Biblical Metaphors Shed Light on Ham's Sin in Noah's Tent.

thesunisout

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Well, let's look at it:

Genesis 9:20-23

And Noah began to be a farmer, and he planted a vineyard. 21 Then he drank of the wine and was drunk, and became uncovered in his tent. 22 And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brothers outside. 23 But Shem and Japheth took a garment, laid it on both their shoulders, and went backward and covered the nakedness of their father. Their faces were turned away, and they did not see their father’s nakedness

So, in verse 21 we see that Noah got drunk and became uncovered in his tent, IE naked. Is this just coincidental? If Ham seeing his fathers nakedness mean sex with his mother, why do we have this verse here telling us that Noah was also literally naked?

Verse 22, if we read it according to your interpretation, Ham not only has sex with his own mother but then goes and brags about it to his brothers.

Verse 23, whom are Shem and Japheth covering? It says they covered the nakedness of their father, so does that mean they covered their mother? Their mother isn't drunk, is she just laying there naked and unable to cover herself? If they are covering Noah, then what has that got to do with Ham having sex with his mother? Neither explanation makes any sense at all.

It's the last half of verse 23 which is your greatest obstacle:

"Their faces were turned away, and they did not see their father’s nakedness"

This passage actually disproves what you have set out to prove, that seeing someones nakedness in this case means sex. According to this scripture, it also means just seeing someone naked. Notice it says their faces were turned away? The natural reading of this text is that they covered up their naked father. The passage itself is contradicting your interpretation, brother.
 
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Well, let's look at it:

Genesis 9:20-23

And Noah began to be a farmer, and he planted a vineyard. 21 Then he drank of the wine and was drunk, and became uncovered in his tent. 22 And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brothers outside. 23 But Shem and Japheth took a garment, laid it on both their shoulders, and went backward and covered the nakedness of their father. Their faces were turned away, and they did not see their father’s nakedness

So, in verse 21 we see that Noah got drunk and became uncovered in his tent, IE naked. Is this just coincidental? If Ham seeing his fathers nakedness mean sex with his mother, why do we have this verse here telling us that Noah was also literally naked?

Verse 22, if we read it according to your interpretation, Ham not only has sex with his own mother but then goes and brags about it to his brothers.

Verse 23, whom are Shem and Japheth covering? It says they covered the nakedness of their father, so does that mean they covered their mother? Their mother isn't drunk, is she just laying there naked and unable to cover herself? If they are covering Noah, then what has that got to do with Ham having sex with his mother? Neither explanation makes any sense at all.

It's the last half of verse 23 which is your greatest obstacle:

"Their faces were turned away, and they did not see their father’s nakedness"

This passage actually disproves what you have set out to prove, that seeing someones nakedness in this case means sex. According to this scripture, it also means just seeing someone naked. Notice it says their faces were turned away? The natural reading of this text is that they covered up their naked father. The passage itself is contradicting your interpretation, brother.

Verse 23 doesn't disprove it, my friend.
When the two brothers went backwards, they did not look upon the uncovered body of Noah, the text is still talking about the nakedness of Noah's wife because Leviticus 20:11 clearly says the words "lieth with his father's wife" = "uncovered his father's nakedness."

"And the man that lieth with his father's wife hath uncovered his father's nakedness: both of them shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them." (Leviticus 20:11).

Leviticus 18 confirms this same truth.

"The nakedness of thy father's wife shalt thou not uncover: it is thy father's nakedness." (Leviticus 18:8).

So we see here that the "nakedness of your father's wife" = "your father's nakedness."

The Bible is giving us the definition for the metaphorical phrase.

For example: Bob can say to Rick,
“it is cool outside.”

Rick can reply,
"that is so cool, I love cold weather."

Rick smiles, and says further,
"Now, I will feel like the coolest kid in town now because I can now finally show off my skills in skiing."

If one does not understand the metaphor or idiom involving the word "cool" above here, one could easily misunderstand what is being said here.

"Father's nakedness" is the same thing like the word "cool." It is a metaphorical phrase that means something else. "Father's nakedness" according to Leviticus 20:11 means "lieth with his father's wife." (Which is sex). The "nakedness of your father's wife" = "the father's nakedness."
 
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I too had believed in the op's point of view previously but after studying the sins of Israel and seeing how God referred to their nakedness as more of an open shame it made me change my mind. The nakedness of Adam and Eve was something of a deprivation that made them even hide themselves but God covered them. This uncovering or revealing of what should be covered is what Satan, the accuser, does in revealing our sin. Sin covered or uncovered is behind the idea. (Look also at Oba 1:10, Job 14:17, Num 19:15, Deut 23:13, Neh 4:5). I believe what is being said in Gen and Lev is that family members or loved ones should be covered as a responsibility to honor and love one another. To fail to cover each others embarrassing or shamefulness is ungodly. It's especially disgraceful to shame an older person, like even an older man's weakness (1 Tim 5:1).

