What was Ham's wrongdoing in Genesis 9:22?

Question

Genesis 9:22 Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father's nakedness and told his two brothers outside.

Was it not an innocent act? Or does verse 24, "done to him" imply He did not simply see him naked.

Or was it because he tattled to his brothers.

Answer 1

It was his lack of discretion. Instead of covering his father up with a blanket and saying nothing, he bragged about it to his brothers and left his brothers to cover their father's nakedness.

Answer 2

Leviticus 18 lists a lot of folks whose nakedness is not to be uncovered, and it is suggestive that it means more than filling your eyes. What had likely been censored is that Ham had an incestuous relationship with Noah's wife (who may have been his mother or stepmother). That might make Canaan a product of incest. Ever notice in the Hebrew Scriptures that when a related group of folks in a neighboring country are at war with the Hebrews, an incestuous origin for that country springs up? Lot's incestuous bastard sons/grandsons by his own daughters are the founding fathers of Moab and Ammon. Canaanites are bad and Hebrews are at war with them, therefore their origins must be a product of incest per the Hebrew Scriptures.

Answer 3

If you look in Leviticus 18:6-17; it tells you that you shouldn't uncover and look look at the nakeness of your kinsmen because it is wickedness.

Lev 18:6 = "None of you shall approach to any that is near of kin to him, to uncover their nakedness: I am the Lord."
Lev 18:7 = "The nakedness of thy father, or the nakedness of thy mother, thou shalt not uncover: she is thy mother; thou shalt not uncover her nakedness."
Lev 18:8: "The nakedness of thy father's wife shalt thou not uncover: it is thy father's nakedness."

Now concerning Ham in Genesis 9:22; if you look at this verse carefully; it says Noah was uncovered and was in his own tent.
Now it doesn't tell us if he was already uncovered or Ham uncovered him. But it does say that Ham saw his nakeness of his father, which is sinful.

Now ask yourself: Why would Ham go inside Noah's tent? Also why would he make a big deal about it to tell his brethren?

Answer 4

There are three theories on this.

1) He walked in and saw Noah naked. Quite a punishment for an accident.

2) He saw Noah naked, found his brothers, and made a big joke out of it.

3) He did not simply see him naked, as you imply.

Personally, I ascribe to #2. I think the story is meant to discourage the kind of naked ceremonies practiced by priests of the Canaanite religion in later centuries.

Answer 5

Ham's wrongdoing was probably that he violated an ancient taboo of a primitive, tribal group of hill-dwellers, a taboo that has no reason or usefulness to us now. You have to remember that these people also believed the sun rotated around the earth and that rabbits chewed cud. In short, one of the many things in the bible that has no meaning or relevance to anyone today.

Answer 6

Being given the name Ham, the sins of the father fall on the son!

Answer 7

The term is an ancient figure of speech which actually refers to sleeping with one's own mother.

For verification, see Leviticus:

Lev 18:6 No man shall approach to her that is near of kin to him, to uncover her nakedness. I am the Lord.
Lev 18:7 Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy father, or the nakedness of thy mother: she is thy mother, thou shalt not uncover her nakedness.
Lev 18:8 Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy father's wife: for it is the nakedness of thy father.

Answer 8

And yet, Ham isn't the person punished. Canaan is sent into slavery.

Answer 9

Ham passed judgment on his father, and Ham’s error was passed to his son.

Answer 10

Many bible scholars believe it is implied that he did more than simply see his father's nakedness.