What is Genesis 9:18-29 all about? Noah gets drunk and then curses his grandson to be a slave?

Question

As far as I can understand, Noah got drunk and passed out naked. One of his sons (Ham) told the other two about their dad being drunk and naked, so they went and covered him up. Noah woke up and started cursing Ham's child for no reason that I can fathom.

What is that all about? And what is the moral we are supposed to learn from this? This is, after all, the man so 'righteous and blameless' that God had just decided he was the only man on earth not worthy of being drowned.

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=1&chapter=9&version=31

It doesn't say Noah listened to Satan, it doesn't say that either Ham or Canaan made fun of him or did other disrespectable things. How do you get the information you're using?

BTW 'transliteration' means taking a text from a language _with a different alphabet_ and chaging it to the Latin alphabet - not giving the meaning in a foreign language. For example, 'Elohim' is a transliteration of 'אלהים'. 'God' is a translation of 'אלהים'.

Grandreal: what??????

Answer 1

To uncover your fathers nakedness is to have sex with your mother! and the child was the result of that sex!
NOAH was upset, but it was Noah who cured not God.

Answer 2

I can't think of anything that would warrant that reaction. My Bible commentary says this...

"It is not clear whether seeing his father's nakedness was Ham's chief offense. The following verses (especially v 23) imply that Ham made fun of his father, and that this news reached Noah after he woke up."

Now... if that's not dancing around the issue, I don't know what is. I do know that I would not curse my child and/or their innocent descendants for anything they did, let alone something so trivial. Sounds to me like Noah had as much of a temper problem as God did.

Answer 3

It should be obvious that Ham did something beyond what was indicated. This is why Hebrew to english is a transliteration and not a translation.
What Ham actually did was lost in the transliteration process so one could assume it was pretty bad. Ham was Noah son not grandson.

Answer 4

Most of the answers are correct, I can only add a disclaimer. As long as Japeth lives in the tents of Shem, Ham will be their slave. It's conditional, on whether Europeans worship an Asian God. It would seem that Ham was bolder, and the two lessers where encourage to gang up on him.

Answer 5

I don't think he meant only his literal grandson. I believe Noah was referring to all decendants of Ham, and that they would be lead away from God, and the freedom His love brings. Ham's decendents would value earthly things, and thus be a slave to them (money, possessions, bodily pleasure). For where your treasure lies, there your heart will be also.

Answer 6

I think the moral of the story is drunk,naked people get out of alot of stuff by passing out at the most opportune times.

Answer 7

Yes, he was the one God chose to build the ark because of his faith. But then afterward, at the part that you're talking about, he listened to Satan (tsk, tsk, naughty, naughty! But then again, we all sin). He got drunk and into his birthday suit, he wasn't in his right mind. The moral is to not get drunk or to get naked like that (unless you're in the shower...ALONE hopefully), & to stick with God & what He wants you to do. :)

Answer 8

This is what Christians believe about a noble Prophet and Messenger. Disgraceful

Answer 9

Sounds like Mel Gibson was inspired by this verse

Answer 10

The guy was a drunk like every other normal relgious person