Topical Bible: Noah: Son of Lamech: His Blessing Upon Shem and Japheth

◄ Noah: Son of Lamech: His Blessing Upon Shem and Japheth ►

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Noah, a pivotal figure in the biblical narrative, is renowned for his righteousness and obedience to God during a time of widespread corruption and violence on the earth. As the son of Lamech and a descendant of Adam through Seth, Noah is most famously known for building the ark that preserved his family and pairs of every living creature from the catastrophic flood sent by God to cleanse the earth.

After the floodwaters receded and Noah's family emerged from the ark, Noah built an altar to the Lord and offered burnt offerings, which were pleasing to God. In response, God established a covenant with Noah, promising never again to destroy all life with a flood and setting the rainbow as a sign of this everlasting covenant (Genesis 9:11-17).

Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth, who would become the progenitors of the post-flood human race. An incident involving Noah and his sons is recorded in Genesis 9:20-27. After planting a vineyard, Noah became drunk and lay uncovered inside his tent. Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father's nakedness and told his two brothers outside. Shem and Japheth, however, took a garment, walked in backward, and covered their father's nakedness, showing respect and discretion.

Upon awakening and learning what had transpired, Noah pronounced a prophetic blessing and curse upon his sons. He cursed Canaan, the son of Ham, saying, "Cursed be Canaan! A servant of servants shall he be to his brothers" (Genesis 9:25). This curse reflected the dishonor brought upon Noah by Ham's actions and foreshadowed the future subjugation of the Canaanites.

Conversely, Noah blessed Shem and Japheth for their respectful actions. He declared, "Blessed be the LORD, the God of Shem! May Canaan be the servant of Shem" (Genesis 9:26). This blessing not only honored Shem but also acknowledged the special relationship between Shem's descendants and the Lord, foreshadowing the line through which Abraham and ultimately the Messiah would come.

Noah also extended a blessing to Japheth, saying, "May God enlarge Japheth, and may he dwell in the tents of Shem; and may Canaan be his servant" (Genesis 9:27). This blessing implied prosperity and expansion for Japheth's descendants, as well as a harmonious relationship with the line of Shem.

The blessings and curses pronounced by Noah had significant implications for the future of his descendants and the unfolding of biblical history. Shem's lineage would become central to the narrative of God's chosen people, while Japheth's descendants would spread widely, and Ham's offspring, particularly the Canaanites, would face subjugation. These pronouncements underscore the themes of honor, respect, and the consequences of one's actions, which resonate throughout the biblical text.

Nave's Topical Index

Genesis 9:26,27
And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.
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Chapter v
... was, it is claimed, the comfort of which Lamech prophesied ... developments in which
the three sons of Noah figure ... The Hebrew idiom uses the noun ("son of") for the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter v.htm

"In the Volume of the Book it is Written of Me" (Heb. . .
... next thing recorded after the brief notice of Lamech is the ... Gen.10:8), and Cush was
a son of Ham ... refusal to obey His commands given through Noah " "Be fruitful ...
//christianbookshelf.org/pink/the antichrist/in the volume of the.htm

An Exposition on the First Ten Chapters of Genesis, and Part of ...
... in printing the text of Genesis 7:7 Noah's three sons ... reform bad habits, and, under
the divine blessing, to purify ... is his name, and what is his son's name, if ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/an exposition on the first.htm