Chapter 9
29 verses — switch translations with the toolbar below.
Scripture
KJV1And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.
2And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand are they delivered.
3Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things.
4But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat.
5And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man’s brother will I require the life of man.
6Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.
7And you, be ye fruitful, and multiply; bring forth abundantly in the earth, and multiply therein.
8And God spake unto Noah, and to his sons with him, saying,
9And I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you;
10And with every living creature that is with you, of the fowl, of the cattle, and of every beast of the earth with you; from all that go out of the ark, to every beast of the earth.
11And I will establish my covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth.
12And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations:
13I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth.
14And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud:
15And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.
16And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.
17And God said unto Noah, This is the token of the covenant, which I have established between me and all flesh that is upon the earth.
18And the sons of Noah, that went forth of the ark, were Shem, and Ham, and Japheth: and Ham is the father of Canaan.
19These are the three sons of Noah: and of them was the whole earth overspread.
20And Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard:
21And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent.
22And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without.
23And 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.
24And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him.
25And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren.
26And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.
27God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.
28And Noah lived after the flood three hundred and fifty years.
29And all the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years: and he died.
“I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth.”
Overview
God blesses Noah and his sons, renewing the creation mandate to 'be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.' He establishes the Noahic covenant, promising never again to destroy the earth by flood and setting the rainbow as the sign of this everlasting covenant. Noah plants a vineyard, becomes drunk, and is uncovered in his tent. Ham sees his father's nakedness and tells his brothers, while Shem and Japheth cover Noah respectfully. Noah pronounces blessings on Shem and Japheth and a curse on Canaan.
Key Themes
The Noahic Covenant and the Rainbow
God makes an unconditional covenant with all living creatures, sealed by the rainbow — a visible reminder that God keeps His promises across all generations.
The Sanctity of Human Life
God institutes the principle that human life, made in His image, must be protected — 'Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed.'
Sin Persists After Judgment
Noah's drunkenness and Ham's dishonor reveal that the flood cleansed the earth but not the human heart — humanity still needs a deeper salvation.
Study Questions
What does the rainbow covenant (vv. 12-17) teach about the nature of God's promises and His faithfulness?
Why does God now permit the eating of meat (v. 3) when the original creation mandate was vegetarian (Genesis 1:29)?
How does the institution of capital punishment (v. 6) relate to the image of God in man?
What does Noah's failure after the flood reveal about the limitations of external judgment to change the human heart?
How do the blessings and curses on Noah's sons shape the rest of the biblical narrative?
Connection to Christ
The Noahic covenant is a covenant of grace — God binds Himself to preserve the earth, making it possible for the plan of redemption through Christ to unfold over centuries. The blessing on Shem is significant because it is through Shem's line that Abraham, David, and ultimately Jesus will come. Noah's failure also points to humanity's need for a better savior than any human figure.
Personal Reflection
Take time to journal or meditate on what God is teaching you through Genesis 9. How can these truths transform your thinking and actions today?