MPV Commentary

13. God sets his bow in the cloud as a pledge of peace. This familiar phenomenon would be welcomed with joy when showers began to fall.

20. Noah planted a vineyard after leaving the ark. He had likely been trained in agriculture and resumed this work on land.

21. Noah drank wine from his vineyard and became intoxicated, possibly during harvest festivities. This incident is seen as an isolated mistake by someone known for their piety, perhaps due to age or carelessness.

24. This event likely occurred about twenty years after the flood, when Canaan was born. The prophecy that follows may have been spoken near the end of Noah's life, when he received a prophetic spirit. This is suggested because his death immediately follows this passage.

25. Cursed be Canaan - This judgment has been fulfilled in the destruction of the Canaanites and the degradation of Egypt, which led to the slavery of Africans, descendants of Ham.

26. Blessed be the Lord God of Shem - An expression indicating that the descendants of Shem would be honored in serving the true God. The Jewish people, who descended from Shem, established a church among them, and Christ came from their flesh. They took possession of Canaan, with its inhabitants becoming their servants either through conquest or submission.

27. God will enlarge Japheth's posterity and possessions. His descendants have been active and enterprising, spreading across the best and largest portions of the world - all Europe and a significant part of Asia.