What does it mean Ham saw Noah's nakedness when he got drunk and naked? Why did Noah Curse Canaan and not Ham in Geneses 9? This is one of the difficult-to-understand stories in Genesis. However, if we understand the meaning of uncovering the nakedness in the Bible, the story would be clear.
Genesis 9:22,24,25
22 And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father and told his two brothers outside. 24 When Noah awoke from his wine and knew what his youngest son had done to him, he said, “Cursed be Canaan. The lowest of slaves will he be to his brothers.”
6“ None of you shall approach any one of his close relatives to uncover nakedness. I am the Lord."
8 "You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's wife: it is your father's nakedness."
17"You shall not uncover the nakedness of a woman and of her daughter, and you shall not take her son’s daughter or her daughter’s daughter to uncover her nakedness; they are relatives; it is depravity."
19 “You shall not approach a woman to uncover her nakedness while she is in her menstrual uncleanness.
Deuteronomy 22:30, and 27:20.
22:30 “A man shall not take his father’s wife so that he does not uncover his father’s nakedness.
27:20 “ ‘Cursed be anyone who lies with his father’s wife because he has uncovered his father’s nakedness.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
Ezekiel 22:10. In you men uncover their father's nakedness; in you they violate women who are unclean in their menstrual impurity.
Samuel 16:21, 22.
21 Ahithophel answered, “Sleep with your father’s concubines whom he left to take care of the palace. Then all Israel will hear that you have made yourself obnoxious to your father, and the hands of everyone with you will be more resolute.” 22 So they pitched a tent for Absalom on the roof, and he slept with his father’s concubines in the sight of all Israel.
All these verses talk about uncovering the nakedness of someone as having sexual sin with his women. The bible forbids to have sex with a stepmother, a woman and her daughter or granddaughter, a close relative, or a woman in her menstruation. In many situations in the Old Testament, the Bible described Uncovering the nakedness of someone as to have sex with or rap his wife or concubines. It was a common practice in the past to have sex with the wife of someone to humiliate and dominate that person. This practice is very common in the ancient wars, Islamic invasions, and is still done in wars nowadays.
From this, many biblical scholars concluded that Ham has sex with his father's wife or his own mother and told his brothers about it to humiliate and control his father. Also, many believe the act of Ham led to the birth of Canaan the youngest. Hence Noah cursed Canaan's sons to become servants to the sons of Shem and Japheth because Canan was the son of sin and incest.
