Genesis 9: Prophecies about Noah's Family

Verse 18-19 speak of Noah's three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Also, it tells us that Ham fathered Canaan. The entire world was populated by these three sons.


Verse 20-23 explains how Noah some of the wine made from his vineyard, and became drunk. He went into his tent and undressed. Ham saw that Noah was naked, and instead of doing something about it, he goes and tells his two older brothers about it. Doing the appropriate thing they could think of, they figured out a way to cover their father with a cloth without having to see him naked.


In verse 24, Noah wakes up and learns what his youngest son did, and what the two older sons did as well. Because Ham saw him naked and did nothing but tell his brothers, Noah cursed Ham's son. I didn't understand why he did this, but through further research, I learned that this is because of something known as 'generational sin'. Generational sin is the idea that "A particular congenital moral weakness in a family may erupt in full measure in a later generation". I'm not sure whether or not Ham took pleasure in seeing his father naked, but he sinned when he bragged to his brothers about it, instead of covering his father. This shamed Noah, and he cursed Ham's son, saying "He will be the lowest of slaves to his brothers". The curse not only applies to Canaan, but to all of his descendants. There is speculation that Ham is the father of the black races, and the slave trade was proof of this curse upon his descendants. 


In verse 26, Noah praises the Lord, and says that Canaan (and his descendants) shall be Shem's slave.


In verse 27, Noah says "God will extend Japheth; he will dwell in the tents of Shem; Canaan will be his slave". This means that God will expand Japheth's territory, and that God will be there spiritually with Shem's people.


These three sons represent the body, soul, and spirit. Ham represents the body, Shem the soul, and Japheth the spirit. When they find their part in God's plan, they will represent the wholeness of life as the body, soul, and spirit.