Genesis 9:22

9:22 Ham, the father of Canaan, ¹  saw his father’s nakedness ²  and told his two brothers who were outside.

Genesis 9:26-27

9:26 He also said,

“Worthy of praise is ³  the Lord, the God of Shem!

May Canaan be the slave of Shem! ⁴ 

9:27 May God enlarge Japheth’s territory and numbers! ⁵ 

May he live ⁶  in the tents of Shem

and may Canaan be his slave!”

Genesis 13:12

13:12 Abram settled in the land of Canaan, but Lot settled among the cities of the Jordan plain ⁷  and pitched his tents next to Sodom.

Genesis 28:8

28:8 Then Esau realized ⁸  that the Canaanite women ⁹  were displeasing to ¹⁰  his father Isaac.

Genesis 42:5

42:5 So Israel’s sons came to buy grain among the other travelers, ¹¹  for the famine was severe in the land of Canaan.

¹ sn For the second time (see v. 18) the text informs the reader of the relationship between Ham and Canaan. Genesis 10 will explain that Canaan was the ancestor of the Canaanite tribes living in the promised land.

² tn Some would translate “had sexual relations with,” arguing that Ham committed a homosexual act with his drunken father for which he was cursed. However, the expression “see nakedness” usually refers to observation of another’s nakedness, not a sexual act (see Gen 42:9, 12 where “nakedness” is used metaphorically to convey the idea of “weakness” or “vulnerability”; Deut 23:14 where “nakedness” refers to excrement; Isa 47:3; Ezek 16:37; Lam 1:8). The following verse (v. 23) clearly indicates that visual observation, not a homosexual act, is in view here. In Lev 20:17 the expression “see nakedness” does appear to be a euphemism for sexual intercourse, but the context there, unlike that of Gen 9:22, clearly indicates that in that passage sexual contact is in view. The expression “see nakedness” does not in itself suggest a sexual connotation. Some relate Gen 9:22 to Lev 18:6-11, 15-19, where the expression “uncover [another’s] nakedness” (the Piel form of גָּלָה, galah) refers euphemistically to sexual intercourse. However, Gen 9:22 does not say Ham “uncovered” the nakedness of his father. According to the text, Noah uncovered himself; Ham merely saw his father naked. The point of the text is that Ham had no respect for his father. Rather than covering his father up, he told his brothers. Noah then gave an oracle that Ham’s descendants, who would be characterized by the same moral abandonment, would be cursed. Leviticus 18 describes that greater evil of the Canaanites (see vv. 24-28).

³ tn Heb “blessed be.”

⁴ tn Heb “a slave to him”; the referent (Shem) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁵ tn Heb “may God enlarge Japheth.” The words “territory and numbers” are supplied in the translation for clarity.

⁶ tn In this context the prefixed verbal form is a jussive (note the distinct jussive forms both before and after this in vv. 26 and 27).

⁷ tn Or “the cities of the plain”; Heb “[the cities of] the circle,” referring to the “circle” or oval area of the Jordan Valley.

⁹ tn Heb “saw.”

¹⁰ tn Heb “the daughters of Canaan.”

¹¹ tn Heb “evil in the eyes of.”

¹¹ tn Heb “in the midst of the coming ones.”