The Untold Truth Of Noah's Sons

May 2024 ยท 2 minute read

Here's the part of the story that gets kind of strange. In the story of the drunkenness incident at the vineyard, Ham was the one who saw his father naked, right? His two brothers were rewarded for their modesty and deference, and so it would make sense that, per the intended morals of the tale, Ham would be punished (in this case, with a life of servitude to his brothers).

But that's not really what happened. Instead, if you read the text, you find this: "[Noah] said, 'Cursed be Canaan; the lowest of slaves shall he be to his brothers'" (via TheTorah.com). If you're wondering who in the world Canaan is, then you have every right to be confused. Canaan is actually one of Ham's sons (thus, one of Noah's grandsons) and was, as far as anyone can tell, completely innocent of any crime.

So then, why was Canaan punished instead of Ham? Well, the reasons are still a pretty big mystery to everyone, but there are a few theories. TheTorah.com mentions some potential reasons within the narrative, many of which boil down to the idea that Noah thought that cursing Canaan (and, by extension, all of Ham's descendants) would be more devastating than cursing Ham himself. Or, if you want to consider more historical possibilities, the original story could've been literally lost in translation, and the version that exists today just might not be entirely accurate.

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