Genesis 9:24-27

GENESIS—NOTE ON Genesis 9:24 The designation of Ham as the youngest son is peculiar, since he is always listed after Shem and before Japheth. Possibly the traditional order of names does not reflect the birth sequence of the boys. Cursed be Canaan. Noah’s reaction to Ham’s action is to curse Canaan, Ham’s son. a servant of servants shall he be. This passage was wrongly used in past centuries to justify the enslavement of African people, resulting in grievous abuse, injustice, and inhumanity to people created in the image of God. Noah’s curse of Canaan, which focuses on his being a servant, anticipates the judgment that will later befall the Canaanites (compare Deuteronomy 7:1 with Genesis 10:15). This, coupled with the fact that the curse falls on Canaan alone and not on Ham’s other children (who settled in northern Africa), shows how illegitimate it was to use this text to justify enslaving African people. (For more about biblical teaching on slavery, see notes on 1 Cor. 7:21; Ephesians 6:5; Colossians 3:22; 1 Timothy 1:10.) Shem is highlighted in Noah’s remark that Japheth will dwell in the tents of Shem (Genesis 9:27).