John Calvin Commentary Genesis 9:25

"And he said, Cursed be Canaan; A servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren." — Genesis 9:25 (ASV)

Cursed be Canaan. It is asked, in the first place, why Noah, instead of pronouncing the curse upon his son, inflicts the severity of punishment that his son had deserved upon his innocent grandson, since it seems inconsistent with the justice of God to visit the crimes of parents upon their children?

But the answer is well known; namely, that God, although He pursues His course of judgments upon the sons and the grandchildren of the ungodly, yet in being angry with them, is not angry with the innocent, because they themselves are also found at fault. Therefore, there is no absurdity in avenging the sins of the fathers upon their reprobate children, since, of necessity, all those whom God has deprived of His Spirit are subject to His wrath.

But it is surprising that Noah should curse his grandson and pass over in silence his son Ham, the perpetrator of the crime. The Jews imagine that the reason for this was to be traced to the special favor of God, and that since the Lord had bestowed such great honor on Ham, the curse was transferred from him to his son. But the conjecture is futile. Certainly, to my mind, there is no doubt that the punishment was carried forward even to his posterity so that its severity might be more apparent, as if the Lord had openly proclaimed that the punishment of one man would not satisfy Him, but that He would also attach the curse to the offender's posterity, so that it should extend through successive ages. In the meantime, Ham himself is so far from being exempt that God, by involving his son with him, aggravates Ham's own condemnation.

Another question is also proposed: namely, why among the many sons of Ham, God chooses one to be struck? But let not our curiosity indulge itself too freely here; let us remember that the judgments of God are, not in vain, called a great deep, and that it would be a degrading thing for God, before whose tribunal we all must one day stand, to be subjected to our judgments, or rather to our foolish presumption.

He chooses whom He sees fit, so that He may show forth in them an example of His grace and kindness; others He appoints to a different end, so that they may be proofs of His anger and severity. Here, although the minds of men are blinded, let every one of us, conscious of his own infirmity, learn rather to ascribe praise to God’s justice than to plunge, with insane audacity, into the profound abyss.

While God held the whole seed of Ham as liable to the curse, He mentions the Canaanites by name as those whom He would curse above all others. And from this we infer that this judgment proceeded from God, because it was proved by the event itself.

What would certainly be the condition of the Canaanites, Noah could not know by human means. Therefore, in things obscure and hidden, the Spirit directed his tongue.

Another difficulty still remains: for since Scripture teaches that God avenges the sins of men on the third and fourth generation, it seems to assign this limit to the wrath of God; but the vengeance mentioned now extends to the tenth generation. I answer that these words of Scripture are not intended to prescribe a law to God, which He may not set aside so as to be at liberty to punish sins beyond four generations. The thing to be observed here is the comparison made between punishment and grace, by which we are taught that God, while He is a just avenger of crimes, is still more inclined to mercy. In the meantime, let His liberty remain unquestioned to extend His vengeance as far as He pleases.

A servant of servants shall he be. This Hebraism signifies that Canaan shall be the last, even among servants, as if it had been said, Not only shall his condition be servile, but worse than that of common servitude. Yet the thunder of this severe and dreadful prophecy seems weak and illusory, since the Canaanites excelled in strength and riches, and possessed extensive dominion.

Where then is this servitude? In the first place, I answer that though God, in threatening men, does not immediately execute what He proclaims, yet His threats are never weak and ineffectual. Secondly, I answer that the judgments of God are not always exhibited before our eyes, nor apprehended by our carnal reason.

The Canaanites, having shaken off the yoke of servitude that was divinely imposed upon them, even proceeded to grasp at empire for themselves. But although they triumph for a time, yet in the sight of God their condition is not deemed free. Just as when the faithful are unjustly oppressed and tyrannically harassed by the wicked, their spiritual liberty is still not extinguished in the sight of God.

It is fitting for us, then, to be content with this proof of the divine judgment: that God promised the dominion of the land of Canaan to His servant Abraham and at length devoted the Canaanites to destruction. But because the Pope so earnestly maintains that he sometimes speaks prophecies—as did even Caiaphas (John 11:51)—lest we should seem to refuse him everything, I do not deny that the title with which he adorns himself, Let him be a servant of servants, was dictated by the Spirit of God, in the same sense that Canaan was.