Genesis Chapter 9 A Bible Commentary By Charles R. Sabo

               A Bible Commentary

                                   Introduction

The events in chapter 9 are a continuation from the last three verses of chapter 8. Because Genesis 8:20 begins a new event and time, chapter 9 should have begun with it as verse one of chapter 9. There was an elapse of time unknown, which Noah began to build the altar, in order to perform the sacrifices unto the Lord. Even if Noah went straight to building the altar, once the ark was finished being exited, the event of Genesis 8:20 is separate from Genesis 8:19.

In review of Genesis 8:20-22, Noah built an altar unto the Lord and offered sacrifices of the clean beasts and fowl, which brought a sweet-smelling savor to heaven, which the Lord had respected. Verse 8:21-22 began a disclosure from the Lord’s heart, which He had provided Moses, so that he would write down what the Lord had felt at this time. Then, beginning in Genesis 9:1, the oration came from the Lord’s mouth unto Noah and his sons. 

The Lord began by testifying in his heart that “because the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth, neither will I again smite any more everything living, as I have done.” (Gen. 8:21) He began His Everlasting Covenant with this promise, in that He will never again destroy the entire Creation as He had done, which was by the use of water. He then disclosed the condition of the changed Creation from that point. “While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.” (Gen. 8:22) As we already know, this has not changed even to the current day.

The remaining seventeen verses of this Everlasting Covenant continues here in chapter 9:1-17. In all, the Everlasting Covenant consists of Genesis 8:21 thru Genesis 9:17, which was intended for all mankind and all living creatures from that point of time. The Lord established seven conditions and restrictions for God, mankind, and all living creatures to abide in.

1)    God will never again destroy the entire Earth and its living creatures with water. (Gen. 8:21, 9:15)

2)  Seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease. (Gen. 8:22)

3)  Be fruitful and multiply upon the face of the Earth. (Gen. 9:1, 7)

4)  Fear and dread of mankind will be on all living creatures, and into mankind’s hands will they be delivered. (Gen. 9:2)

5)   God gave man permission to eat any living thing (except man), including the herbs of the field. (Gen. 9:3)

6)   God forbid mankind of eating blood. (Gen. 9:4)

7)   A mandatory death penalty was put in place of any person on Earth, or living creature, which kills a person who is made in God’s image. (Gen. 9:5-6)

God revealed that He had changed His Creation once again, after He had changed it within the fall in the Garden of Eden. His reason for these changes was disclosed in Genesis 8:21 (the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth). As I break down this chapter, a person must realize that this Everlasting Covenant is still in place, and anyone who violates this covenant has sinned against God. By saying that you do not believe in God is sin as well, and you are still held accountable for breaking this covenant.  

Genesis 9:1 And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, “Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.” Here is the second time in human history, which the Lord had commanded mankind to be fruitful and multiply upon the Earth (Gen. 1:28). One of the motives for Satan, in his attack on mankind, is the decline in the multiplication of mankind, through: women’s lib, homosexuality, sterility (due to corrupted foods and medicines), disease, and early deaths (murder and wars). God will repeat this command again in verse 7, which reveals how very important of a command this is. God’s kingdom will grow, as mankind multiplies upon the face of the Earth; each birth brings the possibility of another person becoming righteous and blessed with everlasting life. As the other living creatures multiply, they maintain the balance of the ecosystem in place. The verb “be fruitful” directly connects to the following verb “multiply.” If someone is multiplying, they are being fruitful, or bearing fruit of their kind.

The translators used the verb “replenish” which seems appropriate, but as in Genesis 1:28, it is a slight mistranslation. The verb “replenish” is translated from the Hebrew verb “mālā',” which is defined as: “to fill.” Since this Hebrew verb is inflected into the Qal form, it actually means “to be filled,” therefore this is an ongoing action.

Genesis 9:2 And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, upon all that moves upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand are they delivered. The Everlasting Covenant continues here, with an obvious condition, which mankind has experienced to the current day. Before the flood, the animals did not fear, nor dread mankind; they were innocent victims, who were easily captured and killed. Yes, there are creatures, which mankind has worked with in order to build their trust in post-flood world. Any creature in the wild, acts just in the way as the Lord had programmed them; they flee from mankind, knowing that they may be in danger. Every living creature, beasts, fowl, reptiles, amphibians, insects, and fish, all flee from mankind; they fear and dread the outcome, if they were to not get away. The great beasts, who attack mankind, do it because of the dread and fear that is in place, while they protect their young and their communities.

