Why was Canaan cursed?

If the Canaanites were the only peoples living in the land at the time of Israel's entry into it, then I would agree that there is a probabilty that the curse had some impact on the choice of the land, but there were many people living there, and God said that all the people were wicked, not just the Canaanites, and that's why he wanted them out of his holy land. If it were just that he wanted to honor Noah's curse, God could have done that quickly for a bigger impact--do evil and pay the price. But because it was so many generations away, and plenty of time for people to dream up their own wickedness, and there is a pattern of God's blessings lasting from generation to generation but not his curses (just do a search of the term "all generations" and see--all blessings, no curses), if God was using Israel to punish the inhabitants of that land, it was for their own wickedness, not because of Noah's curse.

If the Canaanites were the only peoples living in the land at the time of Israel's entry into it, then I would agree that there is a probabilty that the curse had some impact on the choice of the land, but there were many people living there,

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If you'll notice, the people living in the land of Canaan were all offspring of Ham.

...and God said that all the people were wicked, not just the Canaanites, and that's why he wanted them out of his holy land. If it were just that he wanted to honor Noah's curse, God could have done that quickly for a bigger impact--do evil and pay the price. But because it was so many generations away, and plenty of time for people to dream up their own wickedness, and there is a pattern of God's blessings lasting from generation to generation but not his curses (just do a search of the term "all generations" and see--all blessings, no curses), if God was using Israel to punish the inhabitants of that land, it was for their own wickedness, not because of Noah's curse.

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All of the people on the earth were decendents of Ham, Shem or Japeth. Thus, those living in Canaan were whose offspring?

Gold Dragon said:

Great points. I agree that God's promise to Abraham is the direct reason that the land of Canaan was conquered by Israel. However, I also am open to the possiblity that the choice of which land may have been related to Noah's curse, or that Noah's curse was prophetic of God's promise to Abraham.

I especially like your overall gist that, like the Jewish people, it is God's faithfulness to his promises that we should focus on.

We like to see events as cause-and-effect. That things work in linear fashion. This is understandable for the time-bound creatures that we are where time only has one direction. But for God who is not bound by time, the relationships of events may be more complicated.

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In the ultimate end of things... the reason Canaan became the slaves of the others was because... God was gracious to Israel and not Canaan. In the end, all of us are equally guilty and deserving of wrath being justified as a gift of God.

Lockheed said:

If you'll notice, the people living in the land of Canaan were all offspring of Ham.

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But not all Ham's children were cursed, only Canaan.

All of the people on the earth were decendents of Ham, Shem or Japeth. Thus, those living in Canaan were whose offspring?

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Again, not all of Ham's children were cursed, so how does that make all the inhabitants cursed just because they were Ham's descendents?

lambslove said:

But not all Ham's children were cursed, only Canaan.

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But all of Canaan's offspring were... ie: "let him dwell in the tents of Shem". Thus it was the land of Canaan that God gave to Israel and the Canaanites who were their servants, as Joshua noted.

Again, not all of Ham's children were cursed, so how does that make all the inhabitants cursed just because they were Ham's descendents?

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It doesn't for the land of Ham's other offspring was not given to Israel. For example, Cush became the father of the Cushites, who lived in the Nile river region.

It was Canaan who was cursed, and it was Canaan who God delivered to Israel.

Lockheed said:

But all of Canaan's offspring were... ie: "let him dwell in the tents of Shem". Thus it was the land of Canaan that God gave to Israel and the Canaanites who were their servants, as Joshua noted.

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It's just not in the Bible. I mean, that may be something you are thinking, that all of Canaan's descendents were cursed, but there is absolutely nothing in the Bible to directly or indirectly support that idea.

It doesn't for the land of Ham's other offspring was not given to Israel. For example, Cush became the father of the Cushites, who lived in the Nile river region.

It was Canaan who was cursed, and it was Canaan who God delivered to Israel.

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Along with a dozen unrelated but equally wicked people groups. Canaan the individual was cursed by Noah, but there just isn't any Biblical evidence that isn't full of assumptions like swiss cheese is full of holes that the entire lineage of Canaan was cursed. You want this to be true, so you are filling in some pretty big gaps with your own ideas.

It is directly evident that God gave Israel the land because of his promise to Abraham, and this side idea that He gave it to fulfill Noah's curse just doesn't make the cut. It's like putting a bb in a tuna can and saying it's an exact fit. Too much empty space in and around your hypothesis, too many blank spaces that have to be filled with assumptions and allowances.

As for why did God give Israel Canaan, I would guess that it has something to do with the holiness of the area, something that made three world religions spring up in it and cover the earth, more or less. It might be better to try to understand why Canaan based on that than trying to make Noah's curse explain it.

lambslove said:

Along with a dozen unrelated but equally wicked people groups.

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That's the point, I think... they WERE related! Everyone on the Earth are the offspring of Noah's family. The Canaanites were aptly named, the offspring of Canaan. As for Biblical support, I and other have documented the related verses. Therefore you cannot claim I have none, I've provided it. You might not agree with it, and that's your right, but please don't say I didn't document it.

Anyway... have a great weekend.

Not everyone in Canaan at the time was a Canaanite. You do realize that, right? There were other people groups who occupied the land even at the time of Abraham, and still at the time of Joshua and Caleb.

Your verses proved absolutely nothing except in your own mind, and because you want them to prove it so you've convinced yourself that they do.

You have decided that the world is the way you see and so you see it no other way!

Not everyone in Canaan at the time was a Canaanite. You do realize that, right? There were other people groups who occupied the land even at the time of Abraham, and still at the time of Joshua and Caleb.

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Yes, but I'm not saying that they were included in the curse, however, the Canaanites (offspring of Canaan) were and thus we see the curse fulfilled in the fact that their land was given, literally, to their 'brothers' and they were servants of them.

Your verses proved absolutely nothing except in your own mind, and because you want them to prove it so you've convinced yourself that they do.

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Yeowch! It is fine for you to disagree with me, even strongly, yet recall that it was your initial position that:

"Noah was not a sinless person and his anger caused him to do a mean and hurtful thing to an innocent child."

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I wonder if this is still your belief? Do you believe that in cursing Canaan, Noah sinned?

Genesis 9:24 " And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him"
sounds like there more to it than just Ham looking on his nakedness. Obviously there no need to go into details.
Genesis 9:25 " and he said, Cursed be Canaan;..." This was definitely a prophecy made by Noah. Just like Jacab made about the 12 tribes. Canaan was probably already born since scriptures doesn't always follow a particular order of time. Genesis seems to go back and forward in time in few other places.