of land that Jacob bought, aligning with the location of Joseph's burial in Stephen's narrative.
Hebrews 11:22This verse speaks of Joseph's faith concerning his bones and the future inheritance of Israel, underscoring the importance of the land of promise and burial in it for the patriarchs.
ellicottActs 7:16: "And were carried over into Sychem, and laid in the sepulchre that Abraham bought for a sum of money of the sons of Emmor the father of Sychem."
(16) And were carried over into Sychem. —The words appear to include Jacob, who was buried not at Sychem, but Machpelah ( Genesis 1:13 ). If we limit the verb to the patriarchs, which is in itself a tenable limitation, we are met by the fresh difficulty that the Old Testament contains no record of the burial of any of the Twelve Patriarchs,…
meyerActs 7:16: "And were carried over into Sychem, and laid in the sepulchre that Abraham bought for a sum of money of the sons of Emmor the father of Sychem."
Acts 7:16 . Μετετέθησαν ] namely, αὐτὸς κ . οἱ πατέρες ἡμῶν . Incorrectly Kuinoel and Olshausen refer it only to the πατέρες ;[202] whereas ΑὐΤῸς ΚΑῚ ΟἹ ΠΑΤΈΡΕς ἩΜῶΝ are named as the persons belonging to the same category, of whom the being dead is affirmed . Certainly Genesis 49:30 (comp. Joseph. Antt. ii. 8. 7), according to which Jacob wa…
Stephen is highlighting a specific, non-obvious tradition about Abraham's purchase at Shechem. While Genesis records Abraham buying a burial site at Hebron, Stephen asserts he also bought one at Shechem from Hamor's descendants, a detail likely rooted in Samaritan tradition and meant to underscore Shechem's ancient significance for God's people.
Stephen is recounting the history of Israel, tracing their story from Abraham. He's just described how Jacob and his family went down into Egypt, and now he's explaining their eventual burial in the promised land after generations. This verse highlights a tradition that the patriarchs, including Jacob and Joseph, were buried in Shechem, a site with significant history for Abraham and Jacob, even though the Genesis account primarily links Abraham's purchase to Hebron.
Stephen is recounting the history of Israel, tracing their story from Abraham. He's just described how Jacob and his family went down into Egypt, and now he's explaining their eventual burial in the promised land after generations. This verse highlights a tradition that the patriarchs, including Jacob and Joseph, were buried in Shechem, a site with significant history for Abraham and Jacob, even though the Genesis account primarily links Abraham's purchase to Hebron.
"and they were carried back to Shechem and laid in the tomb that Abraham had bought for a sum of silver from the sons of Hamor in Shechem." — Stephen is highlighting a specific, non-obvious tradition about Abraham's purchase at Shechem. While Genesis records Abraham buying a burial site at Hebron, Stephen asserts he also bought one at Shec…
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Last reviewed October 2026