← All Chapters The Book of Genesis · Chapter 9

Genesis 9: Covenant of the Rainbow

God blesses Noah, establishes a covenant never to flood the earth again, and sets the rainbow as its sign.

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Genesis 9 (WEB)

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

2 The fear of you and the dread of you will be on every animal of the earth, and on every bird of the sky. Everything that moves along the ground, and all the fish of the sea, are delivered into your hand.

3 Every moving thing that lives will be food for you. As I gave you the green herb, I have given everything to you.

4 But flesh with its life, that is, its blood, you shall not eat.

5 I will surely require your blood of your lives; at the hand of every animal I will require it. At the hand of man, even at the hand of every man’s brother, I will require the life of man.

6 Whoever sheds man’s blood, his blood will be shed by man, for God made man in his own image.

7 Be fruitful and multiply. Increase abundantly in the earth, and multiply in it.”

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

9 “As for me, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your offspring after you,

10 and with every living creature that is with you: the birds, the livestock, and every animal of the earth with you, of all that go out of the ship, even every animal of the earth.

11 I will establish my covenant with you: All flesh will not be cut off any more by the waters of the flood, neither will there ever again be a flood to destroy the earth.”

12 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 generations:

13 I set my rainbow in the cloud, and it will be a sign of a covenant between me and the earth.

14 When I bring a cloud over the earth, that the rainbow will be seen 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 will no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.

16 The rainbow will be in the cloud. I will look at it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.”

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

18 The sons of Noah who went out from the ship were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Ham is the father of Canaan.

19 These three were the sons of Noah, and from these, the whole earth was populated.

20 Noah began to be a farmer, and planted a vineyard.

21 He drank of the wine and got drunk. He was uncovered within his tent.

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

23 Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it on both their shoulders, went in backwards, and covered the nakedness of their father. Their faces were backwards, and they didn’t see their father’s nakedness.

24 Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his youngest son had done to him.

25 He said, “Canaan is cursed. He will be a servant of servants to his brothers.”

26 He said, “Blessed be Yahweh, the God of Shem. Let Canaan be his servant.

27 May God enlarge Japheth. Let him dwell in the tents of Shem. Let Canaan be his servant.”

28 Noah lived three hundred fifty years after the flood.

29 All the days of Noah were nine hundred fifty years, and then he died.

Summary

God blesses Noah and his sons, renewing the call to be fruitful and fill the earth and granting animals as food, while forbidding eating blood and requiring accountability for shedding human blood, because people are made in God's image. God then establishes a covenant with Noah, his descendants, and every living creature, promising never again to destroy the earth by flood. He gives the rainbow in the clouds as the perpetual sign that he will remember this everlasting covenant. The chapter closes on a sobering note: Noah plants a vineyard, becomes drunk, and lies uncovered. Ham dishonors his father by exposing the matter, while Shem and Japheth respectfully cover Noah. On waking, Noah pronounces a curse on Canaan and blessings on Shem and Japheth. Noah lives to nine hundred fifty years and dies.

Main Characters

  • God — The covenant-maker who blesses humanity, values human life as his image, and pledges mercy through the rainbow.
  • Noah — The blessed patriarch who receives the covenant, then falls into drunkenness and speaks blessing and curse over his sons.
  • Ham — Noah's son who dishonors his father by exposing his nakedness, leading to the curse on his son Canaan.
  • Shem and Japheth — The sons who honor their father by covering him without looking, and receive Noah's blessing.

Key Verse

Genesis 9:13 (WEB)

I set my rainbow in the cloud, and it will be a sign of a covenant between me and the earth.

Lessons Learned

  • Human life is sacred because every person is made in the image of God.
  • God binds himself by covenant and gives visible signs to assure us of his faithfulness.
  • Even those greatly used by God remain vulnerable to sin and need ongoing grace.
  • Honoring others, especially in their weakness, reflects godly character.
  • Every human being bears God's image. God grounds the sanctity of life in the fact that he made man in his own image, giving each person inherent dignity (Genesis 9:6, WEB).
  • God initiates and keeps covenant. God says, 'I establish my covenant with you,' showing that he takes the first step to bind himself to his people in mercy (Genesis 9:11, WEB).
  • God gives signs to assure faltering faith. He sets his rainbow in the cloud as a visible token of the covenant between himself and the earth (Genesis 9:13, WEB).
  • God himself remembers his promises. When the rainbow appears, God says he will remember the everlasting covenant, so our security rests on his memory, not ours (Genesis 9:16, WEB).
  • Spiritual leaders are still capable of falling. Noah, the man of faith and obedience, becomes drunk and lies uncovered, a warning that no one outgrows the need for vigilance (Genesis 9:21, WEB).
  • Love covers rather than exposes. Shem and Japheth walk backward to cover their father without shaming him, modeling honor toward those in weakness (Genesis 9:23, WEB).
  1. Why does God ground the value of human life in people being made in his image (Genesis 9:6)?
  2. What does the rainbow signify in the covenant, and whom does God say he will remember when he sees it (Genesis 9:15-16)?
  3. How do the responses of Ham versus Shem and Japheth differ when faced with their father's failure?
  4. How does the truth that every person bears God's image change the way you treat people you encounter this week?
  5. When you become aware of another person's weakness or sin, how can you respond with the covering grace of Shem and Japheth?
  1. Because being made in God's image gives every person a dignity that comes from God himself; an attack on human life is an affront to the Creator. This grounds justice and the worth of each individual.
  2. The rainbow is the token of God's covenant; when he sees it he remembers his promise never again to destroy all flesh by flood. The sign points to God's faithfulness, reassuring every living creature.
  3. Ham exposes and broadcasts his father's shame, while Shem and Japheth deliberately cover him without even looking. The contrast shows the difference between dishonoring and honoring, between gossip and grace.
  4. Personal: encourage members to consider treating cashiers, strangers, opponents, and difficult people as image-bearers of God. Invite specific commitments to greater patience, respect, and dignity.
  5. Personal: prompt honest reflection. Encourage members to protect others' reputations, address sin privately and gently, and 'cover' weakness with discretion rather than exposing it, as Shem and Japheth did.

Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible (WEB), the King James Version (KJV), and the American Standard Version (ASV), all of which are in the public domain.