Commentaries Dictionaries Concordances

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

Genesis 9:23

‘And Shem and Japheth took a robe (shimlah - which acted as a blanket at night and a robe during the day - see Exodus 22:26) and laid it over their shoulders, and went in backwards and covered their father's nakedness, and their faces were backwards and they did not look on their father's nakedness.'

In contrast to Ham, Shem and Japheth act with consideration towards their drunken father and preserve his dignity, thus also avoiding any unpleasant thoughts that might arise. This is a good example of the importance of taking steps to avoid temptation.

Continues after advertising

See also Genesis 9:23 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Genesis 9:23. See Clarke on Ge 9:22...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    - XXX. The Prophecy of Noah 18. כנען _k__e__na‛an_, “Kena‘an, bowed down.” 19. נפץ _nāpats_, “break, scatter, spread.” פוּץ _pûts_, “break, scatter, flow.” 20. כרם...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    CHAPTER 9 The Earth Replenished _ 1. The divine commission (Genesis 9:1)_ 2. The covenant with Noah (Genesis 9:8) 3. The token of the covenant (Genesis 9:12) 4. The family of Noah ...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    THE DRUNKENNESS OF NOAH; HIS CURSE AND HIS BLESSINGS. In this section Genesis 9:28 f. belongs to P. If Genesis 5:32; Genesis 7:6; Genesis 9:28 f. are read to

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _a garment_ Heb. _simlah_, LXX ἱμάτιον, Lat. _pallium_: the large upper garment which was also used as a covering by night, as appears from Exodus 22:26; Deuteronomy 24:13. The conduct of Shem and Jap...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    Noah, as the Vine-dresser, and his three Sons. (J.) In this section the narrative, which begins at Genesis 9:20, is introduced by the two connecting Genesis 9:18-19, which either conclude J's account...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    7. _Noah's Last Days_ (Genesis 9:18-28.) 18 And the sons of Noah, that went forth from the ark, were Shem, and Ham, and Japheth: and Ham is the father of Canaan. 19 These three were the sons of Noah:...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    _AND SHEM AND JAPHETH TOOK A GARMENT, AND LAID IT UPON BOTH THEIR SHOULDERS, AND WENT BACKWARD, AND COVERED THE NAKEDNESS OF THEIR FATHER; AND THEIR FACES WERE BACKWARD, AND THEY SAW NOT THEIR FATHER'...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    THE DIVINE BLESSING AND COVENANT. NOAH AND THE VINE. THE CURSE OF CANAAN 1-7. The primeval benediction of man (Genesis 1:28) is now repeated and enlarged. Animal food is allowed (cp. Genesis 1:29), bu...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    GOD’S ANCIENT PEOPLE GENESIS _ALUN OWEN_ CHAPTER 9 GOD MAKES AN AGREEMENT WITH NOAH V1 And God promised good things to Noah and to his sons. He said to them, ‘Have large families. Increase so th...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    HAM... SAW... AND TOLD. — The sin lay not in seeing, which might be unintentional, but in telling, especially if his purpose was to ridicule his father. His brothers, with filial piety, “take a garmen...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    וַ יִּקַּח֩ שֵׁ֨ם וָ יֶ֜פֶת אֶת ־הַ

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    THE FLOOD Genesis 5:1; Genesis 6:1; Genesis 7:1; Genesis 8:1; Genesi

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    NOAH'S FALL Genesis 9:20 NOAH in the ark was in a position of present safety but of much anxiety. No sign of any special protection on God's part was given. The waters seemed to stand at their highes...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    NOAH'S THREE SONS Genesis 9:18 Noah's sin reminds us how weak are the best of men; liable to fall, even after the most marvelous deliverances. The love of strong drink will drag a preacher of righteo...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    The new order in human affairs was initiated by the bestowment of a blessing on Noah and his sons. The first note of change is seen in the word which declared man's relation to the lower orders. In Ed...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    Neither ought we to be so quick-sighted in discovering the faults of any: which we often represent as real, when they are only apparent. (Haydock)...

