Genesis 9:25

9:25 So he said,

“Cursed ¹  be Canaan! ² 

The lowest of slaves ³ 

he will be to his brothers.”

Genesis 18:23

18:23 Abraham approached and said, “Will you sweep away the godly along with the wicked?

Genesis 24:6

24:6 “Be careful ⁴  never to take my son back there!” Abraham told him. ⁵ 

Genesis 29:26

29:26 “It is not our custom here,” ⁶  Laban replied, “to give the younger daughter in marriage ⁷  before the firstborn.

Genesis 29:31

The Family of Jacob

29:31 When the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, ⁸  he enabled her to become pregnant ⁹  while Rachel remained childless.

Genesis 33:9

33:9 But Esau said, “I have plenty, my brother. Keep what belongs to you.”

Genesis 39:13

39:13 When she saw that he had left his outer garment in her hand and had run outside,

Genesis 41:28

41:28 This is just what I told ¹⁰  Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do.

Genesis 44:11

44:11 So each man quickly lowered ¹¹  his sack to the ground and opened it.

Genesis 44:21

44:21 “Then you told your servants, ‘Bring him down to me so I can see ¹²  him.’ ¹³ 

Genesis 47:5

47:5 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Your father and your brothers have come to you.

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¹ sn For more on the curse, see H. C. Brichto, The Problem of “Curse” in the Hebrew Bible (JBLMS), and J. Scharbert, TDOT 1:405-18.

² sn Cursed be Canaan. The curse is pronounced on Canaan, not Ham. Noah sees a problem in Ham’s character, and on the basis of that he delivers a prophecy about the future descendants who will live in slavery to such things and then be controlled by others. (For more on the idea of slavery in general, see E. M. Yamauchi, “Slaves of God,” BETS 9 [1966]: 31-49). In a similar way Jacob pronounced oracles about his sons based on their revealed character (see Gen 49).

³ tn Heb “a servant of servants” (עֶבֶד עֲבָדִים, ’eved ’avadim), an example of the superlative genitive. It means Canaan will become the most abject of slaves.

⁴ tn Heb “guard yourself.”

⁵ tn The introductory clause “And Abraham said to him” has been moved to the end of the opening sentence of direct discourse in the translation for stylistic reasons.

⁶ tn Heb “and Laban said, ‘It is not done so in our place.’” The order of the introductory clause and the direct discourse has been rearranged in the translation for stylistic reasons.

⁷ tn Heb “to give the younger.” The words “daughter” and “in marriage” are supplied in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.

⁸ tn Heb “hated.” The rhetorical device of overstatement is used (note v. 30, which says simply that Jacob loved Rachel more than he did Leah) to emphasize that Rachel, as Jacob’s true love and the primary object of his affections, had an advantage over Leah.

⁹ tn Heb “he opened up her womb.”

¹⁰ tn Heb “it is the word that I spoke.”

¹¹ tn Heb “and they hurried and they lowered.” Their speed in doing this shows their presumption of innocence.

¹² tn The cohortative after the imperative indicates purpose here.

¹³ tn Heb “that I may set my eyes upon him.”