Love this picture btw..Oh, that He might cover my shame.

I believe like in our own language, words can have multiple meanings to them. For example: The word "slept" can refer to sleep or to death. But you are free to believe as you like, my friend. For me: The story is rendered non-sensical without the metaphors (From Leviticus) properly applied in Genesis 9. Why curse the son for the father's sin? Why boast in looking at your own nude father? None of these things make sense with the literal interpretation.
 
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How can we apply today the two brothers walking backwards with the sheet?

Another possible interpretation of this is that the two brothers were attempting to protect the honour of their father, perhaps by attempting to conceal Ham's crime against him. Remember that this was an intensely patriarchal society in which a man's wife was literally his possession. Once again, this makes better sense than a literal understanding.
 
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Another possible interpretation of this is that the two brothers were attempting to protect the honour of their father, perhaps by attempting to conceal Ham's crime against him. Remember that this was an intensely patriarchal society in which a man's wife was literally his possession. Once again, this makes better sense than a literal understanding.

Yes, this what I believe happened, as well.
 
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I too had believed in the op's point of view previously but after studying the sins of Israel and seeing how God referred to their nakedness as more of an open shame it made me change my mind. The nakedness of Adam and Eve was something of a deprivation that made them even hide themselves but God covered them. This uncovering or revealing of what should be covered is what Satan, the accuser, does in revealing our sin. Sin covered or uncovered is behind the idea. (Look also at Oba 1:10, Job 14:17, Num 19:15, Deut 23:13, Neh 4:5). I believe what is being said in Gen and Lev is that family members or loved ones should be covered as a responsibility to honor and love one another. To fail to cover each others embarrassing or shamefulness is ungodly. It's especially disgraceful to shame an older person, like even an older man's weakness (1 Tim 5:1).

Love this picture btw..Oh, that He might cover my shame.

If you have not seen it, in Post #20 I talk about how Christ clothes us in relation to the two brothers covering up their own mother (while they looked away and walked backwards). For Jesus says, "Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me" (John 5:39).
 
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Biblical Metaphors Shed Light on Ham's Sin in Noah's Tent.

[Staff edit]



Introduction:


The Bible has metaphors (or similitudes) within it.

For Hosea 12:10 says,

"I have also spoken by the prophets, and I have multiplied visions, and used similitudes, by the ministry of the prophets."​

To not understand the Bible's metaphors is to be in confusion to what God's Word really says. Most Christians agree that the metaphor "knew" in relation to a man and a woman in the Bible can sometimes be in reference to sex; Most Christians believe the words, "slept with his fathers" is defined as death (See examples here, and here at BlueLetterBible). It is just like in Revelation. The seven heads are seven mountains (Revelation 17:9) which was an earlier description of the seven headed scarlet colored beast in Revelation 17:3. So the Bible uses metaphor to help us to gain an understanding of what it is really talking about.


The Metaphors:

Key Verses explaining the Biblical Metaphors used for our understanding on the "Story of Noah and Ham" in Genesis 9:

#1. Key Verse: Leviticus 20:17

"And if a man shall take his sister, his father's daughter, or his mother's daughter, and see her nakedness, and she see his nakedness; it is a wicked thing; and they shall be cut off in the sight of their people: he hath uncovered his sister's nakedness; he shall bear his iniquity." (Leviticus 20:17).
Breakdown:

(a) See her nakedness = Sex.
(b) Uncovered his sister's nakedness = Sex.

Keywords relating here to sex:

(a) See
(b) Nakedness
(c) Uncovered (such a person's) nakedness.​
#2. Key Verse: Leviticus 20:11

"And the man that lieth with his father's wife hath uncovered his father's nakedness: both of them shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them." (Leviticus 20:11).
Breakdown:

(a) Lieth with his father's wife = Sex.
(b) Hath uncovered his father's nakedness = Sex (or lieth with his father's wife).

Keywords relating here to sex:

(a) Lieth
(b) Lieth with his father's wife
(c) Uncovered
(d) Father's nakedness
(e) Uncovered his father's nakedness.​
#3. Key Verse: Leviticus 18:8

"The nakedness of thy father's wife shalt thou not uncover: it is thy father's nakedness." (Leviticus 18:8).
Breakdown:

(a) The nakedness of thy father's wife shall you not uncover = Do not have sex with your father's wife.
(b) The nakedness of your father's wife = the father's nakedness (Also see explanation below).
(c) The father's nakedness = his wife or intimate partner in marriage (i.e. an extension of his own body, for the Scriptures say: "The two shall become one flesh." (Mark 10:8)). To "uncover the wife's nakedness" is to see what the husband sees in their joining together in physical union. The wife's nakedness is a part of the husband's nakedness because they both are one flesh (joined together in marriage).

