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1 And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them, “Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the earth.”

2 “And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every bird of the air; on all that moves on the earth, and on all the fish of the sea; into your hand are they given.

3 “Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you; just as the green herbs have I given you all things.”

4 “But the flesh of a living creature, nor it's blood you shall not eat.”

5 “And surely, for your life-blood I will require an accounting; from the hand of every beast will I require it, and from the hand of man; even at the hand of a man’s brother I will require the life of man.”

6 “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God he made man.”

7 “And as for you, be fruitful and multiply; bring forth abundantly in the earth, and multiply therein.”

8 And God spoke unto Noah, and to his sons with him, saying,

9 “And I behold I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed[a] after you;

10 and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the cattle, and every beast of the earth with you; of all that go out of the ark, even every beast of the earth.

11 And I will establish my covenant with you: Neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of the flood; neither shall there again be a flood to destroy the earth.”

12 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 genrations[a]:

13 And my rainbow I set in the clouds, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between me and the earth.

14 And it shall be that when I bring a cloud over the earth, there shall be seen the rainbow in the cloud,

15 and I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh.

16 And the rainbow shall be in the clouds; and I will look upon it that I may remember the everlasting covenant which is made between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.”

17 And God said unto Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant which I have established between me and all flesh that is living on earth.”

18 And the sons of Noah, that went forth from the ark, were Shem, Ham, and Japheth: and Ham was the father of Canaan.

19 These three were the sons of Noah: and from these three was populated all the earth.

20 And Noah began to farm, and planted a vineyard:

21 and he drank of the wine, and became drunk; and he uncovered himself[a] in his tent.

22 And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brothers outside.

23 And Shem took a garment, and with Japeth laid it upon both their shoulders; they went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and they turned their faces away so they did not see their father’s nakedness.

24 And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his [c]youngest son had done unto him.

25 And he said,

"Cursed be Canaan;
  A servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren."

26 And he said, “Blessed be the LORD, the God of Shem[a]; And let Canaan be his servant.”

27 May God extend this also to Japheth, and let him dwell in the tents of Shem, and let Canaan be his servant.

28 And Noah lived after the flood 350 years.

29 And all the days of Noah were 950 years, and he died.

[4] You shall not eat the limb of a living animal; also you shall not eat (drink) it's blood.

[5,6,7] From 6 we learn that the shedding of blood (damage) must be repaid in kind; only from 5 however do we learn that this refers to murder. Consequently it is a prohibition against human sacrifice, especially for the remission of sins, since such sacrifice induces blood-guilt. From v.7 we learn that instead of such types of killing we are instead to multiply in number – not to 'subtract'.

[9a] “zar-‘ă-ḵem” your descendants “’a-ḥă-rê-ḵem.” after you.

[12] “lə-ḏō-rōṯ” for generations “‘ō-w-lām.” perpetual. The word (lə-ḏō-rōṯ) “for generations” is written defective (without Vav) implying that the sign will be necessary only for such generations as are “defective” in faith, because there will be some generations which will require no sign since they were completely righteous, such as the generation of Hezekiah, King of Judah (Genesis Rabbah 35:2).

It is also of note here that thus mat. 16:4 is an inversion of Torah; 'a wicked and adulterous generation demands a sign,' when it is stated here therefore that it is precisely to such a generation that a sign (and by implication, prophecy) is most needed and will be sent. Thus to with-hold a request for a sign, esp. from people who were told to ask (Deut. sign of a prophet) is clearly an inversion of Torah values.

[18] finely illustrated the hermeneutical principle of having been given enough information already, even in the plain sense, to determine the meaning of a passage.

[20] marking Noah as 'the man who planted a vineyard'; see commentary in NT

[21] prophetic; Amos and Ezekiel had not 'yet' been written. This is what you would expect to see in such a book written by the eternal.

[21] “’ā-ho-lōh” (tent). This word is written “’ā-ho-lōh” (with 'h' at end instead of 'v') so that it may be regarded as an allusion to the ten tribes who were spoken of as Samaria which was called “’ā-ho-lāh” (see: Ezekiel 23:4) and who were exiled because of indulgence in wine, at it is said in Amos 6:6 “that drink wine in bowls”. “’ā-ho-lāh” and “’ā-ho-lî-ḇāh” are satirical names given by the prophet Ezekiel to the cities of Samaria (in Northern Israel) and Jerusalem (in Judah), respectively (see Ezekiel 24:1-4).

