And he said, Blessed [be] the LORD God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.
26. Blessed be the Lord, the God of Shem ] The blessing invoked, not upon Shem himself, but upon Jehovah the God of Shem, is intended to convey the thought that herein will lie the true welfare of the descendants of Shem. The point of this oracle is, of course, dependent on the fact that Shem is to be the ancestor of Israel. The blessing here invoked has reference only to the Hebrews whose God is Jehovah. They are the favoured ones: the God of Redemption will manifest Himself in them. After “Cursed be Canaan,” we should expect to read “Blessed of Jehovah be Shem.” But there hardly seems to be sufficient reason for regarding the text as corrupt. Graetz, who is followed by Gunkel, with a slight alteration of the text, viz. by the transposition of two consonants and by a different reading of the vowels (which of course did not appear in early Hebrew writing), reads, “bless, oh! Jehovah, the tents of Shem” ( for ), so that “the tents of Shem” should end this line as well as line 2 in the next verse.
his servant ] The translation of the margin, their, is to be preferred. The word in the Hebrew is a poetical form of the plural pronoun; and here the reference is to Canaan’s brethren.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Blessed be the Lord God of Shem.
Quest. What is this to Shem? For it is not Shem, but God who is here blessed.
Answ.
1. Shem also is here blessed, and that in the highest degree, because the Lord hath here declared himself to be Shems God. Now for God to be said to be any mans God, is every where mentioned as the height of blessedness: see Gen 17:7; Psa 144:15; Jer 31:33; Mat 22:32. But the phrase is here justly varied. The curse is fixed upon Ham, because man alone is the author of his own sin, and the cause of his ruin; but because God is the author and fountain of all the good that man either doth or receiveth, therefore the blessing is emphatically given to God, who only doth the work, and of right is to receive all the glory, yet so as it redounds to Shem also. And Shem is here peculiarly mentioned, not Japheth, both for the comfort of the Israelites, whose progenitor he was, and because this blessing was first seated and long continued in Shems posterity alone, Japheths posterity being for a long time excluded from it; and because the Lord Christ, who is often called the Lord and God in Scripture, did take flesh from Shem; and so the incarnation of Christ may be here foretold, and Shem highly honoured and blessed in this, that he should be the father of Christ according to the flesh, Rom 9:5.
Answ. 2. This may be a short and abrupt manner of speech, which is frequent in the Hebrew tongue; and it may signify that Shem should be so eminently blessed, that men beholding it should be rapt up into admiration, and break forth into the praises of that God who gave such gifts unto men, and did so great things for Shem.
Answ. 3. The words may be otherwise rendered, either thus, Blessed, O Lord God, let Shem be, i.e. Do thou bless him. So it is only the construct from Elohe, for the absolute Elohim, which is not unusual in Scripture. Or thus, Blessed of the Lord God be Shem, or shall Shem be. So here is only a defect of the Hebrew particle min, which is oft wanting.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
26. Blessed be the Lord God ofShemrather, “Blessed of Jehovah, my God, be Shem,”anintimation that the descendants of Shem should be peculiarly honoredin the service of the true God, His Church being for ages establishedamong them (the Jews), and of them, concerning the flesh, Christcame. They got possession of Canaan, the people of that land beingmade their “servants” either by conquest, or, like theGibeonites, by submission [Jos9:25].
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And he said, blessed be the Lord God of Shem,…. Shem was blessed before Japheth, because he was the first and principal in advising and conducting the affair before ascribed to them, as Jarchi on Ge 9:23 suggests; and though the words are in the form of an ascription of blessedness to God, the fountain of all good, and by whose grace Shem was influenced and enabled to do the good he did, for which the Lord’s name was to be praised and blessed; yet it includes the blessing of Shem, and indeed the greatest blessing he could possibly enjoy; for what greater blessing is there, than for a man to have God to be his God? this includes everything, all blessings temporal and spiritual; see Ps 144:15 some interpret the God of Shem of Christ, who, according to the human nature, was a descendant of Shem; and according to the divine nature the God of Shem, God over all, blessed for ever, Ro 9:4.
And Canaan shall be his servant; the posterity of Canaan be servants to the posterity of Shem: this was fulfilled in the times of Joshua, when the Israelites, who sprung from Shem, conquered the land of Canaan, slew thirty of their kings, and took their cities and possessed them, and made the Gibeonites, one of the states of Canaan, hewers of wood and drawers of water to them, or the most mean and abject servants.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
In contrast with the curse, the blessings upon Shem and Japhet are introduced with a fresh “and he said,” whilst Canaan’s servitude comes in like a refrain and is mentioned in connection with both his brethren: Blessed be Jehovah, the God of Shem, and let Canaan be servant to them.” Instead of wishing good to Shem, Noah praises the God of Shem, just as Moses in Deu 33:20, instead of blessing Gad, blesses Him “that enlargeth Gad,” and points out the nature of the good which he is to receive, by using the name Jehovah. This is done “ propter excellentem benedictionem. Non enim loquitur de corporali benedictione, sed de benedictione futura per semen promissum. Eam tantam videt esse ut explicari verbis non possit, ideo se vertit ad gratiarum actionem ” ( Luther). Because Jehovah is the God of Shem, Shem will be the recipient and heir of all the blessings of salvation, which God as Jehovah bestows upon mankind. = neither stands for the singular ( Ges. 103, 2), nor refers to Shem and Japhet. It serves to show that the announcement does not refer to the person relation of Canaan to Shem, but applies to their descendants.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
26. Blessed be the Lord God of Shem. Noah blesses his other children, but in a different manner. For he places Shem in the highest post of honor. And this is the reason why Noah, in blessing him, breaks forth in the praise of God, without adhering to the person of man. For the Hebrews, when they are speaking of any rare and transcendent excellence, raise their thoughts to God. Therefore the holy man, when he perceived that the most abundant grace of God was destined for his son Shem, rises to thanksgiving. Whence we infer, that he spoke, not from carnal reason, but rather treated of the secret favors of God, the result of which was to be deferred to a remote period. Finally, by these words it is declared, that the benediction of Shem would be divine or heavenly.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(26) Blessed be Jehovah.The greatness of Shems blessing is shown by its taking the form of a hymn of praise to Jehovah, the personal God; and the patriarchs fervent outburst of thanksgiving was a presage of the hallelujahs that were to arise unto God from all mankind for the birth of that son of Shem in whom all nations were to be blessed. The following words should be translated, And let Canaan be their servant, the servant both of Shem and Japheth. (See margin.)
