Genesis Chapter 9 — God’s Covenant with Noah
After the flood, God blesses Noah's family, sets rules for human life, and promises never to flood the entire earth again, giving the rainbow as a sign.
1God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, and replenish the earth.
2The fear of you and the dread of you will be on every animal of the earth, and on every bird of the sky. Everything that moves along the ground, and all the fish of the sea, are delivered into your hand.
3Every moving thing that lives will be food for you. As I gave you the green herb, I have given everything to you.
4But flesh with its life, that is, its blood, you shall not eat.
5I will surely require accounting for your life’s blood. At the hand of every animal I will require it. At the hand of man, even at the hand of every man’s brother, I will require the life of man.
6Whoever sheds man’s blood, his blood will be shed by man, for God made man in his own image.
7Be fruitful and multiply. Increase abundantly in the earth, and multiply in it.”
8God spoke to Noah and to his sons with him, saying,
9“As for me, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your offspring after you,
10and with every living creature that is with you: the birds, the livestock, and every animal of the earth with you, of all that go out of the ship, even every animal of the earth.
11I will establish my covenant with you: All flesh will not be cut off any more by the waters of the flood. There will never again be a flood to destroy the earth.”
12God 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 set my rainbow in the cloud, and it will be a sign of a covenant between me and the earth.
14When I bring a cloud over the earth, that the rainbow will be seen in the cloud,
15I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh, and the waters will no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.
16The rainbow will be in the cloud. I will look at it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.”
17God said to Noah, “This is the token of the covenant which I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth.”
18The sons of Noah who went out from the ship were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Ham is the father of Canaan.
19These three were the sons of Noah, and from these the whole earth was populated.
20Noah began to be a farmer, and planted a vineyard.
21He drank of the wine and got drunk. He was uncovered within his tent.
22Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brothers outside.
23Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it on both their shoulders, went in backwards, and covered the nakedness of their father. Their faces were backwards, and they didn’t see their father’s nakedness.
24Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his youngest son had done to him.
25He said,
26He said,
27May God enlarge Japheth.
28Noah lived three hundred fifty years after the flood.
29All the days of Noah were nine hundred fifty years, and then he died.
WEB Translation
Notable Verses
Genesis 9:6
“Whoever sheds man’s blood, his blood will be shed by man, for God made man in his own image.”
This verse establishes the biblical basis for the sanctity of human life based on the 'Imago Dei'.
Genesis 9:13
“I set my rainbow in the cloud, and it will be a sign of a covenant between me and the earth.”
This identifies the rainbow as the permanent symbol of God's promise to humanity and every living creature.
Chapter Summary
Following the Great Flood, God blesses Noah and his sons, instructing them to repopulate the earth. He grants humanity authority over all animals and expands their diet to include meat, with the specific restriction that they must not consume blood. God emphasizes the sanctity of human life, establishing a decree against murder because humans are made in His image. A central feature of the chapter is the establishment of the Noahic Covenant, where God promises never again to destroy all life with a flood. He provides the rainbow as a visible token of this everlasting agreement with all living creatures. The narrative then shifts to Noah’s life as a farmer and his planting of a vineyard. After Noah becomes intoxicated, an incident involving his son Ham leads to a curse on Ham’s son, Canaan, while Shem and Japheth receive blessings for their respectful conduct toward their father. The chapter concludes with the record of Noah’s death at the age of 950, ending his long journey from the pre-flood world into the new beginning.
Frequently Asked Questions
God promised Noah and every living creature that He would never again destroy all life on Earth with a global flood. This covenant is described as everlasting and applies to all future generations.
The rainbow is the 'token' or sign of the covenant God established with the earth. It serves as a visual reminder of God's promise to spare the world from another total destruction by water.
The text explains that the life of the flesh is in its blood. By prohibiting the consumption of blood, the law emphasized a respect for life itself even when animals were permitted for food.
Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. The chapter explains that from these three men, the entire earth was repopulated following the flood.
Study Note
The Noahic Covenant is unique among biblical covenants because it is universal, applying not just to a specific people group, but to all of humanity and every living creature.
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