Noah said
to Ham: "You caused me that I should not father
a fourth
son, another one to serve me.
Recap:
Reading between the lines, we assume that Ham’s son did more than see but participated somehow in
his grandfather’s disgrace…. or, many commentators believe that the curse of
Ham was not pronounced immediately after the event but at the end of Noah's
life. However, the natural reading of the text has the curse occurring directly
after Noah realized what had happened. The act of Ham could not go unpunished.
In the curse of Noah upon Canaan, he was not punishing him personally for
something his father Ham had done.
Genesis 9:25:
Cursed (ארור)
is Canaan: Noah said to Ham: "You caused me that I should not father a
fourth son, another one to serve me. May your fourth son [Canaan was Ham's
fourth son, see Genesis 10:6] be cursed by serving the offspring of these
greater ones [of Shem and Japheth] ... What did Ham see that he emasculated
him? He said to his brothers Adam the first man had only two sons (Cain and
Abel) yet one killed the other because of the inheritance of the world [Cain
killed Abel over a dispute how to divide the world between them according to
Genesis Rabbah 22:7] and our father has three sons yet he seeks still a fourth
son."
As we read in The Curse of Canaan (2), seeing the
nakedness of a man is a common Hebrew expression for having sex with his
wife (Lev.
20:11). However, another view arises
out of comparison with Leviticus 20:11… this
figurative understanding of "uncovering nakedness" fails to
account for the fact that Shem and Japheth walked into the room backward and
covered Noah with a garment. This does not make any sense if "uncovering
nakedness" means "having sex with Noah's wife." It seems
that Noah was lying naked—his nakedness uncovered.
While, still others contend that there was
some activity between Ham and Noah. But, we have to remember that the
Hebrew makes it clear that Noah uncovered
himself and that Ham saw that nakedness and did not cover him up,
but, rather made fun of him. Yet, still some argue that Ham castrated
Noah-which may explain why Noah had no other sons. This crime would, of course,
warrant the punishment. In the ancient world merely seeing one's father naked
was a highly offensive act. The father's position as moral and spiritual head
would be held in disrepute and the family unit would suffer because of this.
The culture in which this event occurred considered it a capital crime for a
child to strike their father.
Nonetheless, whatever took place between Ham
and Noah, why did Noah curse Ham’s son Canaan, when Canaan is nowhere mentioned
as having done anything? The Bible does not specifically answer this question.
Ham was most likely Noah’s middle son, since Ham is always listed second when
the sons are named. Though, Canaan was probably Ham’s youngest son (Genesis
10:6). The "youngest
child" mentioned in Genesis
9:24 seems to be a focus to Ham, but another option is that Noah
refers to Canaan (his youngest grandson) as his 'son.' Calling
a grandson, a "son" is not uncommon
in Scripture. This would mean that Canaan was somehow involved in the sordid
incident, and that is perhaps why Noah specifically mentions him in the curse. …or, Ham slept with his own mother thus uncovering
his father's nakedness. Canaan, it is argued was the offspring of that
union.
All we know for certain is this: Noah_
1.
He
pronounces a curse on Canaan the son of Ham (Gen. 9:25), in whom Ham is himself
cursed, either because this son of his was now guiltier than the rest, or
because the future generations of this son was subsequently to be rooted out of
their land, to make room for Israel. And Moses here records it for the stirring
of Israel in the wars of Canaan; though the Canaanites were a formidable
people, yet they were of old an accursed people, and doomed to ruin.
- The curse
is, A servant of servants (that is, the meanest and most despicable servant)
shall he be, even to his brethren. Those who by birth were his equals shall by
conquest be his lords. This certainly points at the victories obtained by
Israel over the Canaanites, by which they were all either put to the sword or
put under tribute (Josh. 9:23; Jdg. 1:28, 30, 33, 35), which happened
not till about 800 years after this. Note: (1.) God often visits the
iniquity of the fathers upon the children, especially when the children inherit
the fathers’ wicked dispositions, and imitate the fathers’ wicked practices,
and do nothing to cut off the entail of the curse.
- Disgrace is justly put
upon those that put disgrace upon others, especially that dishonor and grieve
their own parents. An undutiful child that mocks at his parents is no more
worthy to be called a son, but deserves to be made as a hired servant, nay, as
a servant of servants, among his brethren.
- Though divine curses operate
slowly, yet, first or last, they will take effect. The Canaanites were under a
curse of slavery, and yet, for a great while, had the dominion; for a family, a
people, a person, may lie under the curse of God, and yet may long prosper in
the world, till the measure of their iniquity, like that of the Canaanites, be
full. Many are marked for ruin that are not yet ripe for ruin. Therefore, Let
not thy heart envy sinners.
Finally, Noah brings about a blessing upon Shem and
Japheth.
(1.) He blesses Shem, or
rather blesses God for him, yet so that it entitles him to the greatest honor
and happiness imaginable, Gen. 9:26. Observe: [1.] He calls the Lord the
god of Shem; and happy, thrice happy, is that people whose God is the LORD, Ps.
144:15. All blessings are included in this. This was the blessing conferred
on Abraham and his seed; the God of heaven was not ashamed to be called their
God, Heb. 11:16. Shem is sufficiently recompensed for his respect to his
father by this, that the Lord himself puts this honor upon him, to be his God,
which is a sufficient recompense for all our services and all our sufferings
for his name.
[2.] He gives to God the glory of that good work which Shem had
done, and, instead of blessing and praising him that was the instrument, he
blesses and praises God that was the author. Note: the glory of all that
is at any time well done, by ourselves or others, must be humbly and thankfully
transmitted to God, who works all our good works in us and for us. When we see
men’s good works we should glorify, not them, but our Father, Matt. 5:16.
Thus David, in effect, blessed Abigail, when he blessed God that sent her (1
Sam. 25:32, 33), for it is an honor and a favor to be employed for God and
used by him in doing good.
[3.] He foresees and foretells that God’s gracious
dealings with Shem and his family would be such as would evidence to all the
world that he was the God of Shem, on which behalf thanksgivings would by many
be rendered to him: Blessed be the Lord God of Shem.
[4.] It is intimated that
the church should be built up and continued in the posterity of Shem; for of
him came the Jews, who were, for a great while, the only professing people God
had in the world.
[5.] Some think reference is here had to Christ, who was the
Lord God that, in his human nature, should descend from the loins of Shem; for
of him, as concerning the flesh, Christ came.
[6.] Canaan is particularly
enslaved to him: He shall be his servant. Note, those that have the Lord for
their God shall have as much of the honor and power of this world as he sees
good for them.
We are not told the exact sin of Ham;
we do know that it was reprehensible enough for God to curse the line of his
son Canaan. The judgment was not directed to Canaan personally but rather to
his descendants.
God’s Serv_ant,
Janet Irene Thomas
Founder/CEO
Bible Stories Theatre of
Fine & Performing Arts
