Genesis 7, 8, & 9; Psalm 1;
The flood and Noah’s ark is one the best-known narratives in the Bible. What usually is not known is that there are many other flood narratives that were written in the region of Ancient Mesopotamia. But similarly to the creation story, the Bible’s Flood narrative is unique.
In the Babylonian story, known as Antra-Hasis, gods make humans to be used as labor force, and when these humans start to overpopulate earth, the gods decide to send plagues and famines to control the population. Ultimately, the gods decide to erase humanity with a flood.
First of all, God didn’t create humanity to be used as a labor pool. On the contrary, humans are the high point of creation and are loved by God.
God chooses the flood because of the deep moral problems that plague humanity. God’s purpose is to wash away the violence and bloodshed among humanity.
Although Earth is filled with corruption and violence, there’s one righteous man that is “blameless in his generation” (Gen 6:9), and God chooses Noah and his family to start over.
Noah after leaving the Ark makes a sacrifice to God, and this sacrifice is well received (Gen 8:20). Then, we get a preview of the covenant God will make with Noah: no more destruction. God chooses mercy over judgment, even in light of human sinfulness and the effects of original sin: “for the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth” (Gen 9:21).
In Genesis 9, the story of re-creation continues, with a lot of similarities with The Creation story. God blesses Noah’s family and tells them to be fruitful and multiply (Gen 9:2).
Then, God establishes his covenant with Noah (Gen 9:1-11), the second covenant God makes with humanity. It first establishes some new permissions (like eating animals) and some rules, with the most important one being not killing (Gen 9:5-6).
Again, it is demonstrated where human dignity comes from: every human is made in the image and likeness of God (Gen 9:6), and because of that, human life is sacred and worthy of respect and dignity.
After establishing the new rules, God makes the promise of the covenant, that he will preserve humanity and the waters will never become flood to destroy all flesh again (Gen 9:11). The rainbow is the sign of covenant, the visible sign of God’s bow in the clouds (Gen 9:13–5), which also demonstrates that God will not use his “bow” to destroy life on earth.
After the establishment of the covenant, the re-creation story continues. Now, in a tragic twist, the Fall again.
Noah takes the fruit (similarly Gen 3:6) from the vineyard and drank the wine, becoming drunk (sin of intemperance; gluttony) and lays naked (similarly Gen 3:7) in his tent (Gen 9:20-21).
Right after, a tragedy happens:
“And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brothers outside.” - Genesis 9:22
Now to the mindblowing part. With no further context, it’s difficult to understand what wrong did Ham do here, why would seeing his father naked (maybe even accidentally) be so terrible for Noah to curse Ham’s unborn son (Canaan)? (Gen 9:25)
But seeing or uncovering “the nakedness of his father” is an idiomatic expression for sleeping with his father’s wife.
This become clearer when we see the same expression being used in Leviticus:
- “The man who lies with his father’s wife has uncovered his father’s nakedness; both of them shall be put to death, their blood is upon them.” - Leviticus 20:11
- “None of you shall approach any one near of kin to him to uncover nakedness. I am the Lord.” - Leviticus 18:6
- “You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father, which is the nakedness of your mother; she is your mother, you shall not uncover her nakedness.” - Leviticus 18:7
And this was not just an act of lust, it was probably an act of rebellion, and attempt of domination and humiliation.
Noah was the leader of the family, and positions of authority such as kingship and priesthood usually passed down from father to the firstborn son. Ham may have been trying to steal the role of head of the family by dominating and humiliating his father.
This attempt is congruent with other narratives inside and outside of the Bible that follow a similar template:
- Greek mythology where one god usurps power and legitimizes his rule by sleeping with the previous god’s wives.
- Absalom, King David’s son, sleeps with David’s concubines to solidify his claim to the throne (2 Sm 16:21-22).
Knowing what happened, Noah’s other sons, Shem and Japheth, honored their father and mother and covered their mother, without looking at her (Gen 9:23).
This explanation also sheds light on why Noah curses Canaan. Why curse an unborn son of Ham? And why this one instead of another one?
Because Canaan is the fruit of the rape and incest Ham did. (But why not curse Ham instead? Some say it is because God had already blessed Ham, so Noah couldn’t curse him)
This also explains why Canaan is mentioned in the chapter, two times, actually. The first in the beginning of the story (Gen 9:18), and the other right when the “uncovering of the nakedness” (i.e. the rape and incest) occurs (Gen 9:22).
The explanation of what happened also makes sense in the broader context on what will happen in the following chapters. Canaan is the ascendant of several tribes and nations that collectively are known as the Canaanites, which inhabit the region of Canaan.
The Canaanites are known for their sexual immorality and perversity, and the rules against incest given in Leviticus 18:6-7 are the first rules (and warnings) God gives to the Israelites before they enter the land of Canaan (Lv 18:1-5).
Yet again, as seen with the Creation story, we see how sin leads to the breaking of families and leads to a cycle that leaves humanity in a bad shape with great moral depravity.
But there might be hope. Shem, Noah’s faithful and honoring firstborn is blessed (Gen 9:26) by Noah.