Genesis 9: God's covenant with Noah, and Noah's curse on Canaan
A free study, verse by verse. Text: World English Bible. Notes come from the Hebrew. How to read a study
What happens?
God blesses Noah and his sons, gives them every living thing for food but not its blood, and makes a covenant never again to destroy the earth by a flood, with the rainbow as its sign. Later Noah gets drunk, Ham sees him uncovered, and Shem and Japheth cover him. Noah curses Canaan, Ham's son, blesses Yahweh as the God of Shem, and asks God to enlarge Japheth.
Who is speaking?
The narrator tells the story. God speaks in 16 of the 29 verses: his blessing and rules for Noah's family, and his covenant with the rainbow as its sign. At the end Noah speaks (verses 25 to 27). His curse and blessings are his own words, not God's, so they are not gold. God's own words are printed in gold, and those verses are marked God speaks
1God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, and replenish the earth.God speaks
In plain English: God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, "Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
2The fear of you and the dread of you will be on every animal of the earth, and on every bird of the sky. Everything that moves along the ground, and all the fish of the sea, are delivered into your hand.God speaks
In plain English: Every animal of the earth and every bird of the sky will fear you and dread you. Everything that moves on the ground, and all the fish of the sea, are given into your hand.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
3Every moving thing that lives will be food for you. As I gave you the green herb, I have given everything to you.God speaks
In plain English: Every moving thing that lives will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything.
Good to know: In God gave people plants for food. Here he adds every moving thing that lives, but holds back the blood.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
4But flesh with its life, that is, its blood, you shall not eat.God speaks
In plain English: But you must not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood, still in it.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
5I will surely require accounting for your life’s blood. At the hand of every animal I will require it. At the hand of man, even at the hand of every man’s brother, I will require the life of man.God speaks
In plain English: For your own lifeblood I will surely demand an account. I will demand it from every animal, and from people: even from every man's brother I will demand an account for a human life.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
6Whoever sheds man’s blood, his blood will be shed by man, for God made man in his own image.God speaks
In plain English: Whoever sheds a person's blood, by a person his blood will be shed, because God made man in his own image.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
7Be fruitful and multiply. Increase abundantly on the earth, and multiply in it.”God speaks
In plain English: As for you, be fruitful and multiply. Increase greatly on the earth and multiply there."
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
8God spoke to Noah and to his sons with him, saying,
In plain English: God spoke to Noah and to his sons with him, and said,
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
9“As for me, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your offspring after you,God speaks
In plain English: "As for me, look: I am setting up my covenant with you, and with your descendants after you,
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
10and with every living creature that is with you: the birds, the livestock, and every animal of the earth with you, of all that go out of the ship, even every animal of the earth.God speaks
In plain English: and with every living creature that is with you: the birds, the livestock, and every wild animal with you, all that came out of the ship, every animal on the earth.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
11I will establish my covenant with you: All flesh will not be cut off any more by the waters of the flood. There will never again be a flood to destroy the earth.”God speaks
In plain English: I will set up my covenant with you: never again will all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood. There will never again be a flood to destroy the earth."
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
12God 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:God speaks
In plain English: God said, "This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, for all generations to come:
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
13I set my rainbow in the cloud, and it will be a sign of a covenant between me and the earth.God speaks
In plain English: I have set my rainbow in the cloud, and it will be the sign of a covenant between me and the earth.
The Hebrew word: "Rainbow" is qeshet, the ordinary word for a bow, the weapon for shooting arrows. "Sign" ("token" in ) is ot, the same word as the sign Yahweh set for Cain in .
How it is translated: In its 74 verses this Bible says "bow" about 2 times in 3. It says "rainbow" in only 4: three in this passage, and .
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
14When I bring a cloud over the earth, that the rainbow will be seen in the cloud,God speaks
In plain English: When I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow is seen in the cloud,
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
15I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh, and the waters will no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.God speaks
In plain English: I will remember my covenant between me and you and every living creature of all flesh, and the waters will never again become a flood to destroy all flesh.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
16The rainbow will be in the cloud. I will look at it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.”God speaks
In plain English: The rainbow will be in the cloud. I will look at it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh on the earth."
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
17God said to Noah, “This is the token of the covenant which I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth.”God speaks
In plain English: God said to Noah, "This is the sign of the covenant I have set up between me and all flesh on the earth."
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
18The sons of Noah who went out from the ship were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Ham is the father of Canaan.
In plain English: The sons of Noah who came out of the ship were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Ham is the father of Canaan.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
19These three were the sons of Noah, and from these the whole earth was populated.
In plain English: These three were Noah's sons, and from them the whole earth was filled with people.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
20Noah began to be a farmer, and planted a vineyard.
In plain English: Noah began to farm the ground and planted a vineyard (or: Noah, a man of the ground, was the first to plant a vineyard).
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
21He drank of the wine and got drunk. He was uncovered within his tent.
In plain English: He drank some of the wine and got drunk, and he lay uncovered inside his tent.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
22Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brothers outside.
In plain English: Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father naked and told his two brothers outside.
Good to know: The verse says only that Ham saw his father uncovered and told his brothers. Readers have long asked why this led to a curse, and some think more happened than the verse says. Genesis 9 does not say more.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
23Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it on both their shoulders, went in backwards, and covered the nakedness of their father. Their faces were backwards, and they didn’t see their father’s nakedness.
In plain English: Shem and Japheth took a garment, laid it across both their shoulders, walked in backwards, and covered their father's nakedness. Their faces were turned away, and they did not see their father naked.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
24Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his youngest son had done to him.
In plain English: When Noah woke up from his wine, he knew what his youngest (or: younger) son had done to him.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
25He said, “Canaan is cursed. He will be a servant of servants to his brothers.”
In plain English: He said, "Canaan is cursed. He will be the lowest of servants (a servant of servants) to his brothers."
Good to know: Noah curses Canaan, Ham's son, not Ham himself. The text does not say why Canaan is the one cursed. Canaan's descendants, the Canaanites, are listed in .
Church tradition: For centuries some taught a "curse of Ham" that fell on peoples of Africa, and it was used to defend slavery. The verse names Canaan, not Ham, and it names no other people.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
26He said, “Blessed be Yahweh, the God of Shem. Let Canaan be his servant.
In plain English: He said, "Blessed be Yahweh, the God of Shem. Let Canaan be his (or: their) servant.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
27May God enlarge Japheth. Let him dwell in the tents of Shem. Let Canaan be his servant.”
In plain English: May God enlarge Japheth, and let him (or: God) live in the tents of Shem. Let Canaan be his (or: their) servant."
Good to know: "Japheth" (Yefet) sounds like Noah's word yaft, "may he enlarge" or "make room for": "May God enlarge Japheth".
What changes: "Let him dwell in the tents of Shem" can be read two ways: Japheth will live in Shem's tents, or God will live in the tents of Shem. The Hebrew allows both.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
28Noah lived three hundred fifty years after the flood.
In plain English: Noah lived 350 years after the flood.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
29All the days of Noah were nine hundred fifty years, and then he died.
In plain English: Noah lived 950 years in all, and then he died.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.