Noah's Nakedness and the Curse on Canaan (Genesis 9:20-27)

A Ritual That Turned the World Upside Down

“…Some maintain that seeing Noah's nudity is a concealed reference to Ham engaging in sexual activity with his father whereas some others maintain that it refers to Ham sleeping with Noah's wife. The latter would also explain why the cursed was Canaan, the offspring of the illicit copulation (Bergsma and Hahn 2005).…”

The Experience of Gay Christian Men Attending Collaborative Workshops Facilitated by a Sexual Health Professional and the Church

“…In the Old Testament, the first passage is the one of Noah and Ham (Genesis 9:20-27) (Bergsma and Hahn, 2005). Noah plants a vineyard, drinks the wine, gets drunk and sleeps uncovered.…”

“…Ham, the father of Canaan, sees the nakedness of his father, Noah, and informs his brothers, Shem and Japheth, who cover their dad with a garment. When Noah wakes up, he realises what was done to him, curses his youngest son, Ham, and blesses Shem and Japheth (Bergsma and Hahn, 2005). A common interpretation of this passage is that Noah became drunk and undressed, or perhaps Ham undressed him.…”

The Blessing of Whiteness in the Curse of Ham: Reading Gen 9:18–29 in the Antebellum South

“…Many theories have been offered regarding the precise nature of Ham's misconduct to explain the discrepancy between the misdeed and curse. These explanations range from voyeurism, castration, paternal incest, and maternal incest (Bergsma and Hahn 2005). In any case, none of these alleged crimes warrant perpetual servitude.…”