Keywords relating to the Intimacy or Intimate Partner of the Husband:

(a) Nakedness
(b) Nakedness of thy father's wife
(c) Nakedness of thy father's wife you shall not uncover
(d) Thy father's nakedness​
The Story:

Taking all these metaphors into account, we understand that when we read the "Story of Noah and Ham," it is something a little different than what we have come to know.

The Hebrew word "רָאָה" (ra'ah) for the English word "saw" in Genesis 9:22 can also mean, "enjoy" (whereby we can see 4 other references for it). So one can read it as saying, Ham enjoyed the "nakedness of his father" (i.e. his father's wife).

Strong's H72000

For we can see "his father nakedness" = "his father's wife" in Leviticus 20:11.

"And the man that lieth with his father's wife hath uncovered his father's nakedness:"

Here it is in the traditional text in red:

Gen 9:20 "And Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard:
Gen 9:21 And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent.
Gen 9:22 And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without.
Gen 9:23 And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father's nakedness.
Gen 9:24 And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him.
Gen 9:25 And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren."
And here is the text with the words exchanged using Leviticus 20, and the alternate word "enjoyed" for the word "saw.":

Gen 9:20 "And Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard:
Gen 9:21 And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent.
Gen 9:22 And Ham, the father of Canaan, enjoyed his father's wife, and told his two brethren without.
Gen 9:23 And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered his father's wife; and their faces were backward, and they saw not his father's wife.
Gen 9:24 And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him.
Gen 9:25 And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren."
So as shocking as this may sound to some, and I know it goes beyond what you have been taught by your good and fun loving pastor, the "Story of Noah and Ham" is sadly about incest between Ham and his mother (i.e. Noah's wife). Whether Ham forced himself upon his own mother is unclear in the text. What we know is that this is what makes the most sense out of the text when Noah curses Ham's son Canaan (in light of applying Biblical metaphors). For Canaan would naturally be cursed by Noah because he is the by-product of an incestuous union. It makes no sense to curse an innocent son (Canaan) for something minor (like looking at the nude body of one's father) that his father (Ham) had done. As for what is traditionally taught on this story: Why would the other brothers care if Ham boasted in seeing his father's naked body? Did they not see their father naked when they were children? Why would they care if Ham said he seen their father naked in his own tent? It makes no sense. On the contrary, with applying Biblical metaphors to our narrative here: It would actually make more sense that Noah's other two sons would try to attempt damage control of a sad event of Ham taking advantage of their own mother.​
Very thoughtful study. Thank you. I had not heard this interpretation before and it makes sense.
 
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Very thoughtful study. Thank you. I had not heard this interpretation before and it makes sense.

You are most welcome.
All glory be to Jesus for it, brother.

May God bless you greatly today.
 
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SeventyOne

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If Ham seeing his father's nakedness means he 'enjoyed his father's wife' by having sex with her, then when is says of Seth and Japheth, "Their faces were turned backward, and they did not see their father's nakedness", is the implication that they didn't look in order to avoid a 3-way with their mother?

Also, if it were the father that was naked, exactly how would it have to be worded to imply it was their actual father's nakedness?
 
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cfdude

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I believe like in our own language, words can have multiple meanings to them. For example: The word "slept" can refer to sleep or to death. But you are free to believe as you like, my friend. For me: The story is rendered non-sensical without the metaphors (From Leviticus) properly applied in Genesis 9. Why curse the son for the father's sin? Why boast in looking at your own nude father? None of these things make sense with the literal interpretation.
Yeah, the revealing of another in an improper way is what I believe is happening and not necessarily sexual intercourse as is revealed in the texts that I mentioned but were not dealt with. Whether sexual intercourse happened is possible but seems to be reading too much into the author's intent. Regardless, the main issue rather is the uncovering and/or not covering the deprivation as a lack of love and honoring of proper God given order.

Q.Why curse the son for the father's sin?
A. The curse was because the son had inconsiderately revealed his father's shame of being naked to others instead of covering him up. I mean, who would do that to their father?

Q.Why boast in looking at your own nude father?
A. If I found my Dad was drunk and naked I would not go and callously flaunt that fact to others. Would you? I had friends growing up who had twisted and mischievous behaviors like that, as I think we all have known. Voyeurism is a creepy curiosity that even today society punishes. How much more back then when the Patriarch was so revered?

The son should have honored his father. That was one of the ten commandments.

I love your post on the topic of biblical metaphor. I would just say that nakedness is a metaphor for open shame or dishonor and not sex per se. It could include sex but other sins as well.
 
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OldWiseGuy

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It is probable that Ham was Noah's middle son, as he is always placed there when all three are mentioned. Canaan would be his "youngest son" according to the tradition of including grandsons as "sons". Canaan was present at the time of the incident. He wasn't the later product of incest that incurred Noah's curse.
 
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Biblical Metaphors Shed Light on Ham's Sin in Noah's Tent.

