Genesis 9:18 - Printer Friendly

ESV: The sons of Noah who went forth from the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. (Ham was the father of Canaan.)

NIV: The sons of Noah who came out of the ark were Shem, Ham and Japheth. (Ham was the father of Canaan.)

NASB: Now the sons of Noah who came out of the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth; and Ham was the father of Canaan.

CSB: Noah's sons who came out of the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Ham was the father of Canaan.

NLT: The sons of Noah who came out of the boat with their father were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. (Ham is the father of Canaan.)

KJV: And the sons of Noah, that went forth of the ark, were Shem, and Ham, and Japheth: and Ham is the father of Canaan.

NKJV: Now the sons of Noah who went out of the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. And Ham was the father of Canaan.

When humanity filled the earth with sin and violence (Genesis 6:5), God destroyed it with a flood (Genesis 7:4). Only Noah and his family were spared (Genesis 7:1). Their salvation came in the form of a wooden container—an ark—which was built according to God's design (Genesis 6:11–22). In the prior passage, God delivered a promise to those who came off of the ark. God would never again destroy the world using a flood (Genesis 9:11). This promise was made not only to the humans on board, but also to the animals (Genesis 9:9–10). The sign given by God to commemorate this covenant is the rainbow (Genesis 9:12–13).

Mankind's primary responsibility, now, is to repopulate the earth (Genesis 9:7). In verses 18 and 19, Scripture records the new genealogies which will produce the rest of the human race. Noah's sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, are reintroduced to set up the story that will follow. Ham's son Canaan is also introduced to us for the first time. He will figure prominently in the story and its aftermath as well.

Genesis 9:18–29 comes immediately after God has established his promise to never again destroy all life with a flood. This includes a sign: the rainbow. The passage reintroduces Noah's three sons as the fathers of all the people of the earth to come. This passage also states that Ham was the father of Canaan. Next, we're told the embarrassing story of when Noah became drunk and lay naked in his tent. After seeing Noah uncovered, Ham went out and told his brothers about it. When Noah woke up, he cursed the descendants of Ham's son Canaan to be subservient to the descendants of Shem and Japheth.

Chapter 9 describes God's interactions with Noah and his sons following the flood. First, God gives blessings and instructions, including the command to reproduce and fill the earth. Next, God makes a unilateral covenant with humanity and animals never to end all life with a flood again. He offers the rainbow as a sign of this promise. Finally, Noah prophesies about the future of his son's descendants after an awkward episode in which Ham talks to his brothers about seeing Noah passed out drunk and naked.

Chapters 6, 7, and 8 describe God's destruction of the world in a massive flood. Now, in Genesis 9, Scripture describes God's dealings with Noah and his sons following the flood. First, God blesses them and gives specific instructions, including the command to fill the earth. Next, God expands on His promise to never again end all life on earth a flood. Finally, Noah curses Ham and blesses Shem and Japheth after Ham tells his brothers about seeing Noah passed out drunk and naked. Chapters 10 and 11 will sketch out the history of mankind from Noah to Abraham.

The book of Genesis establishes fundamental truths about God. Among these are His role as the Creator, His holiness, His hatred of sin, His love for mankind, and His willingness to provide for our redemption. We learn not only where mankind has come from, but why the world is in its present form. The book also presents the establishment of Israel, God's chosen people. Many of the principles given in other parts of Scripture depend on the basic ideas presented here in the book of Genesis. Within the framework of the Bible, Genesis explains the bare-bones history of the universe leading up to the captivity of Israel in Egypt, setting the stage for the book of Exodus.

Accessed 5/6/2024 9:02:44 AM