God, had declared that He would deliver all creatures into the hands of man, to do as he pleases. The corruption of mankind, has caused senseless murders of the creatures of the Earth, while a righteous kill would be for food and clothing. God has given the living creatures as a blessing, if done sensibly, while compassion towards them is a gift from God as well.

Vegetarians take things a bit too far, since the Creator actually gave permission for mankind to consume living creatures as food. It is their choice to think that it keeps them healthier, but trusting in God is what should be respected. God has control over a person’s destiny, living a vegetarian life, does not prolong one’s life; it is God who does; it is not based on a “healthy” diet, but a righteous life. A person can live as a vegetarian, yet when God chooses them to die, their diet had nothing to do with it.

Genesis 9:3 Every moving thing that lives shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things. The point being made within this verse, further explains the previous statement in Genesis 9:2. Because the list of creatures (in verse 2) have been delivered into the hands of mankind, every moving thing that lives shall be meat, just as the green herb has been given (Gen. 1:29-30); just as the green herb, the Lord has given mankind all things.

Not all living things are good for mankind to eat, because somethings are poisonous to a person’s system. Mankind has had to use experience and discretion to determine what is healthy to eat, and what will make them sick. The Lord gave all things, but never said all things are good to eat. Though meat is good to eat, and full of nutrients that can help the body, ingredients such as fat and cholesterol can bring bad health to some people. Breads are full of important nutrients, but can cause a person’s blood glucose level to rise, which can harm them (diabetes). These are the consequences of the fall in the garden (Gen. 3).

 Genesis 9:4 But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall you not eat. This is one of the more important verses in the entire Bible. The Lord commanded a mandate, but also provided a very important theological point as well. The mandate is very clear, which the adversary will choose to entice people to abuse. Blood is absolutely forbidden for mankind to eat. The reason, that this is a sin, is because the blood is the life in all living creatures. Blood provides oxygen, nutrients, and carbohydrates to the entire body. Blood is used to cleanse the body of waste and the removal of carbon dioxide, which is then exhaled. If any creature loses a certain amount of their blood, they will die. The blood is the life of all living creatures, including mortal man. Therefore, if blood is the life of all mortal beings, then blood is not necessary in all immortal beings. If the immortal church (raptured) shall go to heaven, then they cannot possibly have blood. “Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither does corruption inherit incorruption.” (1 Cor. 15:50) Just as Jesus’ immortal body was flesh and bone (Luke 24:39), so will His people have flesh and bone.

Though one can find various cultures that will mix blood within their cuisine, the only sector of mankind that is guilty of drinking blood is the occult while worshipping Satan.[1] Police have found that crime scene investigations, concerning religious occults, have found that these groups consider blood to be extremely important to them; these occult members believe that the life force, or spirit, is contained in the blood.[2] They have found a scarcity of blood in crime scenes with all blood having been removed from victims; they find that the lack of blood at a scene is a sign of occultist involvement, as they will use blood in rituals to drink, or bathe in.[3] Through disobedience, rebellion, and mockery of God’s mandate, the occult eats the blood.

This blood mandate is a very important declaration, because blood is God’s possession to be used for His ultimate gift to mankind. The Lord has mandated mankind to not eat blood, because it is personal to Him. Blood is sacred to the Lord, because His blood would be used as a sacrificial atonement for a believer’s sins. He also worked his restriction against drinking of the blood into the law within Deuteronomy 12:16, 24; 15:23; He made sure that it was clear that the blood would always be poured out onto the ground like water. In Exodus 24:8, Moses sprinkled the people with the blood of the same sacrifices, which brought them into sacramental union. Israel had agreed to God’s Mosaic Covenant right before that (Ex. 24:7). Meanwhile, God has already declared that they would be His people even before this event.[4] Moses took half of the blood of the sacrifice and poured it onto the altar, and the other half he poured into a basin (to be discarded) (Ex. 24:6). “And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the Lord hath made with you concerning all these words.” (Ex. 24:8) God utilized the life sustaining blood as a covenantal sacrament to bind His Mosaic Covenant.

While the Old Covenant required that the priest sprinkle the blood of the sin offering onto the mercy seat (Leviticus 16:14-15), the entire sacrament was symbolic of a New Covenant coming, which involved His Messiah.[5] In John 6:53-56, Jesus proclaimed a truth, which terrified the many disciples who were following Him at that time. “Whoso eats my flesh, and drinks my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.” (John 6:54) Unfortunately, they were not really followers in Jesus, because they departed from Him and never came back (John 6:66). Jesus had given them information, which they could not have known the context ahead of time. He would soon initiate His New Covenant at the Passover meal with the twelve disciples and provide a commandment to them. “And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink you all of it; For this is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” (Matt. 26:27-28) Thus, the sacred life sustaining blood has become a spiritual sacrament (red wine represents blood) representing the key ingredient within the New Covenant which brings Everlasting Life.

