God Made Me who I Am
Noah
God had destroyed the world because of sin
Sin was still present in those whom He saved
Ham
Interpretation of Noah’s Nakedness and Curse of Canaan
The episode involving Noah’s nakedness has various interpretations. Some scholars suggest that Ham simply saw his naked father and failed to cover him (Westermann, Genesis 1–11, 488; Wenham, Genesis 1–15, 200; Hamilton, Genesis 1–17, 323). Others argue that “seeing another’s nakedness” is a euphemism for a sexual act with either one’s father or mother (see Bassett, “Noah’s Nakedness,” 232–37). Although the exact nature of Ham’s behavior remains undecided, Noah’s response—cursing Canaan, the youngest of Ham’s four sons (Gen 9:25–27; 10:6)—clearly indicates a negative connotation.
Scholars have paid significant attention to the lack of biblical explanation for Noah’s curse against Canaan (rather than Ham). Some have speculated that Canaan was born of Ham’s incest with his mother (Bassett, “Noah’s Nakedness,” 235), though this seems problematic in context. Others have suggested that Canaan participated somehow in Ham’s behavior against Noah but that this detail was omitted “on the grounds of delicacy” (Sarna, Genesis, 66). Another view proposes that Canaan, in this reference, represents the Canaanite people as a whole, with Ham’s behavior typifying both the sins of the Canaanites and Yahweh‘s response to that sin (Wenham, Genesis 1–15, 201). Contemporary biblical scholarship has rejected what is known as the “Hamite (or Hamitic) Myth,” which applied the curse to Ham and was used to justify racist objectives.
Some interpretations focus on Israel’s superiority over the Canaanites. Noah declares that Canaan will be the “lowest of slaves” (Gen 9:25 NRSV) to his brothers—including Shem, the ancestor of Abraham and of the Israelite people. This passage—which immediately follows the flood story—may be seen as depicting Israel’s exaltation over the Canaanites, who occupied the promised land prior to the Israelites. As Brueggemann notes, “This narrative is an opportunity to root in pre-history the power relations between Israel and Canaan and to justify it on theological grounds” (Brueggemann, Genesis, 90). In addition to Canaan, Ham is said to be the ancestor of other bitter enemies of Israel (i.e., Egypt, Cush). One of Ham’s grandsons, Nimrod, supposedly started his kingdom at Babel and later built the city of Nineveh (Gen 10:6–11).