27 Jul Some interpreters say that which means Ham raping their dad
[Noah] ate of one's wine and you may became drunk, and you may bare himself in to the their tent. twenty-two Ham, the daddy from Canaan, watched the newest nakedness out of his dad, and you may advised their a couple brothers exterior. 23 But Shem and you can Japheth took a scarf and you can put it up on both the shoulders and you can moved backward and you can secure the latest nakedness of their dad; and their confronts was indeed turned aside, so they don't discover its dad's nakedness. twenty four When Noah awoke out of his wine, he realized just what his youngest kid got done to him. twenty-five So the guy told you, “Cursed end up being Canaan; a servant away from servants he is going to be to their brothers.”
In reality, as soon as this new Babylonian Talmud, Jewish interpreters stored you to definitely Ham either raped his dad otherwise castrated your (Sanhedrin, 70a). Modern students for example Hermann Gunkel, Gerhard von Rad, Robert Gagnon, and you can Martti Nissinen have kept to this have a look at. Is this happening?
RESPONSE: The fresh new basic sense studying states you to Noah was intoxicated, naked themselves, handed out, and Ham mocked him. The newest ordinary experience training of your own text message might be common unless other arguments could get us to question which ordinary experience training. Preciselywhat are these objections, and just how strong are they?
Dispute #1: The word “saw the nakedness out of his father” was a good euphemism getting intercourse
Interpreters which believe that Ham raped Noah appeal to Leviticus in order to show that Moses uses the term “discover the nakedness” to refer to sex. Leviticus 18:6-8 states,
None of you shall approach any blood relative of his to figure out nakedness; I am the LORD. 7 ‘You shall not uncover the nakedness of the dad, that is, the nakedness of your mother. She is your mother; you are not to uncover her nakedness. 8 ‘You shall not find the nakedness of your father's wife; it is your father's nakedness