Genesis 9:5 And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man's brother will I require the life of man. Verses 9:5 and 9:6 are the commanded mandate of the death penalty for the murder of mankind. Mankind has been seduced to not abide in this mandate, as the adversary preaches mercy to cause disobedience of this Everlasting Covenant. Murderers sit in prison cells, while the blood of their victims cry unto the Lord in heaven for justice (Gen. 4:10).

The Lord had Moses insert the Hebrew adverb “'a?,” which was translated as “surely.” The Hebrew adverb “'a?” is defined as: indeed, surely (emphatic).” The Lord is emphatic about this declaration. The blood is required of each creature that has murdered a human being (man). The murder at the hand of every beast, every man, and every man’s brother will be paid with their own blood (death). The Lord made sure that it is understood that just because someone is a family member, and they kill their kin, God will still require their blood (death) as well (every man’s brother). This points us back to the very first murder, which was Cain, who killed his brother, Abel (Gen. 4:8-11). Blood must have blood. The spilled blood of one person, requires the blood of that person who spilled that blood.

Genesis 9:6 Whoso sheds man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man. This verse is one complete sentence, therefore get rid of the colon (:) and insert a comma (,). Through this verse, God assigned mankind with the responsibility to put to death (blood be shed), of any beast or human being (man) whoso sheds the blood of a human being. This is an everlasting mandate, which is still current, yet murderers sit in prison cells for sentenced periods of time. Mankind’s disbelief in God and His word, has caused indifference within the penal systems of the world.

The last clause of this verse, is the reason that the death penalty is so extreme and merciless. The conjunction “for” is interchangeable with the conjunction, because.” God requires the blood of the murderer, because “in the image of God made He man.” (Gen. 1:26-27) Human beings are image bearers of the Lord God, therefore the murder of those (who bare God’s image) is an extreme sin.

The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant. (Is. 24:5)

Because Isaiah’s mini apocalypse (Isaiah 24-27) addresses the judgment of the entire Earth, one can conclude that the Everlasting Covenant spoken of in 24:5 is referencing the Noahic Everlasting Covenant of Genesis 9. It can be best understood that this is the same covenant, because it is also called the Everlasting Covenant in Genesis 9:16.[6] This passage in Isaiah reflects the negative effects upon the Earth, as a result from breaking the Everlasting Covenant.[7] Isaiah 24:3 indicates that the Lord had spoken these words into effect. Within the Noahic Everlasting Covenant, there are only a few commands that would bring God’s judgment against mankind for failing to obey. In Genesis 9:1 and 7, God commanded mankind to be fruitful, multiply and replenish the Earth. Though they disobeyed this command by Genesis 11, God judged mankind and they fulfilled this after God confounded their language and scattered them (Gen. 11:7). The only other commands, within the Noahic Everlasting Covenant, which requires direct obedience, were to not drink blood and to not kill humankind. One of the things, which the unbelieving world is guilty of, is they are covenant breakers (Rom. 1:31); this is most likely in regards to the Noahic Everlasting Covenant. From violent premeditated murder, where does one insert the killing of babies from inside their mother’s womb? God hears their blood crying every day that it is spilled (Gen. 4:10), while the world is in denial that they were even human beings, who were made in God’s image (Gen. 1:26-27). The people of the world have sinned against God, and have failed to bring justice against others for their breaking of this Everlasting Covenant.

Genesis 9:7 And you, be you fruitful, and multiply; bring forth abundantly in the earth, and multiply therein. How important of a mandate is this, when God declared it twice in the same covenant (Gen. 9:1, 7)? Is it a coincidence that this follows the death penalty mandate? Abortions, and other murders, affect this mandate directly. If Satan convinces enough people that abortion and other murders are ok, then he can thwart God’s most important goal; God’s most important goal is to manifest His Everlasting Kingdom. The more births of God’s image bearers, provides more possible believers, who will be with Him for eternity.

By the time the Creation reached the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11, the people of the Earth had refused to abide in this mandate (Gen. 11:4). When the Lord mandated to multiply and bring forth abundantly upon the Earth, he meant the entire Earth, and not just the Mesopotamian Valley.