[Staff edit]



Introduction:


The Bible has metaphors (or similitudes) within it.

For Hosea 12:10 says,

"I have also spoken by the prophets, and I have multiplied visions, and used similitudes, by the ministry of the prophets."​

To not understand the Bible's metaphors is to be in confusion to what God's Word really says. Most Christians agree that the metaphor "knew" in relation to a man and a woman in the Bible can sometimes be in reference to sex; Most Christians believe the words, "slept with his fathers" is defined as death (See examples here, and here at BlueLetterBible). It is just like in Revelation. The seven heads are seven mountains (Revelation 17:9) which was an earlier description of the seven headed scarlet colored beast in Revelation 17:3. So the Bible uses metaphor to help us to gain an understanding of what it is really talking about.


The Metaphors:

Key Verses explaining the Biblical Metaphors used for our understanding on the "Story of Noah and Ham" in Genesis 9:

#1. Key Verse: Leviticus 20:17

"And if a man shall take his sister, his father's daughter, or his mother's daughter, and see her nakedness, and she see his nakedness; it is a wicked thing; and they shall be cut off in the sight of their people: he hath uncovered his sister's nakedness; he shall bear his iniquity." (Leviticus 20:17).
Breakdown:

(a) See her nakedness = Sex.
(b) Uncovered his sister's nakedness = Sex.

Keywords relating here to sex:

(a) See
(b) Nakedness
(c) Uncovered (such a person's) nakedness.​
#2. Key Verse: Leviticus 20:11

"And the man that lieth with his father's wife hath uncovered his father's nakedness: both of them shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them." (Leviticus 20:11).
Breakdown:

(a) Lieth with his father's wife = Sex.
(b) Hath uncovered his father's nakedness = Sex (or lieth with his father's wife).

Keywords relating here to sex:

(a) Lieth
(b) Lieth with his father's wife
(c) Uncovered
(d) Father's nakedness
(e) Uncovered his father's nakedness.​
#3. Key Verse: Leviticus 18:8

"The nakedness of thy father's wife shalt thou not uncover: it is thy father's nakedness." (Leviticus 18:8).
Breakdown:

(a) The nakedness of thy father's wife shall you not uncover = Do not have sex with your father's wife.
(b) The nakedness of your father's wife = the father's nakedness (Also see explanation below).
(c) The father's nakedness = his wife or intimate partner in marriage (i.e. an extension of his own body, for the Scriptures say: "The two shall become one flesh." (Mark 10:8)). To "uncover the wife's nakedness" is to see what the husband sees in their joining together in physical union. The wife's nakedness is a part of the husband's nakedness because they both are one flesh (joined together in marriage).

Keywords relating to the Intimacy or Intimate Partner of the Husband:

(a) Nakedness
(b) Nakedness of thy father's wife
(c) Nakedness of thy father's wife you shall not uncover
(d) Thy father's nakedness​
The Story:

Taking all these metaphors into account, we understand that when we read the "Story of Noah and Ham," it is something a little different than what we have come to know.

The Hebrew word "רָאָה" (ra'ah) for the English word "saw" in Genesis 9:22 can also mean, "enjoy" (whereby we can see 4 other references for it). So one can read it as saying, Ham enjoyed the "nakedness of his father" (i.e. his father's wife).

Strong's H72000

For we can see "his father nakedness" = "his father's wife" in Leviticus 20:11.

"And the man that lieth with his father's wife hath uncovered his father's nakedness:"

Here it is in the traditional text in red:

Gen 9:20 "And Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard:
Gen 9:21 And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent.
Gen 9:22 And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without.
Gen 9:23 And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father's nakedness.
Gen 9:24 And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him.
Gen 9:25 And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren."
And here is the text with the words exchanged using Leviticus 20, and the alternate word "enjoyed" for the word "saw.":

Gen 9:20 "And Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard:
Gen 9:21 And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent.
Gen 9:22 And Ham, the father of Canaan, enjoyed his father's wife, and told his two brethren without.
Gen 9:23 And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered his father's wife; and their faces were backward, and they saw not his father's wife.
Gen 9:24 And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him.
Gen 9:25 And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren."
So as shocking as this may sound to some, and I know it goes beyond what you have been taught by your good and fun loving pastor, the "Story of Noah and Ham" is sadly about incest between Ham and his mother (i.e. Noah's wife). Whether Ham forced himself upon his own mother is unclear in the text. What we know is that this is what makes the most sense out of the text when Noah curses Ham's son Canaan (in light of applying Biblical metaphors). For Canaan would naturally be cursed by Noah because he is the by-product of an incestuous union. It makes no sense to curse an innocent son (Canaan) for something minor (like looking at the nude body of one's father) that his father (Ham) had done. As for what is traditionally taught on this story: Why would the other brothers care if Ham boasted in seeing his father's naked body? Did they not see their father naked when they were children? Why would they care if Ham said he seen their father naked in his own tent? It makes no sense. On the contrary, with applying Biblical metaphors to our narrative here: It would actually make more sense that Noah's other two sons would try to attempt damage control of a sad event of Ham taking advantage of their own mother.​


[Staff edit].

