Genesis 9:26 - Printer Friendly

ESV: He also said, “Blessed be the LORD, the God of Shem; and let Canaan be his servant.

NIV: He also said, 'Praise be to the LORD, the God of Shem! May Canaan be the slave of Shem.

NASB: He also said, 'Blessed be the Lord, The God of Shem; And may Canaan be his servant.

CSB: He also said: Blessed be the Lord, the God of Shem; Let Canaan be Shem's slave.

NLT: Then Noah said, 'May the Lord, the God of Shem, be blessed, and may Canaan be his servant!

KJV: And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.

NKJV: And he said: “Blessed be the Lord, The God of Shem, And may Canaan be his servant.

In the previous verse, Noah cursed Canaan, Ham's son, as a result of Ham's extraordinary dishonor of his father (Genesis 9:24-25). The curse applied to their descendants, as well. Now, apparently to emphasize the curse, Noah blesses Ham's brothers. Here, actually, Noah blesses the Lord, "the God of Shem." Since Shem's line is the one that leads to Abraham and the Israelites, this may very well be the first hint that God will make Shem's people His people. This not only makes Shem the ancestor of the nation of Israel, it means Shem's ancestral line will produce the promised Messiah, Jesus Christ (Luke 3:36).

The curse on Canaan is repeated once more. Much later in history, the people occupying the promised land, the people Israel would conquer, will be known as the Canaanites. Many times throughout Israel's history, the Canaanites would be in conflict with and serve the Israelites (descendants of Shem). More pertinent to this curse, they would always eventually find themselves on the "losing side" of their conflicts with Israel.

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 5/5/2024 11:47:15 AM