In Genesis 9, Noah gets drunk and falls asleep in his birthday suit. His son, Ham, sees him and tells his two brothers, who cover Noah up without looking at him. When Noah wakes up, he gets angry and curses Canaan, who is the son of Ham. Why is Noah angry, and why is he cursing the man's innocent son who hasn't done anything?
2007-05-13 15:04:57 · 14 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
It never said that Ham had sex with Noah. It just said he saw him naked. And why does Noah curse his son and not him?
2007-05-13 15:15:05 · update #1
Deep Sky, why is it so difficult for you to answer simple questions?
2007-05-13 15:21:00 · update #2
But Leviticus 20:11 talks about UNCOVERING one's father's nakedness. Ham didn't uncover anything. He just walked in and Noah was naked with nothing on him.
2007-05-13 15:31:33 · update #3
Ham had sex with him.
edit: from one of the referenced commentaries below:
Ham’s impudence and impiety: He saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren, v. 22. To see it accidentally and involuntarily would not have been a crime; but, 1. He pleased himself with the sight, as the Edomites looked upon the day of their brother (Obad. 12), pleased, and insulting.
2007-05-13 15:08:26 · answer #1 · answered by Christmas Light Guy 7 · 1⤊ 3⤋
Why did Noah curse Canaan when it was Ham who saw him naked? Why was Noah so angry that Ham saw him naked? Some propose that Ham and/or Canaan actually did something to Noah in addition to seeing him naked. The passage mentions that Noah was angry when he found out, "what his youngest son had done to him." Homosexuality, rape, and humiliation are frequently mentioned as possibilities. However, the text nowhere states that Ham did anything to Noah. Any view of what occurred is speculation.
Another view arises out of comparison with Leviticus 20:11, "The man who lies with his father's wife has uncovered his father's nakedness..." With Leviticus 20:11 in mind, some propose that Ham had sex with Noah's wife, and that was what brought the curse from Noah. However, this figurative understanding of "uncovering nakedness" fails to account for the fact that Shem and Japheth walked into the room backward and covered Noah with a garment. This does not make any sense if "uncovering nakedness" means "having sex with Noah's wife." It definitely seems that Noah was lying naked - his nakedness uncovered.
Whatever took place between Ham and Noah, why did Noah curse Ham's son Canaan, when Canaan is nowhere mentioned as having done anything? The Bible does not specifically answer this question. Ham was Noah's youngest son, and Canaan was Ham's youngest son. Perhaps Noah cursed Canaan because it is more painful for a father to see his child suffer than it is for a father to suffer himself. The other possible explanation is that Canaan was somehow involved in the incident, thereby bringing Noah's curse upon himself.
Recommended Resource: The Genesis Flood by Henry Morris and John Whitcomb
2007-05-13 22:21:36 · answer #2 · answered by Freedom 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It is a prophecy. There are many years attributed to this short scripture.
Ham saw his father naked, and goes out to tell his brothers. In other words, being a gossip or making fun of it. It shows his total disrespect for his father and shows that he acted disgustingly. So his son, Canaan, was even more crude and disrespectful. So cursing Canaan was because he was worse than his father and also it is more horrible to curse Ham's son than to curse Ham. It says nothing about Ham having relations with his mother, nor does it say or imply he had sex with his father.
Gen 9
20. And Noah … planted a vineyard—Noah had been probably bred to the culture of the soil, and resumed that employment on leaving the ark.
21. And he drank of the wine, and was drunken—perhaps at the festivities of the vintage season. This solitary stain on the character of so eminently pious a man must, it is believed, have been the result of age or inadvertency.
24. This incident could scarcely have happened till twenty years after the flood; for Canaan, whose conduct was more offensive than that even of his father, was not born till after that event. It is probable that there is a long interval included between these verses and that this prophecy, like that of Jacob on his sons, was not uttered till near the close of Noah's life when the prophetic spirit came upon him; this presumption is strengthened by the mention of his death immediately after.
2007-05-14 00:24:20 · answer #3 · answered by Gardener for God(dmd) 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Leviticus 20:11 tells us that the nakedness of a married woman, is the nakedness of her husband. Noah was drunk, passed out, and Ham takes advantage of Noah's state to act improperly with regard Noah's wife, Ham's own Mother. Now the curse that be upon Ham does not seem so angry, cruel or unjust does it?
But of course, the curse is not upon Ham, but upon Ham's son. No curse is greater upon a man who knows he did wrong and deserves to be punished, than to transfer that punishment upon another whom he loves. So the curse is made more than double because it is made upon not Ham, but upon his son.
Hope this clarifies matters.
Shalom
2007-05-13 22:22:55 · answer #4 · answered by Stephen 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There is NO explanation in the Bible that explains Noah’s actions!
I suppose the answers you will receive are pure speculation and opinion for nothing is said about it. Should you read further, you will learn that Canaan brought forth the land of Canaan and the Canaanites where God actually sent Abram. In Genesis 12:7 “The Lord appeared to Abram and said “ I will assign this land to your offspring”
Now, one could wonder as to why Noah in his drunken awakening stupor cast out the one who created the land that Abram’s offspring would inherent? Abram is who he is before the name changed to Abraham.
There is no explanation outside of speculation and opinion and there is NO fact behind it!
Grandpa took out on his Grandson. Verbally abusive drunk picking on the defenseless. Plain and simple – no speculation or opinion or self- interpretation.
Nice question, Thank you.
Peace & Love,
Sam (A Christian)
2007-05-13 23:24:09 · answer #5 · answered by Sam 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Lev.20:11 And the man that lieth with his father's wife hath uncovered his father's nakedness: both of them shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.
Ham had sex with his own Mother..Canaan was the offspring of that act.
2007-05-13 22:14:50 · answer #6 · answered by Royal Racer Hell=Grave © 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
There are indications ,but no concrete proof, that Canaan commited an act of homosexuality on the Patriarch.
2007-05-13 22:11:57 · answer #7 · answered by Jeff C 4 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Difficult to understand ,even more difficuly to find a logical axplanation.,i would like to think of it as a hangover .
2007-05-13 22:16:10 · answer #8 · answered by dee k 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's a stupid and absurd story and anything one can contrive can be implied from it.
2007-05-13 22:17:13 · answer #9 · answered by Atheistic 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Obviously he did do something, something so heinous to get that response for it! Some say that he sodomized(raped) his father....but who knows!
2007-05-13 22:13:15 · answer #10 · answered by thirdeyeeagle 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