Genèse 9:23

23 Alors Sem et Japhet prirent le manteau, le mirent sur leurs épaules, marchèrent à reculons, et couvrirent la nudité de leur père; comme leur visage était détourné, ils ne virent point la nudité de leur père.

Genèse 9:23 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 9:23

And Shem and Japheth took a garment
Who were the two brothers Ham told what he had seen, and who, no doubt, reproved him for his ill behaviour, and then took a garment, a coat of their own, very probably, some large garment fit for the purpose;

and laid it upon both their shoulders;
one part of it on the right shoulder of the one, and the other on the left shoulder of the other:

and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father;
going backward when they came into the tent, and to the place where their father lay, they threw the garment off from their shoulders over him, and so covered him:

and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father's
nakedness:
which they purposely shunned, for which reason they went backwards, and their faces were backwards to their father; which showed their modesty, and their filial piety and duty, and thus by their actions reproved Ham, as well as doubtless they did by words.

Genèse 9:23 In-Context

21 Il but du vin, s'enivra, et se découvrit au milieu de sa tente.

22 Cham, père de Canaan, vit la nudité de son père, et il le rapporta dehors à ses deux frères.

23 Alors Sem et Japhet prirent le manteau, le mirent sur leurs épaules, marchèrent à reculons, et couvrirent la nudité de leur père; comme leur visage était détourné, ils ne virent point la nudité de leur père.

24 Lorsque Noé se réveilla de son vin, il apprit ce que lui avait fait son fils cadet.

25 Et il dit: Maudit soit Canaan! qu'il soit l'esclave des esclaves de ses frères!