Prior Chapter | Prior Verse | Next Verse | Next Chapter | Next Book | Viewing NASB and Amplified 2015 | |
NASB | Genesis 9:22 Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brothers outside. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Genesis 9:22 Ham, the father of Canaan, saw [by accident] the nakedness of his father, and [to his father's shame] told his two brothers outside. |
Subject: Was Ham showing homosexual tendencies? |
Bible Note: Hello MJH, Your comments are noted and appreciated. In my reading of the text, I do not see and direct or indirect reference to homosexual behavior by Ham. We need to be careful about reading into texts with our current cultural biases:-) The New Bible commentary makes this observation: "Sadly, the righteous and blameless Noah succumbed to drink and exposed himself while sleeping. His relatively minor sin (cf. Adam in 3:6) was followed by the much graver sin of his younger son Ham (cf. Cain in 4:8). Once again by this sequence Genesis suggests history repeating itself. The new human race headed by Noah was, like the former one, on the slide. Modern readers fail to see the gravity of Ham’s sin and ask what is wrong with gossiping or joking to your brothers about your parents’ failings? So attempts have been made to suggest Ham was guilty of incest or other sexual impropriety. But these notions are wrong and fail to appreciate how seriously the OT and other ancient cultures took filial duties. ‘Honour your father and mother’ comes next to the Godward commandments in Ex. 20, and striking or cursing your father or mother could be punished by death (Ex. 21:15, 17; cited by Jesus, Mk. 7:10). [D. A. Carson, New Bible Commentary : 21st Century Edition] Speaking the Truth in Love, BradK |