God Blesses Noah
Study note
God blesses Noah and his sons with the same command he gave Adam and Eve: 'Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.' But the world has changed. Now the animals will fear humans, and for the first time God gives permission to eat meat. However, there is one restriction: they must not eat meat with its blood still in it, because blood represents life. God also declares that anyone who takes a human life must pay with their own life, because humans are made in God's image.
1 God gave Noah and his sons a blessing and told them, "Have lots of children and fill up the earth." And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.
2 "Every animal on earth, every bird in the sky, every creature on the ground, and every fish in the sea will be afraid of you. I am putting all of them under your control." And 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.
3 "From now on, every living, moving creature is food for you. Just like I already gave you plants, I am now giving you everything." Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things.
4 "But here is one rule: do not eat meat that still has blood in it, because the blood represents life." But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat.
5 "And if anyone takes a human life, I will demand an answer. I will hold every animal and every person accountable for the life of each human being." And 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.
6 "Whoever kills another person must be killed by other people. This is because God made human beings to be like himself." Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.
7 "As for you, go and have lots of children. Spread out all over the earth and increase in number." And you, be ye fruitful, and multiply; bring forth abundantly in the earth, and multiply therein.
The Rainbow Covenant
Study note
God establishes a covenant — a binding promise — not just with Noah but with every living creature and all future generations. God promises never again to destroy all life with a flood. The sign of this covenant is the rainbow. Whenever rain clouds appear and a rainbow is seen, it serves as a reminder of God's promise. This is the first of several major covenants in the Bible.
8 Then God made an announcement to Noah and his sons: And God spake unto Noah, and to his sons with him, saying,
9 "I am making a solemn promise — a covenant — right now with you and with all of your future descendants." And I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you;
10 "This promise also covers every living creature that was with you on the boat. It covers every bird, every farm animal, and every wild animal — everything that came off that boat. It covers every living thing on earth." And 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.
11 "Here is my promise: I will never again destroy all life with a flood. A flood will never again wipe out the earth." And 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.
12 God said, "I am giving you a sign of this promise. It is between me, you, and every living thing. This promise will last for all time." And 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:
13 "I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a sign of a covenant between me and the earth." I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth.
14 "Whenever I send clouds across the sky and the rainbow shows up," And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud:
15 "I will look at it and remember the promise I made to you and to every living creature. Never again will floodwaters destroy all life." And 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.
16 "When the rainbow fills the clouds, I will see it. I will recall this lasting promise. It is between God and every living thing on earth." And 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.
17 God told Noah, "The rainbow is the sign of the promise I have made between me and everything that lives on the earth." And 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.
Noah and His Sons
Study note
After the flood, Noah becomes a farmer and plants a vineyard. One day he drinks too much wine and lies uncovered in his tent. His son Ham sees his father naked and tells his brothers. Shem and Japheth respectfully walk in backward and cover their father without looking at him. When Noah wakes up and learns what happened, he pronounces a curse on Canaan, Ham's son, saying he will be a servant to his brothers. He blesses Shem and Japheth. This episode is used to explain future relationships between the nations that descended from Noah's three sons.
18 Noah's three sons who came off the boat were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Ham was the father of Canaan. And the sons of Noah, that went forth of the ark, were Shem, and Ham, and Japheth: and Ham is the father of Canaan.
19 Every person on earth today descended from these three sons of Noah. These are the three sons of Noah: and of them was the whole earth overspread.
20 Noah took up farming and was the first person to plant grapevines. And Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard:
21 One day he drank too much of the wine he had made, got drunk, and passed out naked inside his tent. And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent.
22 Ham — the father of Canaan — walked in and saw his father lying there naked. Then he went out and told his two brothers about it. And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without.
23 Shem and Japheth grabbed a blanket, held it between their shoulders, and walked backward into the tent to cover up their father. They kept their faces turned away the whole time so they would not see him naked. And 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.
24 When Noah woke up and sobered up, he found out what his youngest son had done. And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him.
25 He declared, "A curse on Canaan! He will be the lowest servant to his brothers." And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren.
26 Then he said, "All praise to the Lord, the God of Shem! And may Canaan serve Shem." And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.
27 "May God give more land to Japheth. May Japheth share in Shem's blessings, and may Canaan serve him." God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.
28 Noah lived another 350 years after the flood. And Noah lived after the flood three hundred and fifty years.
29 His total lifespan was 950 years, and then he died. And all the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years: and he died.