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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadMatthew Poole Commentary - Genesis 9:25 - 9:25
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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:
And he said, not from the passion of revenge, but by Divine inspiration, and the Spirit of prophecy,
Cursed be Canaan; hateful to God, abhorred by men, miserable in his person and posterity.
Quest. Seeing Ham committed the crime, why is the curse inflicted upon his son Canaan?
Answ.
1. When Canaan is mentioned, Ham is not exempted from the curse, but rather more deeply plunged into it, whilst he is pronounced accursed, not only in his person, (which is manifestly supposed by his commission of that sin for which the curse was inflicted), but also in his posterity, which doubtless was a great aggravation of his grief; as on the contrary Joseph is said to be blessed when his children are blessed, Gen_48:15-16.
2. It seems therefore very probable from these words, and the Hebrew doctors and others affirm it, that Canaan did partake with his father in the sin, yea, that he was the first discoverer of his father’s shame.
3. Canaan is particularly mentioned by the Spirit of prophecy, in regard of the future extirpation of that people; and this is here remembered for the encouragement of the Israelites, who were now in their expedition against them.
4. This may be an ellipsis, or defect of the word father; for such relative words are ofttimes omitted and understood in Scripture, as Mat_4:21, James of Zebedee, for the son of Zebedee; Joh_19:25, Mary of Cleopas, for the wife of Cleopas; Act_7:16, Emmor of Sychem, for the father of Sychem, as our English translation rightly supplies it from Gen_33:19. Thus Goliath is put for Goliath’s brother, as is evident by comparing 2Sa_21:19, with 1Ch_20:5. So here Canaan may be put for the father of Canaan, as the Arabic translation hath it, that is, Ham, as the Seventy here render it. And though Ham had more sons, yet he may be here described by his relation to Canaan, because in him the curse was more fixed and dreadful, reaching to his utter extirpation, whilst the rest of Ham’s posterity in after-ages were blessed with the saving knowledge of the gospel.
A servant of servants, i.e. the vilest and worst of servants; as vanity of vanities is the greatest vanity, Ecc_1:2; and great wickedness, Hos_10:15, is in the Hebrew wickedness of wickedness; and King of kings is put for the chief of kings.