Genesis 9:8 And God spoke unto Noah, and to his sons with him, saying, After speaking of the details of the Everlasting Covenant, the Lord then possibly paused, and then spoke further concerning who was responsible for this covenant. Verses 9:9-17 are the details of this agreement between mankind (Noah, his sons, and their seed after them), the living creatures, and God Himself.  

Genesis 9:9 And I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you; Verses 9-10 are declarations from God in who the covenant holders are, otherwise who are all responsible and in agreement within this covenant. God addressed his involvement here (And I, behold, I), along with Noah, Japheth, Shem, and Ham (you). The pronoun “you” reflects back to the previous nouns spoken within verse 9:8. In this case, it is Noah and his sons. The pronoun “your” is a possessive pronoun, reflecting back to them as well (with you and with your). It is not known if Noah had any more children, but the population of the Earth is known to have come from the seed of Japheth, Shem, and Ham. The last clause then refers to all offspring of the seeds of Japheth, Shem, and Ham, which is all of humanity after them. If a person exists after them, they are one of the three’s offspring. Therefore, you (everyone) are covenant holders with God, all of humanity, and all living creatures (see Gen. 9:10). By saying that you are not responsible, because you do not believe in God, does not eliminate your responsibility to this covenant.

 Genesis 9:10 And with every living creature that is with you, of the fowl, of the cattle, and of every beast of the earth with you; from all that go out of the ark, to every beast of the earth. The verse names the other parties responsible within this Everlasting Covenant. Every living creature on the Earth are covenant holders with God, and all of mankind. If a bull kills a person, it is required of man to kill it in punishment for being a covenant breaker. If a shark kills a human being, mankind is responsible to bring justice, which is requiring the death of that shark. If bees sting a person to death, it is man’s responsibility to exterminate those bees. God holds every living creature responsible for this Everlasting Covenant, and man is responsible to police every violation thereof.

 Genesis 9:11 And I will establish my covenant with you, neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there anymore be a flood to destroy the earth. As the Lord had indicated what He said in His heart through Moses in Genesis 8:20-21, He spoke it to Noah and his sons here. God established this Everlasting Covenant with Noah and his sons, as well as their offspring (seed), that He will never cut-off (kill) all flesh by the waters of a flood. The second sentence adds to this commitment by implying that neither will He destroy the planet with flood waters. Once again, God has kept His word, and will in the future. The next time the Lord destroys the Earth, it will be done with fire (2 Pet. 3:10-12). 

 Genesis 9:12 And God said, “This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations:” The translators used the noun “token” for the Hebrew noun “'??,” which is defined as: “banner, remembrance, miraculous sign.” The following verse continues this statement, by explaining what the “token of remembrance” will be. We live approximately 4,400 years later, and the same covenant remains over the Earth. This “token of remembrance” has been put in place for us to remind us of this Everlasting Covenant and its importance. Unfortunately, the majority of the world are non-believers in the God of the Bible, and look at this “token of remembrance” as just a pretty effect of science. This covenant is between God and every living creature, including all mankind, for perpetual generations. The noun “generations” is modified with the adjective “perpetual,” because it is translated from the Hebrew noun “??lām,” which is defined as: “continuous existence.” Just because someone does not believe in the God of the Bible, does not excuse them from this covenant.

Genesis 9:13 “I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth.” This is the statement revealing what the “token of remembrance” will be for the perpetual generations to see, in order to remind them of this Everlasting Covenant. As God had been clearly stating within verses 9:9-11, this covenant is between God (me) and the entire Earth, being all living creatures (including mankind).

The perpetual generations will see a bow (qe?e?) when it rains. It has become named as the rainbow, and admired every time one is seen. God has called it to be His bow, which He will put in the cloud. Through the millenniums, the rainbow has been unpredictably random by His choice, to keep a continuous appreciation for it when it is seen; if we were to see a rainbow every time that it rains, it would then be taken for granted and lose its uniqueness. Because the rainbow is seen, it should remind all living creatures that God has not forgotten this very important covenant

 A rainbow is a meteorological phenomenon that is caused by reflection, refraction, and dispersion of light in water droplets resulting in a spectrum of light appearing in the sky. It takes the form of a multi-colored circular arc. Rainbows, caused by sunlight, always appear in the section of sky directly opposite the sun.

The Lord has included the bow as part of His throne, which should remind us that He still remains faithful to this Everlasting Covenant

26 And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it.

27 And I saw as the color of amber, as the appearance of fire round about within it, from the appearance of his loins even upward, and from the appearance of his loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about.

