Gen 9 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Gen 9:1-7: 9:1-7 God’s first post-flood speech opens and closes with blessing (9:1 , 7 ). In it, human and animal relationships are again defined, with some modification of the original created order. The sanctity of life is given special focus. 9:1 Be fruitful and multiply: The blessing and mandate first given to Adam (1:28 ) are now reissued to Noah, the “Adam” of the newly cleansed world in need of repopulation.

Summary for Gen 9:1-7: 9:1-7 ^a God’s first post-flood speech opens and closes with blessing (9:1 ^b, 7 ^c). In it, human and animal relationships are again defined, with some modification of the original created order. The sanctity of life is given special focus. 9:1 ^d Be fruitful and multiply: The blessing and mandate first given to Adam (1:28 ^e) are now reissued to Noah, the “Adam” of the newly cleansed world in need of repopulation.
Summary for Gen 9:2-3: 9:2-3 ^f There are two modifications to the original created order. (1) Previously, humans reigned over the animals (1:28 ^g), but now animals would live in terror of humans (similar military language is found in Exod 23:27-31 ^h; Deut 11:25 ⁱ; 31:8 ^j). (2) The animals’ terror was related to a change in human diet. Humans were now permitted to eat the meat of animals to supplement their subsistence on grains, fruits, and vegetables (Gen 1:29 ^k).
9:4 ^l A key restriction is imposed. Since blood was identified with life, it had to be drained from a slain animal before its meat could be eaten (see Lev 3:17 ^m; 7:26-27 ⁿ; 17:10-14 ^o; Deut 12:16 ^p, 23 ^q). The law of Moses prohibited eating animals that died naturally, since their blood had not been drained (Deut 14:21 ^r). God provided animal blood to atone for human sin (Lev 17:11 ^s; Heb 9:22 ^t).
Summary for Gen 9:5-6: 9:5-6 ^u Violence, including murder, was a major factor in bringing about God’s judgment of the flood (4:8 ^v; 6:11 ^w, 13 ^x). At this new beginning for humans, God affirmed the sanctity of human life and established a system of retributive justice for the taking of human life (see also Ps 9:12 ^y; thematic note for Retribution at end of chapter). The function of law is to restrain human wickedness and preserve moral order. This law was further developed in the law of Moses (Exod 21:12-14 ^z; Lev 24:17-22 ^aa; Num 35:16-34 ^ab; Deut 17:6-7 ^ac; 19:15 ^ad).
9:6 ^ae For God made human beings in his own image: The death penalty has a theological basis. God’s image gives humans a unique status and authority within creation (1:26-28 ^af). Since murder destroys a person made in God’s image, the ultimate penalty must be imposed on a murderer. See also Exod 21:23-25 ^ag. We are not to pursue personal revenge (Rom 12:17-19 ^ah) but are to uphold the justice of the “governing authorities” that God has established (Rom 13:1-7 ^ai).
9:7 ^aj Now be fruitful and multiply, and repopulate (literally swarm and fill): In contrast to those who would destroy human life (9:5-6 ^ak), God’s desire is that human life should abound and flourish.
Summary for Gen 9:8-17: 9:8-17 ^al God’s second post-flood speech conveys his promise and plan for preserving creation.
Summary for Gen 9:9-10: 9:9-10 ^am God had promised this covenant before the flood (6:18 ^an). Its scope extends beyond humanity to include the earth and all animals.
9:11 ^ao This promise does not prohibit worldwide judgment, but it restricts the means by which God will do it (see 2 Pet 3:4-13 ^ap).
9:12 ^aq In the Bible, covenants are frequently confirmed by some sort of sign (e.g., 17:11 ^ar; Exod 31:13 ^as, 17 ^at; Luke 22:20 ^au).
Summary for Gen 9:13-16: 9:13-16 ^av God brought cataclysmic judgment through the rainstorm; now, the rainbow, a meteorological phenomenon associated with the rainstorm, would be an image of peace for all the earth (see 9:17 ^aw).