While I have no desire whatsoever to be confrontational with you, Jason0047, I am afraid I must disagree with your understanding of this passage. You speak of applying biblical metaphors to this passage. You are correct in saying the bible is replete with metaphors. It indeed is. It is filled with many figures of speech. It contains, in fact, nearly two hundred types of figures of speech, each having many subsets. I would like to recommend a book to you if you are interested in learning more about the various figures of speech employed by writers of scripture. The name of the book is Figures of Speech Used in the Bible Explained and Illustrated. It is a fascinating book authored by E. W. Bullinger. Mr. Bullinger has compiled an exhaustive list of the figures of speech employed in the bible along with all of their individual subsets. He has also included an index in the back of the book which allows you to look up scriptural references by book, chapter, and verse to see which figures of speech are used in these references.

I mention this because I did look up the passage you are discussing; i.e. Genesis 9:20-25. There are only two figures of speech used in this passage. The first is in verse twenty and second in verse twenty-five. Neither of them is "metaphor."

The first is "Ellipsis": (subset II, 2, c). This is when there are "Figures Involving Omission, subset-Verbs and Participles-When the verb infinitive is wanting-after another verb, personal or impersonal." It has to do with the words "to be" in verse twenty..."And Noah began to be an husbandman."

The second is "Polyptoton":(subset II, 2, b). This is when there is a "Repetition of the same Part of Speech in different Inflections, subset-Nouns and pronouns-In singular and dependent genitive plural."
It refers to the phrase "servant of servants.," and is used to add an emphatic superlative degree which does not exist in the Hebrew.

One more brief point and I will close. The passage you are discussing nowhere mentions Noah's wife. It does, however, state, "...and he (Noah) was uncovered within his tent..." and, "Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father."

Jason0047, I respectfully say to you one of the first rules of hermeneutics is to read literally that which is not indicated to be other than literally intended.

I hope you enjoy a most beautiful day in the Lord and...
 
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Biblical Metaphors Shed Light on Ham's Sin in Noah's Tent.

[Staff edit]



Introduction:


The Bible has metaphors (or similitudes) within it.

For Hosea 12:10 says,

"I have also spoken by the prophets, and I have multiplied visions, and used similitudes, by the ministry of the prophets."​

To not understand the Bible's metaphors is to be in confusion to what God's Word really says. Most Christians agree that the metaphor "knew" in relation to a man and a woman in the Bible can sometimes be in reference to sex; Most Christians believe the words, "slept with his fathers" is defined as death (See examples here, and here at BlueLetterBible). It is just like in Revelation. The seven heads are seven mountains (Revelation 17:9) which was an earlier description of the seven headed scarlet colored beast in Revelation 17:3. So the Bible uses metaphor to help us to gain an understanding of what it is really talking about.


The Metaphors:

Key Verses explaining the Biblical Metaphors used for our understanding on the "Story of Noah and Ham" in Genesis 9:

#1. Key Verse: Leviticus 20:17

"And if a man shall take his sister, his father's daughter, or his mother's daughter, and see her nakedness, and she see his nakedness; it is a wicked thing; and they shall be cut off in the sight of their people: he hath uncovered his sister's nakedness; he shall bear his iniquity." (Leviticus 20:17).
Breakdown:

(a) See her nakedness = Sex.
(b) Uncovered his sister's nakedness = Sex.

Keywords relating here to sex:

(a) See
(b) Nakedness
(c) Uncovered (such a person's) nakedness.​
#2. Key Verse: Leviticus 20:11

"And the man that lieth with his father's wife hath uncovered his father's nakedness: both of them shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them." (Leviticus 20:11).
Breakdown:

(a) Lieth with his father's wife = Sex.
(b) Hath uncovered his father's nakedness = Sex (or lieth with his father's wife).

Keywords relating here to sex:

(a) Lieth
(b) Lieth with his father's wife
(c) Uncovered
(d) Father's nakedness
(e) Uncovered his father's nakedness.​
#3. Key Verse: Leviticus 18:8

"The nakedness of thy father's wife shalt thou not uncover: it is thy father's nakedness." (Leviticus 18:8).
Breakdown:

(a) The nakedness of thy father's wife shall you not uncover = Do not have sex with your father's wife.
(b) The nakedness of your father's wife = the father's nakedness (Also see explanation below).
(c) The father's nakedness = his wife or intimate partner in marriage (i.e. an extension of his own body, for the Scriptures say: "The two shall become one flesh." (Mark 10:8)). To "uncover the wife's nakedness" is to see what the husband sees in their joining together in physical union. The wife's nakedness is a part of the husband's nakedness because they both are one flesh (joined together in marriage).