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
26. Blessed The blessing of Shem is an ejaculation of praise, as the patriarch sees that Jehovah, the one only God, will be the God of his children, the Hebrew people . This made them a nation, and gave them an historic position grander than was ever occupied by any other people, making the Hebrew character, ritual, and literature the channels of the sublimest moral and religious truths to the world . Thus has the world learned, or rather remembered, the momentous truths of the unity, spirituality, and holiness of God, and the unity, spirituality, and depravity of man .
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘Blessed be Yahweh, the God of Shem, and let Canaan be his servant.’
This is an unusual phrase as we expect to read ‘blessed be Shem’. It arises from the fact that Noah sees the greatness of the blessing that is to be Shem’s and is consequently filled with wonder and praise to Yahweh. The purpose is to draw out that Shem is to be blessed because of his relationship to Yahweh rather than just because of his own status. Shem’s descendants will be especially blessed, they will include the race through which God’s revelation will come to men. But this will be of God’s unmerited favour and goodness, and beyond anything that Shem deserves. (Compare Gen 24:27 where a blessing on Yahweh includes a blessing on the servant of Yahweh).
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Gen 9:26. And he said, Blessed be the Lord God of Shem, &c. The old patriarch doth not say, Blessed be Shem, as he said, Cursed be Canaan; for men’s evil springeth of themselves, but their good from God: and therefore, in a strain of devotion, he breaketh forth into thanksgiving to God, as the author of all good to men. Neither doth he say the same to Japheth; for God certainly may dispense his peculiar favours according to his good pleasure, and salvation was to be derived through Shem and his posterity in the promised seed. God prefers Shem to his elder brother Japheth, as Jacob was afterwards preferred to Esau, and David to his elder brothers: but we shall say more on this subject in due place. The Lord being called the God of Shem, it is plainly intimated thereby, that the Lord would be his God in a particular manner: and of Shem, as concerning the flesh, Christ came. And Canaan shall be HIS servant, should rather be, their servant, or servant to them; that is, to his brethren. This, as we before observed, is the main part of the prophecy, and therefore so frequently repeated.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.
These expressions are prophetical! 800 years after you may read their accomplishment. Jos 9:23 ; Jdg 1:28 , &c,
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Gen 9:26 And he said, Blessed [be] the LORD God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.
Ver. 26. Blessed be the Lord God of Shem. ] Shem seems to have been the chief actor and persuader of that reverent behaviour; and therefore, as he is first named, Gen 9:23 before his elder brother Japhet; so here he hath the first and chief blessing. It is good to be first in a good matter, yea, prompt and “present to every good work,” as Paul hath it. Tit 3:1
And Canaan shall be his servant.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Blessed. Fulfillment in Shem being in the line of the promised seed, and in the overthrow of Canaanites.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Blessed: Deu 33:26, Psa 144:15, Rom 9:5
the Lord: Gen 10:10-26, Gen 12:1-3, Luk 3:23-36
Shem: Heb 11:16
his servant: or, servant to them, Gen 27:37, Gen 27:40
Reciprocal: Gen 10:21 – Shem Gen 10:22 – children Gen 14:4 – they served Gen 14:20 – blessed Gen 24:27 – Blessed Gen 27:29 – Let people Deu 33:20 – Blessed Jos 9:8 – General Jos 9:23 – General 1Ki 9:21 – bondservice 1Ch 1:13 – Canaan Dan 3:28 – Blessed Luk 1:68 – Blessed Luk 3:36 – Sem
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Gen 9:26. Blessed be the Lord God of Shem Abraham and all his posterity were included in the descendants of Shem, as appears from the next chapter. Our Lord Jesus Christ, therefore, in whom all the nations of the earth are to be blessed, sprang from him. Well, therefore, might Jehovah be called the Lord God of Shem. Most of the worshippers of the true God, before the coming of the Messiah, were of his seed, and afterward the descendants of Shem were the chief instruments of bringing other nations to join in Gods worship, and to partake of the blessings of his salvation. Thus Shem is well recompensed for his respect to his father, and the being thus informed of the blessings that awaited his posterity, must have been a great consolation to him, as it, no doubt, was afterward to the truly pious of his seed.