Genesis 9:23

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

Translations

Modern

Then Shem and Japheth took a garment and placed it across their shoulders, and walking backward, they covered their father’s nakedness. Their faces were turned away so that they did not see their father’s nakedness.

Traditional

And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father’s nakedness.

Literal

And Shem took—and Japheth—the garment, and they laid it on the shoulders of the two of them and they went backward and covered the nakedness of their father. And their faces were backward, and the nakedness of their father they did not see.

Latin

At vero Sem et Japheth pallium imposuerunt humeris suis, et incedentes retrorsum, operuerunt verenda patris sui: faciesque eorum aversæ erant, et patris virilia non viderunt.

Original

Hebrew

English

Then Shem and Japheth took a garment and placed it across their shoulders, and walking backward, they covered their father’s nakedness. Their faces were turned away so that they did not see their father’s nakedness.

Notes

Genesis 9:20–27

The story of Noah begins with him walking in righteousness and obeying the Lord (6:9). It ends with him drunk and naked in his tent, cursing Canaan. Even after the great flood, people still showed sinful behaviors that led to the flood.

The text emphasizes the cursed origin of the Canaanites, a corrupt and idol-worshiping group. Israel would later remove them from the promised land (see also 15:16 and study note; Leviticus 18:3; 20:23).

Theme notes and profiles

Noah Symbolic Numbers

Events

Noah gets drunk and Canaan is cursedc. 2346 BC

People

Japheth: Son of Noah, ancestor of Indo-European peoples 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 Noah Patriarchs, Period of the Shem Shinar The Flood

Topics

Children: Shem and Japheth Ham: Son of Noah: Provokes his Father's Wrath and is Cursed by Him Japheth: Prudence of, on the Occasion of Noah's Drunkenness Noah: Son of Lamech: Intoxication of, and his Curse Upon Canaan Shem: His Filial Conduct