Genesis 9 · Verse 26

Genesis 9:26

And he said, Blessed be the Lord God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.
Genesis 9:26, King James Version

Genesis 9:26 in other translations

BSBHe also declared: “Blessed be the LORD, the God of Shem! May Canaan be the servant of Shem.
WEBHe said, “Blessed be the LORD, the God of Shem. Let Canaan be his servant.
ASVAnd he said, Blessed be Jehovah, the God of Shem; And let Canaan be his servant.
YLTAnd he saith: ‘Blessed of Jehovah my God is Shem, And Canaan is servant to him.
DARBYAnd he said, Blessed be Jehovah, the God of Shem, And let Canaan be his bondman.
BBEAnd he said, Praise to the Lord, the God of Shem; let Canaan be his servant.
WebsterAnd he said, Blessed be the LORD God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.

What does Genesis 9:26 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
26. Blessed be the Lord God of Shem--rather, "Blessed of Jehovah, my God, be Shem,"--an intimation that the descendants of Shem should be peculiarly honored in the service of the true God, His Church being for ages established among them (the Jews), and of them, concerning the flesh, Christ came. They got possession of Canaan, the people of that land being made their "servants" either by conquest, or, like the Gibeonites, by submission [Jos 9:25].

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Genesis 9:24-29

Noah declares a curse on Canaan, the son of Ham; perhaps this grandson of his was more guilty than the rest. A servant of servants, that is, The meanest and most despicable servant, shall he be, even to his brethren. This certainly points at the victories in after-times obtained by Israel over the Canaanites, by which they were put to the sword, or brought to pay tribute. The whole continent of Africa was peopled…

Read the full comment on Genesis 9:24-29 →

Genesis 9:26 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיֹּ֕אמֶרvai.Yo.merand he saidH559
בָּר֥וּךְba.Rukh[be] blessedH1288
יְהֹוָ֖הYah.wehYahwehH3068
אֱלֹ֣הֵי'e.Lo.hei[the] God ofH430
שֵׁ֑םShemShemH8035
וִיהִ֥יvi.Hiand let him beH1961
כְנַ֖עַןkhe.Na.'anCanaanH3667
עֶ֥בֶד'E.veda slaveH5650
לָֽמוֹ\׃la.moto <the> them

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Genesis 9:26

  • Psalms 144:15

    Happy is that people, that is in such a case: yea, happy is that people, whose God is the Lord.

  • Hebrews 11:16

    But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.

  • Genesis 12:1-3

    Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

  • Genesis 27:37

    And Isaac answered and said unto Esau, Behold, I have made him thy lord, and all his brethren have I given to him for servants; and with corn and wine have I sustained him: and what shall I do now unto thee, my son?

  • Luke 3:23-36

    And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli, Which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi, which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of Janna, which was the son of Joseph, Which was the son of Mattathias, which was the son of Amos, which was the son of Naum, which was the son of Esli, which was the son of Nagge, Which was the son of Maath, which was the son of Mattathias, which was the son of Semei, which was the son of Joseph, which was the son of Juda, …

  • Romans 9:5

    Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.

  • Genesis 10:10-26

    And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. Out of that land went forth Asshur, and builded Nineveh, and the city Rehoboth, and Calah, And Resen between Nineveh and Calah: the same is a great city. And Mizraim begat Ludim, and Anamim, and Lehabim, and Naphtuhim, …

  • Deuteronomy 33:26

    There is none like unto the God of Jeshurun, who rideth upon the heaven in thy help, and in his excellency on the sky.

  • Genesis 27:40

    And by thy sword shalt thou live, and shalt serve thy brother; and it shall come to pass when thou shalt have the dominion, that thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Blessed.
De 33:26; Ps 144:15; Ro 9:5
the Lord.
10:10-26; 12:1-3; Lu 3:23-36
Sem.
Heb 11:16
his servant. or, servant to them.
27:37,40

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Genesis 9:25

    And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren.

  • Genesis 9:26

    And he said, Blessed be the Lord God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.

  • Genesis 9:27

    God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.

Read all of Genesis 9

Genesis 9:26 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Dijo más: Bendito Jehová el Dios de Sem, y séale Canaán siervo.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et il dit: Béni soit l’ Éternel, le Dieu de Sem, et que Canaan soit son esclave!
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und er sprach: Gepriesen sei Jehova, der Gott Sems; und Kanaan sei sein Knecht!
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Dixitque: Benedictus Dominus Deus Sem, sit Chanaan servus ejus.