28 As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spoke. (Ezek. 126-28)

In the Book of Revelation, John was shown a vision of God the Father, who had a bow round about His throne in heaven. This bow is that important to the LORD, which means it needs to be important to all mankind. “And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.” (Rev. 4:3)

Genesis 9:14 “And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud:” The Lord felt it necessary to explain that it is He Who has set the rainbow each time in the cloud over the Earth. The rainbow remains very random, which is based on the appearance of the sun shining, during the same time that the cloud (opposite side of the sun) is releasing its rain drops. The randomness needs to happen, since mankind can be bored with routine, thus would not even notice the uniqueness of the rainbow if it were not random.

Genesis 9:15 “And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.” The incorrectly translated verb “remember” came from the Hebrew verb “zā?ar,” which also means “recall.” If a person recalls something, it means that they did not forget. The rainbow is not a token of remembrance for God to remember, as if He needed to be reminded, but is to remind all living creatures of the Earth of this Everlasting Covenant. God will never forget, thus always recall this covenant. The promise, that God has to keep, is that He will never again destroy all flesh with water. As I have already disclosed, God will bring fire to destroy all flesh after the Millennial Kingdom of Christ.

But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. (2 Pet. 3:10)

Genesis 9:16 “And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may recall the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.” When the rainbow is seen in the cloud, God will see it and recall His Everlasting Covenant (??lām b?r??). The official name of this covenant is stated here, and should be called this from henceforth. Isaiah had prophesied of the last days, when God will judge mankind for not keeping this Everlasting Covenant. 

The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant. (Is. 24:5) 

God reveals that the Earth is “defiled under the inhabitants thereof.” God points out, within this same verse, that the inhabitants of Earth have broken the Everlasting Covenant. The context of Numbers 35:34 indicates that God owns the land and prohibits the land from being defiled, while Numbers 35:33 indicates that the blood shed on the land will pollute it.[8] Though He had addressed Israel in this manner, it can be safely concluded that He owns the entire planet and He prohibits His land being defiled. Bloodshed is a very sensitive issue with God, as He indicated within His Noahic Covenant (Gen. 9:6). God can hear the cry of the person murdered, as their blood cries to Him from the ground (Gen. 4:10).

The statements which God presented to Noah was a covenant (Gen. 8:20-9:1-17) to be upheld by all of his offspring (all of mankind). Within this Everlasting Covenant, God introduced the sacredness of the blood, as well as the death penalty for murder and its consequences; because “the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth,” he has disobeyed and failed to uphold the commandment to not murder.

When Isaiah addresses the Everlasting Covenant being broken, one has no other possible covenants (Adamic, Noahic, Abrahamic, Mosaic, Davidic) that the whole world of mankind could be guilty of, except the Noahic Everlasting Covenant. The whole world is not a party involved within the Abrahamic, Mosaic, or Davidic Covenants, because they were between God and the chosen people of Israel. “The highways lie waste, the wayfaring man ceases: he has broken the covenant, he has despised the cities, he regards no man.” (Is. 33:8) Isaiah implies that the Earth mourns and languishes in verse 33:9. In 33:8, “he has despised the cities, he regards no man,” who are those who have broken the Everlasting Covenant.

Genesis 9:17 And God said unto Noah, “This is the token of the covenant, which I have established between me and all flesh that is upon the earth.” Because God was speaking this covenant to Noah and his sons within verses 9-16, we should presume that Noah’s sons were still listening while this final statement had been spoken to him. God repeated what He had stated back in verse 9:12. The rainbow is the token of remembrance of the Everlasting Covenant, which God had established between Himself and all flesh that has walked upon the Earth, since the covenant was put in place.

Genesis 9:18 And the sons of Noah, that went forth of the ark, were Shem, and Ham, and Japheth: and Ham is the father of Canaan. Obviously, this verse provides the understanding that Noah, his sons, and their wives, all went forth off of the ark. What is strange about this verse is the acknowledgment of Canaan, which had been indicated here to be the son of Ham. There is ambiguity here, because from what is not being disclosed is when Canaan was born. We cannot assume that Canaan was born upon the ark (Gen. 10:1). The significance of this disclosure here, being that Canaan was the son of Ham, is important for the events described later in this chapter. Please refer to Genesis 9:20 for more details concerning the timing of these events.

Genesis 9:19 These are the three sons of Noah: and of them was the whole earth overspread. From what is being disclosed here, we must understand and believe that the entire human race of today are sons and daughters of Noah, as well as sons and daughters of either Shem, Japheth, or Ham. Noah had no more sons, as Canaan was born unto Ham.