Also note here the allusion to adultery in the Hebrew. “’ā-ho-lāh” means “her tent”, and “’ā-ho-lî-ḇāh” means “my tent is in her”. The Hebrew prophets frequently compared the sin of idolatry to the sin of adultery, in a reappearing rhetorical figure. Ezekiel's rhetoric directed against these two allegorical figures depicts them as lusting after Egyptian men in explicitly sexual terms in Ezekiel 23:20–23. Thus, the first understanding is that Ham castrated Noah in order to garner a larger share of inheritance (since he had only one son – thus justifying the punishment that he would not have any further sons, and that his son would be cursed) – it is also said that he sodomized Noah (based on this allusion of “’ā-ho-lāh”) re: Sanhedrin 70a. See: [25] below.

[23] 'And Shem took (and Japeth),” reflecting the underlying Hebrew, to show the point from the Hebrew that Shem was the one who took action, and led his brother; Japeth only helped and did what Shem told him to do. Also note the 'and they turned their faces away,' because as they got closer it states they turned away to avoid catching any glimpse.

[25] On “cursed be Canaan” Rashi writes, “You have brought it about that I cannot beget a fourth son to serve me; cursed, therefore, be your fourth son (see 10:6) to serve under the descendants of these elder ones upon whom the duty of serving me will devolve from now on.” Why did Ham maltreat him in this manner? He said to his brothers, “Adam Harishon had two sons and one killed the other in order that he might possess the whole world (Genesis Rabbah 36:7) our father already has three sons, and he wishes to have yet another”.

[26] 'of Shem' for the reason of [23]. Shem, who in days to come carry out this promise to his descendants to give them the land of Canaan.

[29] This counting, 350, 950 shows that counting begins from the origin of the event; in this case the moment of Noah's 600th year and not necessarily the date of the actual event itself. I.E. were the Israelites in Egypt for 210 years or 430 years? We include the 220 years prior to them entering Egypt because this is when it started (with Isaac).

Selected commentary.

h.וחתכם means AND THE DREAD OF YOU, similar to (Job 6:21) “ye see a terror (חתת).“ The Agada takes the word as signifying “life”, “vitality” (חיות): So long as a baby, even one day old, has life you do not have to guard it against the attacks of mice, whilst Og, king of Bashan, when dead needs to be guarded against the attacks of mice, as it is said, “And the fear of you and the terror of you shall be [upon the beasts of the field etc.].” When will the fear of you be upon the beasts? So long as you are alive (חתכם) (Shabbat 151b).

h.לכם יהיה לאכלה SHALL BE FOOD FOR YOU — For I did not permit Adam Harishon to eat meat, but green herbs alone; but lo you — even as the green herbs that I gave the full use of to Adam Harishon — do I give everything (Sanhedrin 59b).

h.בשר בנפשו FLESH WITH THE SOUL THEREOF [SHALL YE NOT EAT] — He here prohibited to them אבר מן החי the eating of a limb cut from a living animal, that is to say that בשר בנפשו (literally, flesh together with its life) means so long as its life is in it you shall not eat the flesh.

h.בנפשו דמו (literally, its blood together with its life) means whilst its (the animal’s) life is still in it (the blood).

Consequently בשר בנפשו לא תאכלו FLESH SO LONG AS THERE IS LIFE IN IT SHALL YE NOT EAT forms the prohibition of אבר מן החי the eating of a limb cut from a living animal. And connecting בנפשו with דמו we obtain the reading also בנפשו דמו לא תאכלו ITS BLOOD TOGETHER WITH ITS LIFE SHALL YE NOT EAT which forms the prohibition of partaking of blood of a living animal (Sanhedrin 59a)

h.ואך את דמכם HOWEVER YOUR BLOOD — Although I have permitted you to take the life of cattle yet your blood I will surely require from him amongst you who sheds his own blood (see Bava Kamma 91b).

h.לנפשותיכם YOUR LIFE — Even though one strangles himself (Genesis Rabbah 34:13) so that no blood flows from him yet I will require it from him.

