1 God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them, "Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth. 2 The fear of you and the dread of you will be on every animal of the earth, and on every bird of the sky. Everything that the ground teems with, and all the fish of the sea are delivered into your hand. 3 Every moving thing that lives will be food for you. As the green herb, I have given everything to you. 4 But flesh with its life, its blood, you shall not eat. 5 I will surely require your blood of your lives. 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. 6 Whoever sheds man's blood, his blood will be shed by man, for God made man in his own image. 7 Be fruitful and multiply. Bring forth abundantly in the earth, and multiply in it." 8 God spoke to Noah and to his sons with him, saying, 9 "As for me, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your offspring after you, 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. 11 I will establish my covenant with you: all flesh will not be cut off any more by the waters of the flood, neither will there ever again be a flood to destroy the earth." 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: 13 I set my rainbow in the cloud, and it will be for a sign of a covenant between me and the earth. 14 It will happen, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the rainbow will be seen in the cloud, 15 and 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. 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." 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." 18 The sons of Noah who went forth from the ship were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Ham is the father of Canaan. 19 These three were the sons of Noah, and from these, the whole earth was populated. 20 Noah began to be a farmer, and planted a vineyard. 21 He drank of the wine and got drunk. He was uncovered within his tent. 22 Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brothers outside. 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. 24 Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his youngest son had done to him. 25 He said, "Canaan is cursed. He will be servant of servants to his brothers." 26 He said, "Blessed be Yahweh, the God of Shem. Let Canaan be his servant. 27 May God enlarge Japheth. Let him dwell in the tents of Shem. Let Canaan be his servant." 28 Noah lived three hundred fifty years after the flood. 29 All the days of Noah were nine hundred fifty years, then he died.
God blesses Noah and his sons, Genesis 9:1. The brute creation to be subject to them through fear, Genesis 9:2. The first grant of animal food, Genesis 9:3. Eating of blood forbidden, Genesis 9:4. Cruelty to animals forbidden, Genesis 9:5. A man-slayer to forfeit his life, Genesis 9:6. The covenant of God established between him and Noah and the whole brute creation, Genesis 9:8-11. The rainbow given as the sign and pledge of this covenant, Genesis 9:12-17. The three sons of Noah people the whole earth, Genesis 9:18, Genesis 9:19. Noah plants a vineyard, drinks of the wine, is intoxicated, and lies exposed in his tent, Genesis 9:20, Genesis 9:21. The reprehensible conduct of Ham, Genesis 9:22. The laudable carriage of Shem and Japheth, Genesis 9:23. Noah prophetically declares the servitude of the posterity of Ham, Genesis 9:24, Genesis 9:25; and the dignity and increase of Shem and Japheth, Genesis 9:26, Genesis 9:27. The age and death of Noah, Genesis 9:28, Genesis 9:29.
INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 9
In this chapter we have an account of God's blessing Noah and his sons, being just come out of the ark, with a renewal of the blessing of propagating their species, and replenishing the earth, the dominion over the creatures, and a freedom from the fear of them; with liberty to eat flesh, only it must not be eaten with blood; with a providential care and preservation of their lives from men and beasts, by making a law that that man or beast should die that shed man's blood, Genesis 9:1 and after repeating the blessing of procreation, Genesis 9:7 mention is made of a covenant God made with Noah, his sons, and all the creatures, that he would drown the world no more, the token of which should be the rainbow in the cloud, Genesis 9:8 the names of the sons of Noah are observed, by whom the earth was repeopled, Genesis 9:18 and seem to be observed for the sake of an event after recorded; Noah having planted a vineyard, and drank too freely of the wine of it, lay down uncovered in his tent, which Ham seeing, told his two brothers of it, who in a very modest manner covered him, Genesis 9:20 of all which Noah being sensible when he awoke, cursed Canaan the son of Ham, and blessed Shem and Japheth, Genesis 9:24 and the chapter is concluded with the age and death of Noah, Genesis 9:28.
(Genesis 9:1-3) God blesses Noah, and grants flesh for food.
(Genesis 9:4-7) Blood, and murder forbidden.
(Genesis 9:8-17) God's covenant by the rainbow.
(Genesis 9:18-23) Noah plants a vineyard, is drunken and mocked by Ham.
(Genesis 9:24-29) Noah curses Canaan, blesses Shem, prays for Japheth, His death.
*More commentary available by clicking individual verses.