Genesis 9:20 And Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard: Jubilees 7:1 implies that Noah built his vineyard nine years after exiting from the ark. Jubilees 7:1 also remarks that Noah’s vineyard did not yield fruit, until the fourth year after he planted it. Then, Jubilees 7:2 indicates that Noah made wine and kept it aging for one year, until the first day of the first month of Nisan. He then built an altar and sacrificed burnt offerings unto the Lord.

3 And he celebrated with joy the day of this feast, and he made a burnt sacrifice unto YAHWEH, one young ox and one ram, and seven sheep, each a year old, and a kid of the goats, that he might make atonement thereby for himself and his sons. (Bk. of Jub. 7:3)

Genesis 9:21 And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent. “And he rejoiced and drank of this wine, he and his children with joy.” (Bk. o Jub. 7:6) With what we now can determine, with the help of the Book of Jubilees, the blanks can be filled in with a very likely scene to come. Imagine Noah and his sons drinking wine, and whooping it up! The wine was good, and so was the company. After all, they were the only family on Earth, because God had chosen them to be the new beginning of humanity. Happiness and jubilee, caused the night of nights, which brought Noah a very quick dropping into his inebriated sleep. 

The semicolon (;) behind the word “drunken” should actually be a comma (,) connecting the last dependent clause with the sentence. Because Genesis 9:24 indicates that Noah had awakened, after verse 9:21 indicates that Noah was drunken and naked, I have always asked myself, “Why was he naked?” Typically, when one passes out inebriated, they remain clothed. Noah was still a young, six hundred and fourteen years old (13 years post-flood), with three hundred and thirty-six years yet to live.

Genesis 9:22 And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without. Why would seeing your father naked be such a crime? Some will speculate that Noah was extremely modest and would become enraged when someone were to see him naked. I find that difficult to believe that such a holy man as Noah could act in this manner. Moses wrote once again that Ham was the father of Canaan, just as he had in Genesis 9:18. What is the significance of this very important fact? Ham had three other sons older than Canaan (Gen. 10:6). Why the focus on the youngest of Ham’s sons, when usually the eldest is most favored in an inheritance. 

Genesis 9:23 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. As it states here, it was not acceptable to see another man’s nakedness in these days. Out of respect for their father, Shem and Japheth chose to walk backwards with the garment, rather than dishonor him and look upon his shame.

The phrase “uncover nakedness” usually refers to sexual sin within the Scriptures. Passages, such as Deuteronomy 22:30, forbade a man to sleep with his stepmother because doing so would “uncover his father’s nakedness.” By entering into intimacy with the same woman, who had slept with his father, a man disgraced him (Deut. 27:20; Lev. 18:8; Ezek. 22:10). This was the reason that the sin of Absalom, David’s son, was so great (2 Sam. 16:22). As the ultimate act of disrespect, Absalom let it be known publicly that he was having sex with his father’s concubines. He not only violated his father’s bedroom, he violated God’s written law: “Cursed is anyone who sleeps with his father’s wife, for he dishonors his father’s bed” (Deut. 27:20).

Theologians debate that the anger, which Noah had felt, was because Ham may have had sexual relations with his mother. That would present Moses with the motivation to announce twice that Canaan was the son of Ham and not Noah (Gen. 9:18, 22). Because of ambiguity, we can only speculate upon this, while the Book of Jasher and Book of Jubilees do not provide with any additional information.

Genesis 9:24 And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him. There are two people that could fit this crime. Grandsons are generally called sons as well within the Bible. Ham was the youngest of Noah’s three sons, while Canaan was the youngest of Ham’s four sons (Gen. 10:6), therefore Canaan was a younger son of Noah. Since the curse to follow enlightens us to the possibility Noah was upset with Canaan (no more than 13 years old), or Ham, we can seek other extra-biblical texts that may shed some light upon this ambiguity within this verse. Since Noah was so sure that something was done to him, while he was sleeping, it has to be obvious to us what this may be. The mystery of Noah’s rage, and the answer to why a drunken man would be naked as he passed out, can be answered within the Book of Jasher.

24 And the garments of skin which God made for Adam and his wife, when they went out of the garden, were given to Cush.

25 For after the death of Adam and his wife, the garments were given to Enoch, the son of Jared, and when Enoch was taken up to God, he gave them to Methuselah, his son.

26 And at the death of Methuselah, Noah took them and brought them to the ark, and they were with him until he went out of the ark.

