Genesis 9 Commentary

God blessed Noah instructing him and his sons to be fruitful and multiply. God put a fear of mankind into all the animals. God allows mankind to eat meat along with plants.

God makes a new rule that murder of another human being shall require their life. God also instructs for Noah to populate the earth abundantly and multiply in it.

God establishes an everlasting covenant with Noah. God promises to never again destroy the earth by a flood. He makes a sign of the covenant for all to see.

When the rainbow is seen in the clouds, God will remember His covenant and the promise not to destroy all flesh by a flood again. The bow is the sign of the covenant.

Noah’s sons are Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Ham is the father of Canaan. Noah plants a vineyard and becomes drunk. Ham saw the nakedness of his father in a tent. Ham told his two brothers about it. They carefully, so as not to see, covered their naked father in his tent.

When Noah wakes up, he knows what Ham has done. Noah curses Canaan, Ham’s son and blesses Shem and Japheth. Noah dies at age 950 years.