h.מיד כל חיה AT THE HAND OF EVERY BEAST — Because the generation of the Flood sinned and they were therefore freely exposed to become food for wild beasts which would have power over them — as it is said (Psalms 49:21), “He is ruled over by wild beasts like the beasts that perish” (these being the prey of other animals) (Shabbat 151b) — it was therefore necessary to proclaim a punishment against wild animals on their account.

h.ומיד האדם AT THE HAND OF MAN — At the hand of one who kills with premeditation, when there are no witnesses to the murder, will “I” require it.

h.מיד איש אחיו AT THE HAND OF EVERY MAN’S BROTHER — At the hand of a man who loves him like a brother and slays him accidentally will “I” require it, unless he go into banishment (in one of the Cities of Refuge) and pray for forgiveness for his iniquity. For even one who kills another by accident needs atonement: therefore if there are no witnesses to the deed to make him liable to banishment and he does not humble himself, the Holy One, blessed be He, will require it of him, just as our Rabbis explain the text, (Exodus 21:13) ‘‘But God causes it to come to hand”, in Treatise Makkot (Makkot [10]b): The Holy One, blessed be He, causes them (the man who killed by accident and had not expiated the murder and the man who killed with premeditation) to meet at the same inn. The former in ascending a ladder falls upon the latter and kills him and has therefore — the accident having been seen by men — to go to banishment.

h.באדם דמו ישפך BY MAN SHALL HIS BLOOD BE SHED — If there are witnesses you kill him. Why? Because in the image of God [made He man] and he has destroyed the Divine image (Genesis Rabbah 34:14)

h.עשה את האדם HE MADE MAN — This verse is abbreviated and should be “the Maker made man”; there are many similar expressions in the Scriptures.

h.ואתם פרו ורבו AND YE, BE FRUITFUL AND MULTIPLY — According to the real sense, the first time this mas said to man (Genesis 9:1) it was said as a blessing (an assurance that they would be fruitful); here it is a command (Ketubot 5a). According to the Midrashic explanation this command is mentioned here after the mention of murder in order to liken one who abstains from having children to one who sheds blood (Yevamot 63b).

h.ואני הנני AND I BEHOLD I — “I am in agreement with you”; He said this because Noah feared to fulfil the duty of propagating the species until the Holy One, blessed be He, promised him that he would not again destroy the world and this promise God made (Midrash Tanchuma, Noach 11). Ultimately He said to him, “If you are still anxious I am willing to give to My promise the permanence and strength of a covenant and I will give you a sign.”

h.חית הארץ אתכם AND EVERY ANIMAL OF THE EARTH WITH YOU or, THAT ARE WITH YOU — those which go about with human beings.

h.מכל יוצאי התבה OF ALL THAT GO OUT OF THE ARK — These words would include creeping things and reptiles.

h.חית הארץ [EVEN EVERY] BEAST OF THE EARTH — These words are intended to include dangerous animals which cannot be included in the above description, “every living creature that is with you” — for these do not go about with human beings.

h.והקמתי AND I WILL ESTABLISH — I will give confirmation to my covenant; and in what consists this confirmation? “The sign of the rainbow”, as it goes on explaining at the end.

h.לדרת עולם FOR GENERATIONS FOR EVER — The word לדרת “for generations” is written defective (without Vav) (implying that the sign will be necessary only for such generations as are “defective’’ in faith) because there will be some generations which will require no sign since they were completely righteous, such as the generation of Hezekiah, king of Judah, and the generation of R. Simeon ben Yochai (Genesis Rabbah 35:2).

h.בענני ענן WHEN I BRING A CLOUD — When I have it in mind to bring darkness and destruction upon the world.

h.בין אלהים ובין כל נפש חיה BETWEEN GOD AND EVERY LIVING SOUL — Between Divine Justice and you; for otherwise it should have written “between Me and every living thing”. But this is its explanation: when Justice will come to accuse and condemn you I will look upon the sign and remember the covenant (see Genesis Rabbah 35:3).

h.זאת אות הברית THIS IS THE SIGN OF THE COVENANT — He pointed to the rainbow, and said to him, “This is the sign of which I have spoken.”

h.וחם הוא אבי כנען AND HAM IS THE FATHER OF CANAAN — Why is it necessary to mention this here? Because this section goes on to deal with the account of Noah’s drunkenness when Ham sinned and through him Canaan was cursed. Now as the generations of Ham have not yet been mentioned and we therefore would not know that Canaan was his son, it was necessary to state here that “Ham is the father of Canaan”.