27 And in their going out, Ham stole those garments from Noah his father, and he took them and hid them from his brothers. (Bk. of Jash. 7:24-27) 

If we were to consider what the Book of Jasher implies, the reason for the rage, felt by Noah against Ham, begins to make more sense. It is possible that Noah passed out, clothed in the animal skin passed down from Adam. Ham could have recognized the opportunity to take the desirable animal skin, while his father was passed out from his inebriation. Ham could have been attempting to cover his tracks, by revealing to his older brothers that he had found their father naked in his tent. On the other hand, if it had actually been Canaan, who molested his grandfather Noah, then that would allow for Ham’s innocence concerning his father’s nakedness.

Genesis 9:25 And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren. It is a mystery as to why Noah had cursed his grandson, if it was Ham who committed the terrible sin against him. Some might say that it was Canaan that should be considered to be Noah’s younger son, who sexually molested his grandfather. Then it would have to be understood that Ham was telling the truth to his two brothers, by telling them what he had found. The Book of Jasher makes it pretty clear, however, that it was Ham who stole the animal skin from Noah.

Because of the ambiguity in the Genesis account, we can only speculate by contemplating what the Book of Jasher has stated. No matter how a person looks at this incident, it has to be understood that Ham was the first apostate against God after the flood. Even though Ham had heard the voice of the Lord God as He declared His covenant with Noah, Ham was evil against his father.

The sons of Canaan were an accursed bloodline while worshipping Satan and his angels in the, soon to be, land of Israel (Deut. 12:29-31; 18:10, Lev. 18:1-24). When Moses declared that there were giants on the Earth in the days before the flood, he also finished by saying “and also after that.” Genesis 6 was occurring all over again in the Land of Canaan, as Israel had found, when they sent the twelve spies into the Promised Land after the Exodus (Num. 13:1-31). God did eventually choose to wipeout the entire line of the Canaanites, as Satan was attempting to use them to corrupt the “seed of the woman” again, in order to prevent the coming of the Messiah.

 13And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that your seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years;

14 And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance.

15 And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; you shall be buried in a good old age.

16 But in the fourth generation they shall come here again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full. (Gen. 15:13-16)                                                          

 As a person reads the above passage in Genesis 15, they should understand that God gave Abraham a prophecy of his offspring’s future in a foreign land for a time of four hundred years. Through the Book of Exodus, we will find that this was fulfilled, when Israel lived in Egypt and was eventually enslaved in that land. The time period, entering Egypt then coming back to the land, was figured to be 430 years; God then brought them out of Egypt back to the Promised Land.  

 We can understand in Genesis 15:16 that God did not want Abraham’s descendants to come to the land of Canaan, until after the cup of iniquity (sins) of the Amorites was full. God used imagery, concerning a cup of sins that must be filled, before He was to place His judgment upon these Canaanites. The Amorites were descendants of Canaan, and it can be found here in Genesis 9:25, that Canaan and his offspring were cursed by Noah.

15And Canaan begat Sidon his first born, and Heth, 16 And the Jebusite, and the Amorite, and the Girgasite,

17 And the Hivite, and the Arkite, and the Sinite,

18 And the Arvadite, and the Zemarite, and the Hamathite: and afterward were the families of the Canaanites spread abroad. (Gen. 10:15-17) 

In what way, can we conclude, were the children of Canaan cursed? If a person reads through the Old Testament, they can find that the children of Canaan were non-believers in the one true living God. They worshipped other gods and made idols of wood and stone, while sacrificing their children at their fiery altars. This curse that Noah had proclaimed onto the seed of Canaan was so devastating to them, because they would not desire to seek the favor of the one true living God, but instead were given in to the deceptions of Satan and his dominion.

In Genesis 6:4, Moses stated that there were giants on the Earth in those days, which reflects back to the times of Genesis 6:1-3. The clause “and also after that” indicates that there were giants on the Earth after those days. Since we can ascertain that the Flood of Noah was coming, “those days” should be interpreted as pre-flood. Moses knew that giants were still roaming the Earth, even when he was writing the five books of the Pentateuch. The Old Testament reveals many cases concerning the confrontations against those giants (Deut. 2:10-12, 20-21; 3:11, Num. 13:30-33, Josh. 12:4-5, 1 Chron. 20:4-8, 2 Sam. 21:20-22). When Moses wrote “and also after that,” he was disclosing that the giants were still a problem.

