Why was Ham cursed for seeing his father naked?
Upvote:0
I'm not a theologian, but I believe that Ham most likely made fun of Noah when he told his brothers about him being naked in the tent. I have also heard that what it really means is that Ham did something inappropriate to Noah, but this is one of those translation issues where we don't have English words that directly correlate to the wording in the scripts. Hope that helps.
Upvote:0
In that day modesty was huge. Looking at the Strong's meanings it appears that Noah's sons took a robe and walked backwards to drop it on Noah's nakedness without looking. Ham stared at him which angered Noah. The meaning of the curse on Canaan is much more vague. It most likely a reference to Israel taking Canaanite land for themselves. Cursing Ham's descendants would have been a prophetic pronouncement before Israel even had a country as in Leviticus 18:22.
Upvote:1
There are h*m*sexual tones to this passage, especially in verse 24, suggesting that there was more involved than just seeing a man naked:
24 And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him.
But the interesting thing is it is not Ham who is cursed, but one of his sons, Canaan:
Genesis 9:25-27: And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren. And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant. God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.
The fact that Ham was the father of Canaan is especially highlighted in verses 9:18,22, in the leadup to this episode, and before Canaan even enters the story in his own right. When this story was being told, the Canaanites were the detested rivals of the Hebrew people, so the audience no doubt revelled in hearing of the putative forefather of the Canaanites being relegated to the status of slave. The biblical sons of Ham were Cush, Mizraim, Phut and Canaan (Genesis 10:6), but only Canaan was to be cursed in this story of Noah.
If, along with geologists, historians and most critical scholars, we accept that there was no worldwide Flood, then the story of Ham is really a legend that arose for the enlightenment or entertainment of the Hebrews.
Upvote:2
In the Old Testament, "uncovering the nakedness of your father" was a euphemism that was used for having relations with his wife.
The likely explanation for this passage, based on my own study and consulting numerous commentaries of Bible scholars, is that, while Noah was drunk and unaware of what was going on around him, Ham entered his father's tent and had relations with his mother. Canaan was likely the result of that union, which explains why he was the target of the curse.
This explanation is not definitive, but it is the one that makes the most sense based on my study of the passage and the cultural underpinnings of the Old Testament.
More post
- 📝 Is Heaven up and Hell down?
- 📝 How to interpret the ban of unions between believers and non-believers?
- 📝 How do Jehovah's Witnesses explain Thomas's exclamation, "My Lord and my God"?
- 📝 Why does Jesus' Resurrection mean hope for an individual and in what context?
- 📝 Was casting out of demons done in the Old Testament by any Prophets or was it started in the New Testament?
- 📝 According to Evangelicals, who now has the authority to bind and loose (per Matt. 18:18)?
- 📝 Did John Bunyan really dream the Pilgrim's Progress? Had he memorized all the verses?
- 📝 Why do the Gospel accounts not specify what crimes the two men crucified next to Jesus were guilty of?
- 📝 Why do many old churches face east?
- 📝 What is the Catholic understanding and explanation regarding Num 11:25?
- 📝 Which Prominent Modern Religions Came from the "Great Awakenings" and What Have They Done For the World?
- 📝 How could Abraham dine with God?
- 📝 Are there any Christians who are partially cessationist with regard to the gifts of the Spirit?
- 📝 What are the mechanics of interaction with the Holy Spirit?
- 📝 God | The Shepherd That "Breaks Legs"?
- 📝 CS Lewis said time continues in Heaven...Peter Kreeft says that is exists more as a 'point'...which is right?
- 📝 What does the LDS Church teach about infallibility?
- 📝 In which language is the Bible most read today?
- 📝 Does the Church of England omit 'Gloria in Excelsis' in Advent?
- 📝 How do Trinitarians explain James 1:17, John 4:24 and John 17:3?
- 📝 What does Christian Science teach about mental illnesses?
- 📝 Use of "the LORD" in Old Testament names
- 📝 History of creatio ex nihilo
- 📝 In LDS, how are 'milk' doctrines distinguished from 'meat' doctrines?
- 📝 Did the conversion of Paul occur before or after the Ascension?
- 📝 Does Catholic Church condemn cruelty to animals?
- 📝 Do any young earth creationists believe that a change to the earth's axis tilt was God's way of shortening human lifespans?
- 📝 What theological teachings of Watchman Nee, Witness Lee, and the Local Churches differ from Reformed Theology
- 📝 Can step-siblings marry in Catholicism?
- 📝 Did any early Church Fathers record the event of the ceasing of spiritual gifts?
Source: stackoverflow.com
Search Posts
Related post
- 📝 Why was Ham cursed for seeing his father naked?
- 📝 Why was Lot "let off the hook" for offering his daughters to be raped?
- 📝 Why was God so upset with Moses for striking the rock the second time in the desert?
- 📝 Who was the first Church Father to argue for executing heretics?
- 📝 What was Anselm's biblical basis for his theory of atonement by satisfaction?
- 📝 Why was it necessary for Mary to be a virgin?
- 📝 Why was Peter Fishing Naked (John 21:7)?
- 📝 Why do we use the Hebrew name for Daniel, but Persian names for his companions?
- 📝 Why was eating meat on Fridays forbidden in the Catholic Church for so many years?
- 📝 Why was the Angel Michael fighting the Devil for Moses' body?
- 📝 Do Mainline Presbyterians oppose Satisfaction Theory? Is this why "In Christ Alone" was rejected for their Hymnal?
- 📝 Why was Jesus able to silence his critics simply by pointing out that the Messiah was both Lord *and* son?
- 📝 What could be the reason for Jesus not telling His disciples to write down whatever He was teaching them?
- 📝 Why didn't Martin Luther provide for his family to be taken care of after his death?
- 📝 Why was Martin Harris punished for revealing the Lost 116 pages?
- 📝 Why was Solomon chosen as King instead of one of his brothers?
- 📝 On what basis was Jesus’ death sufficient for redemption according Non-Trinitarians who maintain that Jesus was not eternal God as God the Father is?
- 📝 What evidence is there that God as father was a common concept for Jesus's first century Jewish audience?
- 📝 What was the explanation for why Catharism identified the Old Testament God as Satan?
- 📝 Why was it necessary for some people to receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands and others just received it after believing?
- 📝 What are the main reasons of EOC for why the Protoevangelium of James was not to be included in the canon?
- 📝 Immaculate Conception: Why was it necessary for our Salvation?
- 📝 What is the Biblical basis that the second Person of the Trinity was the Only-begotten Son of the Father before His incarnation?
- 📝 Did most of the people that Jesus heal believe he was God? If so, why does the Bible not record them asking for salvation?
- 📝 What reasons does the Bible give for why the tribe of Levi was chosen to have the priesthood and temple duties?
- 📝 Did Lactantius ever say why it was good for Christians to be ruled by a Christian emperor?
- 📝 Why was Jesus condemned for blasphemy by the Jews?
- 📝 Why was Jesus not welcomed and carefully tested by the Jews if they were (and are) actually waiting for Messiah?
- 📝 For those who deny the deity of Jesus Christ how do you explain Isaiah seeing Christ/Messiah with his physical eyes at Isaiah 6:1?
- 📝 Why was the significance of Jesus' upcoming betrayal hidden from His disciples?