Genesis 9:18-29

Noah’s Descendants

18 Now the sons of Noah who came out of the ark [were] Shem, Ham, and Japheth. (Ham [was] the father of Canaan.)

19 These three [were] the sons of Noah, and from these {the whole earth was populated}.

20 And Noah began [to be] a man of the ground, and he planted a vineyard.

21 And he drank some of the wine and became drunk, and he exposed himself in the midst of his tent.

22 And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and he told his two brothers outside.

23 Then Shem and Japheth took a garment, and the two of them put [it] on [their] shoulders and, walking backward, they covered the nakedness of their father. And their faces [were turned] backward, so that they did not see the nakedness of their father.

24 Then Noah awoke from his drunkenness, and he knew what his youngest son had done to him.

25 And he said, "Cursed [be] Canaan, a slave of slaves he shall be to his brothers."

26 Then he said, "Blessed [be] Yahweh, the God of Shem, and let Canaan be a slave to them.

27 May God make space for Japheth, and let him dwell in the tents of Shem, and let Canaan be a slave for him."

28 And Noah lived three hundred and fifty years after the flood.

29 And all the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years, and he died.

Genesis 9:18-29 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 9

In this chapter we have an account of God's blessing Noah and his sons, being just come out of the ark, with a renewal of the blessing of propagating their species, and replenishing the earth, the dominion over the creatures, and a freedom from the fear of them; with liberty to eat flesh, only it must not be eaten with blood; with a providential care and preservation of their lives from men and beasts, by making a law that that man or beast should die that shed man's blood, Ge 9:1-6 and after repeating the blessing of procreation, Ge 9:7 mention is made of a covenant God made with Noah, his sons, and all the creatures, that he would drown the world no more, the token of which should be the rainbow in the cloud, Ge 9:8-17 the names of the sons of Noah are observed, by whom the earth was repeopled, Ge 9:18,19 and seem to be observed for the sake of an event after recorded; Noah having planted a vineyard, and drank too freely of the wine of it, lay down uncovered in his tent, which Ham seeing, told his two brothers of it, who in a very modest manner covered him, Ge 9:20-23 of all which Noah being sensible when he awoke, cursed Canaan the son of Ham, and blessed Shem and Japheth, Ge 9:24-27 and the chapter is concluded with the age and death of Noah, Ge 9:28,29.

Footnotes

• [a]. Or "And"
• [b]. Literally "all the earth branched out"
• [c]. Or "And"
• [d]. Or "and"
• [e]. Or "And"
• [f]. Or "his wine"
• [g]. Or "And"