Genesis 9:24-27

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Genesis 9:24-27

II. The spirit of prophecy comes upon him, and, like dying Jacob, he tells his sons what shall befal them, Gen. 49:1. 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 more guilty than the rest, or because the posterity of this son was afterwards to be rooted out of their land, to make room for Israel. And Moses here records it for the animating of Israel in the wars of Canaan; though the Canaanites were a... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 9:24

And Noah awoke from his wine ,.... From his sleep, which his wine brought on him; when the force and strength of that was gone, and when not only he awaked, but came to himself, and was sober: and knew what his younger son had done to him ; either by revelation, as some, or prophecy, as Ben Gersom, or by the relation of his two sons, whom, when finding himself covered with another's garment, he might question how it came about, and they told him the whole affair: some, as Aben Ezra, Ben... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 9:25

And he said ,.... Not in a drunken fit, as some profane persons would suggest, for he was awaked from his wine; nor in the heat of passion, but by inspiration, under a spirit of prophecy: cursed be Canaan ; or, "O cursed Canaan", or rather, "Canaan is", or "shall be cursed" F17 ארור כנען "maledictus erit Cenahan", Junius & Tremellius. ; for the words are either a declaration of what was his case, or a prediction of what it should be. It may seem strange that Canaan should... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 9:26

And he said, blessed be the Lord God of Shem ,.... Shem was blessed before Japheth, because he was the first and principal in advising and conducting the affair before ascribed to them, as Jarchi on Genesis 9:23 suggests; and though the words are in the form of an ascription of blessedness to God, the fountain of all good, and by whose grace Shem was influenced and enabled to do the good he did, for which the Lord's name was to be praised and blessed; yet it includes the blessing of Shem,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 9:27

God shall enlarge Japheth ,.... Or give him a large part of the earth, and large dominions in it, as his posterity have had; for, as Bochart F18 Phaleg. l. 3. c. 1. col. 149. observes, to them belonged all Europe, and lesser Asia, Media, Iberia, Albania, part of Armenia, and all those vast countries to the north, which formerly the Scythians, and now the Tartars inhabit; not to say anything of the new world (America), into which the Scythians might pass through the straights of Anian: ... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Genesis 9:22-24

And Ham, the father of Canaan, etc. - There is no occasion to enter into any detail here; the sacred text is circumstantial enough. Ham, and very probably his son Canaan, had treated their father on this occasion with contempt or reprehensible levity. Had Noah not been innocent, as my exposition supposes him, God would not have endued him with the spirit of prophecy on this occasion, and testified such marked disapprobation of their conduct. The conduct of Shem and Japheth was such as became... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Genesis 9:25

Cursed be Canaan - See on the preceding verses. In the 25th, 26th, and 27th verses, instead of Canaan simply, the Arabic version has Ham the father of Canaan; but this is acknowledged by none of the other versions, and seems to be merely a gloss. read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Genesis 9:24

Verse 24 24.And Noah awoke. It might seem to some that Noah, although he had just cause of anger, still conducted himself with too little modesty and gravity; and that he ought, at least, silently to have mourned over his sin before God; and also, with shame, to have given proof of his repentance to men: but that now as if he had committed no offense, he fulminates with excessive severity against his son. (297) Moses, however, does not here relate reproaches uttered by Noah, under the... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Genesis 9:25

Verse 25 25.Cursed be Canaan (298) It is asked in the first place, why Noah instead of pronouncing the curse upon his son, inflicts the severity of punishment, which that son had deserved, upon his innocent grandson; since it seems not consistent with the justice of God, to visit the crimes of parents upon their children? But the answer is well known; namely that God, although he pursues his course of judgments upon the sons and the grandchildren of the ungodly, yet in being angry with them, is... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Genesis 9:26

Verse 26 26.Blessed be the Lord God of Shem. Noah blesses his other children, but in a different manner. For he places Shem in the highest post of honor. And this is the reason why Noah, in blessing him, breaks forth in the praise of God, without adhering to the person of man. For the Hebrews, when they are speaking of any rare and transcendent excellence, raise their thoughts to God. Therefore the holy man, when he perceived that the most abundant grace of God was destined for his son Shem,... read more

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