The overall intent for Genesis 6 was to bring recognition of those days, as a demonic attack upon the genealogical DNA of God’s Creation. The sons of God (angels) seduced the daughters of men, or raped them, thus impregnated them with their “seed.” The result brought a hybrid race of men, who were much larger (giants) than normal men of God’s Creation. The daughters of men, impregnated by these cherubim angels, bare children to them. The upsetting realization of this, spooks people enough to want to rewrite and reinterpret what had been written by Moses.

The curse of Canaan was so horrible, because the Canaanites never broke out of their idolatry and satanic worship, and God declared that a genocidal extermination be carried out against them. “Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.” (1 Sam. 15:3)

 Not for your righteousness, or for the uprightness of your heart, do you go to possess their land: but for the wickedness of these nations the Lord your God does drive them out from before you, and that he may perform the word which the Lord swore unto your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. (Deut. 9:5)

In the second sentence of Genesis 9:24, Noah declared what would become of Canaan in relationship to his kin (brethren). He was to be a servant to the servants of his kin (sons of Shem and sons of Japheth). The only account recognized in the Bible, which might reflect the servitude spoken by Noah is within Joshua 9:3-27. The Gibeonites tricked Joshua and made a pact with the inhabitants of Gibeon that they could not destroy them, which then caused them to be servants to the people of Israel.

Genesis 9:26 And he said, Blessed be the Lord God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant. Noah praised the Lord God, while acknowledging that his son, Shem, was faithful to Him as well. Many do not like to go into the extra-biblical books, but answers can be found in the more reliable ones, such as the Book of Jasher.

 11 And Adonizedek king of Jerusalem, the same was Shem, went out with his men to meet Abram and his people, with bread and wine, and they remained together in the valley of Melech.

12 And Adonizedek blessed Abram, and Abram gave him a tenth from all that he had brought from the spoil of his enemies, for Adonizedek was a priest before God. (Bk. of Jash. 16:11-12)

It was Shem who ruled over Jerusalem (king of Salem) all while he attempted to teach the word of God to the Canaanites. The sons of Canaan served Shem, just as Noah had prophesied.

Genesis 9:27 God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant. From what can be determined biblically, the sons of Japheth became the most vastly represented population between the three brothers.

If the first prophecy of verse 27 came true, then the other two most likely had as well. In history, we can find that the Medes, who were the descendants of Japheth, (together with the Babylonians) seized upon the Assyrian Empire (Ashur was of Shem). The Greeks and Romans both had successful conquests into the east (Shemites). The British (sons of Japheth) have made conquests into India (sons of Shem) as well. This prophecy has come true over and over again, as the sons of Japheth inhabit the dwellings of the sons of Shem. As far as the last clause goes, the slave trade of the Canaanites existed because Japheth’s descendent, Alexander the Great, defeated the Sidonians of Tyre in the fourth century B.C.; Sidon was the son of Canaan.

Genesis 9:28 And Noah lived after the flood three hundred and fifty years. I have heard some theologians imply that Noah’s first six hundred years were more righteous than is last three hundred and fifty. That would be a false assumption, based entirely on the one night mentioned in Genesis 9:21. Noah was an influence on his son, Shem, as well as the descendants leading to Abraham. The one night that these people use to judge Noah, was a very special night to him and his family. (see Gen. 9:21-22) Noah was the father of all of humanity, and lived a long, blessed, and righteous life. “And Abram ceased to speak, when Noah and his son Shem answered Terah, saying, ‘True is the word which Abram has said unto you.’” (Bk. of Jash. 12:69)

Genesis 9:29 And all the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years: and he died. All the days of Noah were righteous and productive in fulfilling the will of God.

[1] Robert D. Hicks, In Pursuit of Satan: The Police and the Occult (Amherst: Prometheus Books, 1991), 97.

[2] Ibid., 65.

[3] Ibid.

[4] Irvin A. Busenitz, "Introduction to the Biblical Covenants; the Noahic Covenant and the Priestly Covenant." (The Master's Seminary Journal 10/2, 1999: 173-189), 227.

[5] Michael Horton, Introducing Covenant Theology (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2009), 55-56.

[6] Robert B. Chisholm, JR., "The Everlasting Covenant and the City of Chaos: Intentional Ambiguity and Irony in Isaiah 24" (Criswell Theological Review, 1993: 237-253), 238, 246.

[7] Paul R. Williamson, Sealed with an Oath: Covenant in God's Unfolding Purpose (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2007), 65.

 [8] Dan G. Johnson, From Chaos to Restoration: An Integrative Reading of Isaiah 24-27 (Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 1988), 29.