Genesis 9

Sanctity of Life Emphasized Genesis 9:4–6

⁴Verse 4. But flesh with its life, that is, its blood, you shall not eat. ⁵Verse 5. I will surely require your life’s blood. At the hand of every animal I will require it. At the hand of man, even at the hand of every man’s brother, I will require the life of man. ⁶Verse 6. Whoever sheds man’s blood, his blood will be shed by man, for God made man in his own image.

God's Covenant with Creation Genesis 9:7–11

⁷Verse 7. Be fruitful and multiply. Increase abundantly in the earth, and multiply in it.” ⁸Verse 8. God spoke to Noah and to his sons with him, saying, ⁹Verse 9. “As for me, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your offspring after you, ¹⁰Verse 10. and with every living creature that is with you: the birds, the livestock, and every animal of the earth with you, of all that go out of the ship, even every animal of the earth. ¹¹Verse 11. I will establish my covenant with you: All flesh will not be cut off any more by the waters of the flood. There will never again be a flood to destroy the earth.”

The Rainbow as a Sign Genesis 9:12–17

¹²Verse 12. God said, “This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: ¹³Verse 13. I set my rainbow in the cloud, and it will be a sign of a covenant between me and the earth. ¹⁴Verse 14. When I bring a cloud over the earth, that the rainbow will be seen in the cloud, ¹⁵Verse 15. I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh, and the waters will no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. ¹⁶Verse 16. The rainbow will be in the cloud. I will look at it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.”

¹⁷Verse 17. God said to Noah, “This is the token of the covenant which I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth.”

Noah's Vineyard and Shame Genesis 9:18–21

¹⁸Verse 18. The sons of Noah who went out from the ship were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Ham is the father of Canaan. ¹⁹Verse 19. These three were the sons of Noah, and from these, the whole earth was populated. ²⁰Verse 20. Noah began to be a farmer, and planted a vineyard. ²¹Verse 21. He drank of the wine and got drunk. He was uncovered within his tent.

Ham's Disrespect and Consequence Genesis 9:22–25

²²Verse 22. Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brothers outside. ²³Verse 23. Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it on both their shoulders, went in backwards, and covered the nakedness of their father. Their faces were backwards, and they didn’t see their father’s nakedness. ²⁴Verse 24. Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his youngest son had done to him. ²⁵Verse 25. He said, “Canaan is cursed. He will be a servant of servants to his brothers.”

Blessings and Lineage Genesis 9:26–29

²⁶Verse 26. He said, “Blessed be Yahweh, the God of Shem. Let Canaan be his servant. ²⁷Verse 27. May God enlarge Japheth. Let him dwell in the tents of Shem. Let Canaan be his servant.” ²⁸Verse 28. Noah lived three hundred fifty years after the flood. ²⁹Verse 29. All the days of Noah were nine hundred fifty years, and then he died.