Canaan is the son of Ham and the grandson of Noah. The story of Canaan is perplexing. When Noah’s son Ham finds his father drunk, he acts disrespectfully. His two brothers act appropriately.
When Noah discovers what his sons did when he was inebriated, he explicitly blames Ham’s son Canaan. This is despite Canaan not having any role in what happened.
We’re left to wonder if we don’t know the full story or if Noah reached the wrong conclusion. Nevertheless, Noah proclaims curses on Canaan.
This doesn’t seem right or fair, but it is what happens.
We later read of the nations that descend from Canaan. He is the father of Sidon and the Hittites, Jebusites, Amorites, Girgashites, Hivites, Arkites, Sinites, Arvadites, Zemarites, and Hamathites.
Although these last five nations receive scant mention in Scripture, the others reoccur.
- The Sidonians (descendants of Sidon), show up 14 times.
- The Hittites, 36 times.
- The Jebusites, 30 times.
- The Amorites, 77 times.
- The Girgashites, 7 times.
- The Hivites, 23 times.
Scripture reveals that these nations rise in opposition to God’s chosen people, the Israelites. And this continues throughout much of the Old Testament.
We’re left wondering if their opposition is a result of Noah’s curse on his grandson. What if Noah had not proclaimed curses on Canaan and his descendants? Might the history in the Old Testament have unfolded differently?
Though Noah proclaimed curses on Canaan, this is not an example for us to follow. Instead, we should embrace the New Testament perspective and not curse others.
How do we respond when we’re blamed for something we didn’t do?
What can we do to rise above any mistakes our parents might have made?
[Read about Canaan in Genesis 9:18–27 and Genesis 10:15–18. Discover more about curses in Luke 6:28, Romans 12:14, and James 3:9–10.]
Learn about 100 more biblical characters in More Old Testament Sinners and Saints, available in e-book, paperback, and hardcover. Get your copy today.
More Old Testament Sinners and Saints is part of the Bible Character Sketches series.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
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