Keraia
Genesis 9

Genesis 9:18

Noah’s Shame and Canaan’s Curse · Genesis 9:18–25
Read Genesis 9

Translations

Modern
The sons of Noah who came out of the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. And Ham was the father of Canaan.
Traditional
And the sons of Noah, that went forth of the ark, were Shem, and Ham, and Japheth: and Ham is the father of Canaan.
Literal
And the sons of Noah who went out from the ark were Shem and Ham and Japheth. And Ham—he was the father of Canaan.
Latin
Erant ergo filii Noë, qui egressi sunt de arca, Sem, Cham et Japheth: porro Cham ipse est pater Chanaan.

Original

Hebrew
English
The sons of Noah who came out of the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. And Ham was the father of Canaan.

Notes

Genesis 9:18

Ham was the father of Canaan: See also 9:20–27; 10:6–20. The text repeats this idea to show a connection between Canaan and Ham. It explains that the people of Canaan came from Ham’s family line.

This connection also points back to Ham’s shameful act (a serious dishonor) in 9:20–27. Because of this, the identity of the Canaanites is closely tied to that event.

The people of Egypt (where Israel lived as slaves) and the people of Canaan (the land Israel later entered) both came from Ham’s descendants (10:6; see Leviticus 18:3, 24–26; Psalms 105:23, 27; 106:22).

Later stories in Genesis describe moral failure (wrong behavior) in both places. Egypt is shown this way (Genesis 12:10–20) and Canaan (34:1–31; 38:1–30; see 9:20–27 and 10:6–20).

Theme notes and profiles

Noah Symbolic Numbers

People

Canaan: Son of Ham; father of Sidon and Heth Ham: One of Noah's three sons, father of Canaan Japheth: Son of Noah, ancestor of Indo-European peoples Noah: Righteous man, built ark, survived flood Shem: Noah's son, ancestor of Semitic peoples

Glossary

Bible, Manuscripts and Text of the (New Testament) Biblical Concept of Law Chronology of the Bible (Old Testament) Genesis, Book of Ham (Person) Japheth Land Mesopotamia Patriarchs, Period of the Shem Shinar The Flood

Topics

Canaan: Son of Ham Ham: Son of Noah Ham: Son of Noah: Provokes his Father's Wrath and is Cursed by Him Japheth: His Life Preserved at the Time of the Great Flood Japheth: Son of Noah Shem: Preserved in the Ark (Ship)