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Genesis 9:24-29

Matthew Henry on Genesis 9:24-29

Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · Matthew Henry · CC0 1.0 Universal

Noah declares a curse on Canaan, the son of Ham; perhaps this grandson of his was more guilty than the rest. A servant of servants, that is, The meanest and most despicable servant, shall he be, even to his brethren.

This certainly points at the victories in after-times obtained by Israel over the Canaanites, by which they were put to the sword, or brought to pay tribute. The whole continent of Africa was peopled mostly by the descendants of Ham; and for how many ages have the better parts of that country lain under the dominion of the Romans, then of the Saracens, and now of the Turks!

In what wickedness, ignorance, barbarity, slavery, and misery most of the inhabitants live! And of the poor negroes, how many every year are sold and bought, like beasts in the market, and conveyed from one quarter of the world to do the work of beasts in another!

But this in no way excuses the covetousness and barbarity of those who enrich themselves with the product of their sweat and blood. God has not commanded us to enslave negroes; and, without doubt, he will severely punish all such cruel wrongs.

The fulfilment of this prophecy, which contains almost a history of the world, frees Noah from the suspicion of having uttered it from personal anger. It fully proves that the Holy Spirit took occasion from Ham's offence to reveal his secret purposes.

“Blessed be the Lord God of Shem.” The church should be built up and continued in the posterity of Shem; of him came the Jews, who were, for a great while, the only professing people God had in the world.

Christ, who was the Lord God, in his human nature should descend from Shem; for of him, as concerning the flesh, Christ came. Noah also blesses Japheth, and, in him, the isles of the gentiles that were peopled by his seed.

It speaks of the conversion of the gentiles, and the bringing of them into the church. We may read it, “God shall persuade Japheth, and being persuaded, he shall dwell in the tents of Shem.” Jews and gentiles shall be united together in the gospel fold; both shall be one in Christ.

Noah lived to see two worlds; but being an heir of the righteousness which is by faith, he now rests in hope, waiting to see a better than either.

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commentaryThe Pulpit Commentary on Genesis 9:18-29EXPOSITIONJoseph S. Exell and contributorscommentaryThe Pulpit Commentary on Genesis 9:18-29The threefold distribution of the human race —into the Shemitic, Hamitic, and Japhetic families. The fall of Noah was through wine; not, indeed, a forbidden product of the earth, but, like the fruit of the tree of knowl…Joseph S. Exell and contributorscommentaryThe Pulpit Commentary on Genesis 9:20-29The future unveiled. I. A PAGE FROM HUMAN HISTORY. The prominent figure an old man—always an object of interest, as one who has passed through life's vicissitudes, and worthy of peculiar honor, especially if found walki…Joseph S. Exell and contributorscommentaryNoah's Prophecy. (b. c. 2347.)NOAH'S PROPHECY. (B. C. 2347.) Here, I. Noah comes to himself: He awoke from his wine. Sleep cured him, and, we may suppose, so cured him that he never relapsed into that sin afterwards. Those that sleep as Noah did sho…Matthew HenrycommentaryThe Pulpit Commentary on Genesis 9:24And Noah awoke from his wine. I.e. the effects of his wine (cf. 1 Samuel 1:14; 1 Samuel 25:37); ἐ ξεì νηψε (LXX.); "became fully conscious of his condition" (T. Lewis). And knew. By inspiration (Alford); more probably…Joseph S. Exell and contributorscommentaryThe Pulpit Commentary on Genesis 9:25And he said. Not in personal resentment, since "the fall of Noah is not at all connected with his prophecy, except as serving to bring out the real character of his children, and to reconcile him to the different destin…Joseph S. Exell and contributorscommentaryThe Pulpit Commentary on Genesis 9:26And he said—not "Blessed of Jehovah, my God, be Shem" (Jamieson), as might have been anticipated (this, equally with the omission of Ham's name, lifts the entire patriarchal utterance out of the region of mere personal…Joseph S. Exell and contributorscommentaryThe Pulpit Commentary on Genesis 9:27God. Elohim. If Genesis 9:18-27 are Jehovistic (Tuch, Bleek, Colenso, et alii), why Elohim? Is this a proof that the Jehovistic document was revised by the Elohistic author, as the presence of Jehovah in any so-called E…Joseph S. Exell and contributors