h.ויחל [AND NOAH] BEGAN — (The word may be connected also with a root meaning “profane”) He profaned (degraded) himself, for he should have occupied himself first with planting something different) (Genesis Rabbah 36:3).

h.איש האדמה A MAN OF THE GROUND — The master (owner, lord) of the ground; similar to Ruth 1:3 איש נעמי “The husband (lord) of Naomi”.

h.ויטע כרם AND HE PLANTED A VINEYARD — When he went into the Ark he had taken with him vine-branches and shoots of fig trees (Genesis Rabbah 36:3).

h.ויתגל AND HE UNCOVERED HIMSELF — This is the Hithpael form.

h.אהלה HIS TENT — This word is written אהלה (with ה at end instead of ו) so that it may be regarded as an allusion to the ten tribes who were spoken of as Samaria which was called “אהלה” Ohala and who were exiled because of indulgence in wine, at it is said (Amos 6:6) “that drink wine in bowls”.

h.וירא חם אבי כנען AND HAM THE FATHER OF CANAAN SAW — Some of our Rabbis say that Canaan saw it and told his father about it, and on that account he is mentioned in connection with this matter and was cursed (Genesis Rabbah 36:7).

h.ויקח שם ויפת AND SHEM AND JAPHETH TOOK — (literally, “And Shem took and Japheth”) It is not written here ויקחו ‘‘And they took”, but ויקח “And he took”, in order to teach regarding Shem that he devoted himself to this duty with more eagerness than Japheth. Therefore have Shem’s sons received the privilege of wearing the cloak that has fringes, and the sons of Japheth were privileged to receive honorable burial, as it is said, (Ezekiel 39:11) “I will give unto Gog (a descendant of Japheth) a place fit for burial [in Israel]”. But as for Ham who despised his father — of his descendants it is said (Isaiah 20:4) “So shall the king of Assyria lead away the captives of Egypt, and the exiles of Ethiopia (these were peopled by the children of Ham) young and old, naked and barefoot and with buttocks uncovered etc.” (Genesis Rabbah 36:6 and Tanchuma 1:2:15).

h.ופניהם אחורנית AND THEIR FACES WERE BACKWARD — Wherefore is it written a second time (that they turned themselves backward)? It is to tell us that when they came near to him and it was necessary for them to turn round in order to cover him they kept their faces turned away (Genesis Rabbah 36:6).

h.בנו הקטן HIS YOUNGER SON — The unworthy and despicable one, as (Jeremiah 49:15) “For, behold, I make thee small (קטן) among the nations, and despised among men” (Genesis Rabbah 36:7).

h.ארור כנען CURSED BE CANAAN — You have brought it about that I cannot beget a fourth son to serve me; cursed, therefore, be your fourth son (see Chap. 10:6) to serve under the descendants of these elder ones upon whom the duty of serving me will devolve from now on. Why did Ham maltreat him in this manner? He said to his brothers, “Adam Harishon had two sons and one killed the other in order that he might possess the whole world (Genesis Rabbah 36:7): our father already has three sons, and he wishes to have yet another“.

h.ברוך ה' אלהי שם BLESSED BE THE ETERNAL, THE GOD OF SHEM, who will in days to come carry out his promise to his descendants to give them the land of Canaan.

h.ויהי AND MAY HE BE — Canaan — their servant serving and paying tribute (Cp. Josh. 16:10).

h.יפת אלהים ליפת MAY GOD ENLARGE JAPHETH — The Targum renders the verb by יפתי meaning, “may He extend”.

h.וישכון באהלי שם AND MAY HE DWELL IN THE TENTS OF SHEM — may He make His Divine Presence (Shechinah) dwell in Israel. According to the Midrashic exposition of the Sages (Yoma 10a) it means: Although God enlarged Japheth inasmuch that Cyrus, who was a descendant of Japheth, built the second Temple, yet the Shechinah did not dwell in it. Where, then, did it dwell? In the first Temple which Solomon, a descendant of Shem, built.

h.ויהי כנען עבד למו AND MAY CANAAN BE SERVANT TO THEM — Even when the children of Shem be in exile, children of Canaan will be sold to them as slaves.