Keywords relating to the Intimacy or Intimate Partner of the Husband:

(a) Nakedness
(b) Nakedness of thy father's wife
(c) Nakedness of thy father's wife you shall not uncover
(d) Thy father's nakedness​
The Story:

Taking all these metaphors into account, we understand that when we read the "Story of Noah and Ham," it is something a little different than what we have come to know.

The Hebrew word "רָאָה" (ra'ah) for the English word "saw" in Genesis 9:22 can also mean, "enjoy" (whereby we can see 4 other references for it). So one can read it as saying, Ham enjoyed the "nakedness of his father" (i.e. his father's wife).

Strong's H72000

For we can see "his father nakedness" = "his father's wife" in Leviticus 20:11.

"And the man that lieth with his father's wife hath uncovered his father's nakedness:"

Here it is in the traditional text in red:

Gen 9:20 "And Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard:
Gen 9:21 And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent.
Gen 9:22 And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without.
Gen 9:23 And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father's nakedness.
Gen 9:24 And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him.
Gen 9:25 And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren."
And here is the text with the words exchanged using Leviticus 20, and the alternate word "enjoyed" for the word "saw.":

Gen 9:20 "And Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard:
Gen 9:21 And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent.
Gen 9:22 And Ham, the father of Canaan, enjoyed his father's wife, and told his two brethren without.
Gen 9:23 And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered his father's wife; and their faces were backward, and they saw not his father's wife.
Gen 9:24 And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him.
Gen 9:25 And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren."
So as shocking as this may sound to some, and I know it goes beyond what you have been taught by your good and fun loving pastor, the "Story of Noah and Ham" is sadly about incest between Ham and his mother (i.e. Noah's wife). Whether Ham forced himself upon his own mother is unclear in the text. What we know is that this is what makes the most sense out of the text when Noah curses Ham's son Canaan (in light of applying Biblical metaphors). For Canaan would naturally be cursed by Noah because he is the by-product of an incestuous union. It makes no sense to curse an innocent son (Canaan) for something minor (like looking at the nude body of one's father) that his father (Ham) had done. As for what is traditionally taught on this story: Why would the other brothers care if Ham boasted in seeing his father's naked body? Did they not see their father naked when they were children? Why would they care if Ham said he seen their father naked in his own tent? It makes no sense. On the contrary, with applying Biblical metaphors to our narrative here: It would actually make more sense that Noah's other two sons would try to attempt damage control of a sad event of Ham taking advantage of their own mother.​
Hi brother ..certainly could be the case. Who knows ? Although we disagree on this point , the KJV does not always translate the words in the way we perceive them nor does it always give us an understanding ....thus the saying " It sounds Greek to me " ..In other words , to read and not understand is like chewing but not digesting .
Now is it about incest ? Ruben slept with his father's concubine Bilhah ( the mother of his half brothers ) and while not incest , it was obviously not loving towards Jacob nor respectful of God.
My takeaway ..Noah got drunk but love covers a multitude of sins ..His sons who loved him , covered Noah's nakedness ( whether it be Noah's wife or Noah ) That is the "meat " of the revelation. That is the shadow of Christ . And what was the spirit of Ham ? To publish Noah's nakedness . An accuser of the brethren and this after his father took him in the ark. It stems from self-righteousness .

[Staff edit].

Grace and peace brother .

PS ..Regarding William L Laws , A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life ..I would try to determine the Holiness of the Amazon reviewers lives as it compares to the life of William Law ...obviously he was in all probability more knowledgeable and spent more time in prayer and contemplation than today's reviewers . I do not think he had " hobbies " that took him away from time with Christ .
 
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thesunisout

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Verse 23 doesn't disprove it, my friend.
When the two brothers went backwards, they did not look upon the uncovered body of Noah, the text is still talking about the nakedness of Noah's wife because Leviticus 20:11 clearly says the words "lieth with his father's wife" = "uncovered his father's nakedness."

"And the man that lieth with his father's wife hath uncovered his father's nakedness: both of them shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them." (Leviticus 20:11).

Leviticus 18 confirms this same truth.

"The nakedness of thy father's wife shalt thou not uncover: it is thy father's nakedness." (Leviticus 18:8).

So we see here that the "nakedness of your father's wife" = "your father's nakedness."

The Bible is giving us the definition for the metaphorical phrase.

For example: Bob can say to Rick,
“it is cool outside.”

Rick can reply,
"that is so cool, I love cold weather."

Rick smiles, and says further,
"Now, I will feel like the coolest kid in town now because I can now finally show off my skills in skiing."

If one does not understand the metaphor or idiom involving the word "cool" above here, one could easily misunderstand what is being said here.

"Father's nakedness" is the same thing like the word "cool." It is a metaphorical phrase that means something else. "Father's nakedness" according to Leviticus 20:11 means "lieth with his father's wife." (Which is sex). The "nakedness of your father's wife" = "the father's nakedness."