  • Introductory Lectures - Commentary by William Kelly

    There is one characteristic of divine revelation to which attention may be profitably called as a starting point. We have to do with facts. The Bible alone is a revelation of facts, and, we can add (n...

  • John Calvin's Bible Commentary

    23._And Shem and Japheth took a garment_. Here the piety, as well as the modesty, of the two brothers is commended; who, in order that the dignity of their father might not be lowered in their esteem,...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    In chapter 9 begins the history of the new earth. God blesses the earth more than before; and the answer to the sweet savour of the sacrifice assures the world that a universal deluge will never recur...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    AND SHEM AND JAPHETH TOOK A GARMENT,.... Who were the two brothers Ham told what he had seen, and who, no doubt, reproved him for his ill behaviour, and then took a garment, a coat of their own, very...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid [it] upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces [were] backward, and they saw not their fath...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _And Shem and Japheth took a garment_, &c. They not only would not see it themselves, but provided that no one else might see it; herein setting an example of charity with reference to other men's sin...

  • KJV Original Language Details

    1 God blesseth Noah. 4 Blood and murder are forbidden. 9 Gods Couenant 13 signified by the Rainebow. 18 Noah replenisheth the world, 20 planteth a Vineyard, 21 is drunken, and mocked of his sonn...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father's...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    NOAH'S SIN...

  • Lange's Commentary on the Holy Scriptures

    SECOND SECTION _The Revelation of Sin and of Piety in Noah’s Family—The Curse and the Blessing of Noah—The twofold Blessing, and the Blessing in the Curse itself._ GENESIS 9:18-29 18And the sons of...

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    A NEW BEGINNING FOR MAN The earth itself having been purged by water, furnishing a totally new condition of circumstances for mankind and animals, now God establishes man in a new dispensation of thin...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    18-23 The drunkenness of Noah is recorded in the Bible, with that fairness which is found only in the Scripture, as a case and proof of human weakness and imperfection, even though he may have been s...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    No text from Poole on this verse....

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Genesis 9:23 Shem H8035 Japheth H3315 took H3947 (H8799) garment H8071 laid H7760 (H8799) both H8147 shoulders...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Noamic covenant. Noah's shame and Ham's sin. CHARACTERS: Noah and family. CONCLUSION: The believer is as secure as God's promises are true. No promise of God can fail. KEY WORD: Covenant,...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Genesis 9:4. _But the blood ye shall not eat._ This prohibition of blood is repeated. Leviticus 17; Deuteronomy 12. And being connected with murder in the following verse, we are taught to abstain fro...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _Noah began to be an husbandman and he planted a vineyard; and he drank of the wine and was drunken_ THE LESSONS OF NOAH’S FALL I. THE MORAL DANGERS OF SOCIAL PROGRESS. 1. Increased temptations to...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    GENESIS—NOTE ON GENESIS 9:21 BECAME DRUNK. The brevity of the description of Noah’s drunkenness indicates God’s disapproval. Ham’s actions of looking on the NAKEDNESS OF HIS FATHER in the tent and the...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    CRITICAL NOTES.— Genesis 9:20. And Noah began to be a husbandman] Heb. The man _of the ground._ Like the Gr. γεωργος, and the Lat. _Agricola._ As the Heb. has the article, the meaning is conveyed that...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION GENESIS 9:18 AND THE SONS OF NOAH, THAT WENT FORTH OF THE ARK, WERE SHEM, AND HAM, AND JAPHETH, who are here again mentioned as the heads of the nations into which the family of man develo...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the eaRuth (Genesis 9:1). And so the commandment that was given to Adam at the beginning is now given to Noah...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    Exodus 20:12 Leviticus 19:32 Romans 13:7 Galatians 6:1 1 Timothy 5:1

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father — They not only would not see it themselves, but provided that no one else might see it; herein settin...

Continues after advertising