• The same Hebrew term denotes both “rainbow” and “bow.” Since God is sometimes pictured as a warrior who shoots arrows of judgment (see Deut 32:42 ^ax; Pss 7:12 ^ay; 18:13-14 ^az; Hab 3:9-11 ^ba), some think that the imagery in Gen 9:13-17 ^bb is of the Divine Warrior hanging up his bow of judgment.
9:18 ^bc Ham is the father of Canaan: See also 9:20-27 ^bd; 10:6-20 ^be. The text emphasizes Canaan’s ancestral connection to Ham to show that the Canaanite identity was inseparably linked to Ham’s shameful behavior (9:20-27 ^bf). The citizens of both Egypt (from which Israel escaped slavery) and Canaan (to which Israel was headed) were Ham’s descendants (10:6 ^bg; see Lev 18:3 ^bh, 24-26 ^bi; Pss 105:23 ^bj, 27 ^bk; 106:22 ^bl). Later stories in Genesis emphasize the immoral climate of both Egypt (Gen 12:10-20 ^bm) and Canaan (34:1-31 ^bn; 38:1-30 ^bo). See 9:20-27 ^bp and 10:6-20 ^bq.
Summary for Gen 9:20-27: 9:20-27 ^br The story of Noah begins with him walking in righteousness and obeying the Lord (6:9 ^bs), but it ends with him lying drunk and naked in his tent and then delivering a curse on Canaan. Even after the great flood, the human race exhibited some of the same sinful characteristics that warranted the judgment in the first place. Special attention is given to the cursed origin of the Canaanites, the corrupt and idolatrous people Israel would later displace from the Promised Land (see also 15:16 ^bt and study note; Lev 18:3 ^bu; 20:23 ^bv).
9:21 ^bw wine ... became drunk: Wine is a gift from God (Deut 14:26 ^bx; Ps 104:15 ^by; Isa 55:1 ^bz; see Luke 22:14-20 ^ca; John 2:1-11 ^cb). Scripture is clear, however, that excessive consumption of alcohol is a perilous sin (Prov 23:20-21 ^cc, 29-35 ^cd; 1 Cor 6:10 ^ce).
9:22 ^cf the father of Canaan: See study note on 9:18.

• Ham’s behavior was shameful. He gazed upon his naked father and, rather than covering him and keeping the matter secret, robbed him of his dignity by announcing it to his brothers (see Exod 21:15 ^cg, 17 ^ch; Lam 4:21 ^ci; Hab 2:15 ^cj). An ancient Near Eastern tale says that a son is expected to come to his father’s aid when he is drunk (Tale of Aqhat; cp. Isa 51:17-18 ^ck). Ham’s neglect of familial duty explains why Noah praised Shem and Japheth but cursed Ham (Gen 9:24-27 ^cl).
9:25 ^cm Then he cursed Canaan: Noah foresaw Ham’s actions as morally representative of Ham’s descendants through Canaan.
9:26 ^cn Noah refers to God as the Lord, who formed the covenant with Israel. Shem was the privileged forefather of the Israelites (see 10:21-32 ^co).
9:27 ^cp May Japheth share the prosperity of Shem: Japheth’s descendants would live among Shem’s descendants and share Shem’s prosperity (cp. Rom 11:17-18 ^cq).

Thematic note: Retribution
God gave humans the commission of procreating and caring for the world (Gen 1:28 ^cr). But as humanity multiplied, spiritual wickedness, violence, and murder also multiplied (4:8 ^cs, 23 ^ct; 6:5 ^cu, 11-13 ^cv), resulting in a corrupt world that required cleansing.
The purpose of the Flood was to enact God’s global cleansing and retribution against evildoers. Retribution means “giving what is due” and usually refers to recompense for wrongdoing. Retribution is motivated by the conviction that moral order is woven into the fabric of the world and must be maintained or restored (see Ps 7:14-16 ^cw; Prov 11:17-21 ^cx; 26:27 ^cy).
God maintains moral order by meting out justice, punishing wickedness, and rewarding right behavior (Gal 6:7-8 ^cz). Since God oversees the world, it is never entirely overwhelmed by moral chaos; God holds people accountable for what they do. The judgment and exile of Adam and Eve (Gen 3:8-24 ^da), Cain’s sentence (4:10-15 ^db), and the worldwide flood and annihilation (chs 6–7 ^dc) are examples of God’s retribution. These events reveal a sovereign God who exacts just punishment in the context of his good intentions for the world (see also Num 16 ^dd; Deut 30:15-20 ^de; Josh 7 ^df; Mic 2:1-3 ^dg).
Retribution is an application of God’s righteousness; it purifies the world for his kingdom of peace. Through retribution, the divine King proclaims his universal rule and exercises his justice on all who reject his rule or defy his commands (Deut 7:10 ^dh; Ps 149 ^di; Prov 15:25 ^dj; Mic 5:15 ^dk; 1 Cor 16:22 ^dl; Gal 1:8-9 ^dm; 2 Thes 1:5-10 ^dn).
For God’s people, retribution serves as his discipline. It is intended to restore covenant fellowship with him (see Isa 44:22 ^do; Jer 3:12-14 ^dp; Lam 3:19-33 ^dq; Hos 14:1-2 ^dr; Joel 2:12-13 ^ds; see also Heb 12:5-11 ^dt). When God’s people experience his chastening, they can respond in hope because God’s truth and righteousness will triumph (Ps 58:10-11 ^du), and God will redeem and restore his people who trust in him (Lev 26:40-45 ^dv; Hos 2:2-23 ^dw).

Passages for Further Study
Gen 6:1–7:24 ^dx; Lev 26:14-39 ^dy; Ps 7:6-17 ^dz; 57:6 ^ea; 95:8-11 ^eb; Prov 6:27-35 ^ec; 26:27 ^ed; Mic 2:1-3 ^ee; Rom 2:5-16 ^ef; Gal 6:7-8 ^eg; Heb 10:26-31 ^eh; 12:5-11 ^ei, 25-29 ^ej