You didn't really address what I said. Some pertinent questions:

1. Why is verse 21 telling us Noah is the one who is naked? Is this just a coincidence?

2. You're saying in verse 23 they are covering up their mother. How does this make any sense? Why is their mother unable to cover herself? This makes no sense but makes a lot of sense if it is Noah.

Verse 23 does disprove what you're saying:

Their faces were turned away, and they did not see their father’s nakedness

Here is an example in the bible where seeing someones nakedness doesn't mean sex. This is literally saying they didn't see (in your interpretation, their mother) someone naked because their faces were turned away.
 
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While I have no desire whatsoever to be confrontational with you, Jason0047, I am afraid I must disagree with your understanding of this passage. You speak of applying biblical metaphors to this passage. You are correct in saying the bible is replete with metaphors. It indeed is. It is filled with many figures of speech. It contains, in fact, nearly two hundred types of figures of speech, each having many subsets. I would like to recommend a book to you if you are interested in learning more about the various figures of speech employed by writers of scripture. The name of the book is Figures of Speech Used in the Bible Explained and Illustrated. It is a fascinating book authored by E. W. Bullinger. Mr. Bullinger has compiled an exhaustive list of the figures of speech employed in the bible along with all of their individual subsets. He has also included an index in the back of the book which allows you to look up scriptural references by book, chapter, and verse to see which figures of speech are used in these references.

I mention this because I did look up the passage you are discussing; i.e. Genesis 9:20-25. There are only two figures of speech used in this passage. The first is in verse twenty and second in verse twenty-five. Neither of them is "metaphor."

The first is "Ellipsis": (subset II, 2, c). This is when there are "Figures Involving Omission, subset-Verbs and Participles-When the verb infinitive is wanting-after another verb, personal or impersonal." It has to do with the words "to be" in verse twenty..."And Noah began to be an husbandman."

The second is "Polyptoton":(subset II, 2, b). This is when there is a "Repetition of the same Part of Speech in different Inflections, subset-Nouns and pronouns-In singular and dependent genitive plural."
It refers to the phrase "servant of servants.," and is used to add an emphatic superlative degree which does not exist in the Hebrew.

One more brief point and I will close. The passage you are discussing nowhere mentions Noah's wife. It does, however, state, "...and he (Noah) was uncovered within his tent..." and, "Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father."

Jason0047, I respectfully say to you one of the first rules of hermeneutics is to read literally that which is not indicated to be other than literally intended.

I hope you enjoy a most beautiful day in the Lord and...

My dear brother:

“...he was uncovered within his tent” is not a metaphorical phrase from Leviticus. You will only find the word “uncovered” in Leviticus, but the surrounding context giving specific details like: “he was _______ within his tent” rules out the metaphorical interpretation here. How so? Well, the other words “he” and “within his tent” is not within Leviticus. So this sentence clearly is speaking literal.

The other three phrases, which is a variation of the words, “father’s nakedness” and the words “saw the nakedness” (i.e. “see her nakedness ”) are metaphorical phrases taken from Leviticus.

1. “saw the nakedness” in Genesis 9:22 is taken from Leviticus 20:17 that says, “see her nakedness”; The phrase “see her nakedness” is clearly in reference to sex in Leviticus 20:17.

2. The implication that when Noah awoke and knew what Ham had done unto him suggests that something bad had happened in relation to Ham having "saw the nakedness of the father." There are only two scenarios I have come up with here that make any lick of sense in relation to this. But I will save that for later. The point here is that if Ham looked upon his father, how did he know that he was looking at him sexually when he woke up? The two brothers would have covered him with a sheet. If Ham sexually abused Noah, then how did Noah not wake up from such abuse? It makes no sense.

3. When Genesis 9:22-23 emphasizes that the two brothers did not see the nakedness of their father (i.e. the nakedness of the wife because that is what Leviticus 18:8 and Leviticus 20:11 says), it is saying that they did not look upon her naked body (which would have included sex). For the phrase, "see her nakedness" is used in reference to sex in Leviticus 20:17 very clearly. To see nakedness includes:

(a) Looking at them when they are nude.
(b) Having sex with them.

The text here is emphasizing the fact that the two brothers were innocent in the matter and merely covered the mother of her nakedness and shame of having been either possibly abused or in being unfaithful. The text is not clear on whether Noah's wife was a willing participant or not.

Anyways, when Noah woke up from his drunkenness he KNEW what his son Ham had done unto him and he immediately cursed Cannan. In the scenario of applying the metaphors from Leviticus here (Which means Ham slept with Noah's wife), I see two possibilities.

#1. Noah was given a dream by GOD while he was passed out drunk about Ham sexually abusing his wife and he could see the future pregnancy and the result of that line of wicked people (That God would later destroy). Thus, this explains how Noah woke up just knowing what had happened and whereby he cursed Canaan (Who was not yet born).

