Genesis 9:25-27
“And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren. And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.”
King James Version · the opening — all 3 verses are below
More of Genesis 9 on this siteGenesis 9:11
Noah's prophetic blessing — the LORD identified as 'the God of Shem,' through whose line salvation comes, with Japheth (the Gentiles) dwelling in Shem's tents.
Read the whole passage — all 3 verses (KJV)
9:25And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren.
9:26And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.
9:27God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.
Fulfillment References
Genesis 10:21-31 Romans 11:17 Ephesians 2:11-13 Luke 3:36
How Traditions Read This Prophecy
Apostolic (Oneness) PentecostalThe 'LORD God of Shem' whose line bears salvation is fulfilled in Jesus, through whom the Gentiles dwell in the tents of Shem (Eph. 2:13).
JewishNoah blesses Shem's line (from which Israel descends) and foresees Japheth dwelling in Shem's tents — read of the precedence of Shem's covenant line.
CatholicThe Messianic line traced through Shem; Japheth's dwelling in Shem's tents read of the Gentiles' entry into the covenant blessings.
ProtestantThe line of promise runs through Shem; many see 'Japheth in the tents of Shem' fulfilled as Gentiles share Israel's spiritual blessings (Rom. 11).
OrthodoxThe covenant line of Shem and the ingathering of the nations foreshadowed.
DispensationalThe Semitic line of promise, with Gentile blessing through it in the present age.
AcademicA table-of-nations etiology read as explaining Israel's relation to neighboring peoples, later given a christological / Gentile-inclusion reading.
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Audio narration (listen to this prophecy read aloud), cross-references, Hebrew/Greek, Dead Sea Scrolls notes, a prophetic timeline, network maps, study tools and multi-tradition analysis in the interactive explorer.
Bible Prophecy Explorer · based on J. Barton Payne’s Encyclopedia of Biblical Prophecy catalogue · an openly Apostolic (Oneness) Pentecostal study resource — all traditions presented fairly. Pastor: C. Myles Young, D.Min. · Bishop: Nathaniel J. Wilson, Ed.D.