Genesis 9:17-27

17 And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant that I've set up between me and everything living on the Earth."

18 The sons of Noah who came out of the ship were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Ham was the father of Canaan.

19 These are the three sons of Noah; from these three the whole Earth was populated.

20 Noah, a farmer, was the first to plant a vineyard.

21 He drank from its wine, got drunk and passed out, naked in his tent.

22 Ham, the father of Canaan, saw that his father was naked and told his two brothers who were outside the tent.

23 Shem and Japheth took a cloak, held it between them from their shoulders, walked backwards and covered their father's nakedness, keeping their faces turned away so they did not see their father's exposed body.

24 When Noah woke up with his hangover, he learned what his youngest son had done.

25 He said, Cursed be Canaan! A slave of slaves, a slave to his brothers!

26 Blessed be God, the God of Shem, but Canaan shall be his slave.

27 God prosper Japheth, living spaciously in the tents of Shem. But Canaan shall be his slave.

Genesis 9:17-27 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.