#2. Ham had threatened Noah (his father) ahead time of what he was going to do to him. You know. Sort of like the villians in the Spider-man comics who tell Spider-man what they are going to do before they are going to do it? Granted, I do not read comics anymore, but people today do make sinful threats in the real world today. Ham could have said to Noah that he was going to have a child by his wife and that he was going to call that child Canaan. So when Noah woke up and found his wife covered by a sheet with her crying maybe the words, "Ham, oh what have you done?" Noah knew what his son Ham had done unto him. Granted, this scenario may not seem likely because it does not include all the facts in Scripture saying this. But there are many details in the Bible that are left out that we do not know.
 
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"See nakedness" taken from Leviticus 20:17 is in reference to not only looking at a person but it is also in reference to sex. The text in Genesis wanted to make it clear that the two brothers did not only not look at their mother but they did not have sex with her like Ham did. The phrase see the father's nakedness is talking about the nakedness of Noah's wife. For if you were to read Leviticus 20:11, and Leviticus 18:8, it is talking about how the father's nakedness = the nakedness of his wife. Seeing nakedness is in relation to both seeing the naked person and in having sex with them.
 
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If Ham seeing his father's nakedness means he 'enjoyed his father's wife' by having sex with her, then when is says of Seth and Japheth, "Their faces were turned backward, and they did not see their father's nakedness", is the implication that they didn't look in order to avoid a 3-way with their mother?

Seeing nakedness is taken from Leviticus 20:17. It is talking about both looking at the person’s nakedness and having sex. For does not one look upon a person’s nakedness when they have sex with them? Granted, there are exceptions, but the point here is if you look upon another’s nakedness, it is an expression that your having sex with them because nakedness was only to be among married couples generally speaking.

Anyways, the text wanted to make clear that not only did they not look upon their naked mother, but that they were innocent of any crimes sexually against her (which was not the case for Ham - seeing the offspring would be cursed by such an incestuous union).

You said:
Also, if it were the father that was naked, exactly how would it have to be worded to imply it was their actual father's nakedness?

Both Leviticus 18:8 and Leviticus 20:11 say that the nakedness of the father = the nakedness of the wife. Check em out for yourself, my friend.
 
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Both Leviticus 18:8 and Leviticus 20:11 say that the nakedness of the father = the nakedness of the wife. Check em out for yourself, my friend.

That wasn't the question. How would the text have to be written in order for it to mean to you that the actual nakedness of the father is being referenced?
 
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I am going to highlight the words in red that say "father's nakedness" or the "nakedness of thy father."
Then I will highlight the words "nakedness of your father's wife" and "lieth with his father's wife" in blue.

Leviticus 18:7 says,
"The nakedness of thy father, or the nakedness of thy mother, shalt thou not uncover: she is thy mother; thou shalt not uncover her nakedness." (See Gen. 9:22-23).

Leviticus 18:8 says,
"The nakedness of thy father's wife shalt thou not uncover: it is thy father's nakedness." (See Gen. 9:23).

Leviticus 20:11 says,
"And the man that lieth with his father's wife hath uncovered his father's nakedness: both of them shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them." (See Gen. 9:23).

In Genesis 9:22-23 we see it say,

22 "And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father [See Lev.18:7], and told his two brethren without.
23 And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father [See Lev.18:7]; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father's nakedness. [See Lev.18:8, Lev.20:11]" (Genesis 9:22-23).​

In our next example we see the words, "see nakedness" tied with sex.

I will highlight the words "see (her/his) nakedness" in red.
I will then highlight the words, "uncovered his sister's nakedness" in blue.

Leviticus 20:17 says,
"And if a man shall take his sister, his father's daughter, or his mother's daughter, and see her nakedness, and she see his nakedness; it is a wicked thing; and they shall be cut off in the sight of their people: he hath uncovered his sister's nakedness; he shall bear his iniquity." (See Gen. 9:22).

Now, when we look at Genesis 9:22, we see it say this,

"And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father [See Lev.20:17], and told his two brethren without." (Genesis 9:22).

Saw who's nakedness?

Genesis 9:22 says Ham saw the nakedness of his father.

According to Leviticus 18:8, it says,
"The nakedness of thy father's wife shalt thou not uncover: it is thy father's nakedness."

The nakedness of thy father's wife = father's nakedness.

Side Note:

I do realize that Genesis 9 uses the words "saw the nakedness" instead of "see (his/her) nakedness" The word "saw" is merely speaking past tense, and the word "see" is speaking in the present tense. So there is no change here in what the word means.

In fact, the Hebrew word "רָאָה" (ra'ah) for the English word "saw" in Genesis 9:22 can also mean, "enjoy" (whereby we can see 4 other references for it). So one can read it as saying, Ham enjoyed the "nakedness of his father" (i.e. his father's wife).

Strong's H72000
 
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