Gen. 9:23 in context
The whole interlinear chapter
Gen. 9:22      Gen. 9:24

Genesis 9:23

Shem and Japheth took a cloth and put it on both their shoulders and walked backward and covered their father's nakedness. Both their faces were turned away so that they did not see their father's nakedness.
[What had Ham done? Seeing someone's nakedness is a Hebrew euphemism for a sexual act, see Lev. 18:6–19. Since verse 24 says that Ham "did" something to Noah, it can be interpreted that he not only saw, but also humiliated his father in some way. Some Jewish commentators note that there is no mention of Noah having any more children, so perhaps Ham castrated him. Others have suggested a homosexual act, but different words are used in Lev. 18:22. The punishment is also very severe, which may indicate that he did not just see. At the same time, nudity is something shameful in Hebrew culture, see Gen. 2:25; 3:7. Deliberately exposing one's parents was a serious offense, see Ex. 20:12. What suggests that he "only" saw is that the same word "see" is used about the brothers Shem and Japheth, who did not see and physically covered their father. Verses 22-23 are structured as a chiasm, where the first phrase is "and saw... his father's nakedness" and it ends with the brothers "and did not see their father's nakedness."]
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The hebrew text BETA

Hebrew Masoretic text (MA), Read from right to left

וַיִּקַּח   שֵׁם   וָיֶפֶת   אֶת   הַשִּׂמְלָה   וַיָּשִׂימוּ   עַל   שְׁכֶם   שְׁנֵיהֶם   וַיֵּלְכוּ   אֲחֹרַנִּית   וַיְכַסּוּ   אֵת   עֶרְוַת   אֲבִיהֶם   וּפְנֵיהֶם   אֲחֹרַנִּית   וְעֶרְוַת   אֲבִיהֶם   לֹא   רָאוּ  

Greek Septuagint (LXX), Read from left to right

καὶ λαβόντες Σημ καὶ Ιαφεθ τὸ ἱμάτιον ἐπέθεντο ἐπὶ τὰ δύο νῶτα αὐτῶν καὶ ἐπορεύθησαν ὀπισθοφανῶς καὶ συνεκάλυψαν τὴν γύμνωσιν τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτῶν καὶ τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτῶν ὀπισθοφανές καὶ τὴν γύμνωσιν τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτῶν οὐκ εἶδον

Interlinear — horizontal

Below is an interlinear translation which follows the original scripture word for word. We are still working on the lexicon. Please contact us if you want to help.



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Interlinear — table

Below is an interlinear version in table form that follows the word order of the original text. Clicking on the Strongs number will show the words in their basic form (note that sometimes the grammar causes not only the endings to change, but also the initial letters of the word).


Strongs nr Hebrew English Grammar Code
H9001
H3947
 וַ (va)
יִּקַּח֩ (jiqach)
 seq
to take
Conj. Conjunktion

Verb Verb
qal wayyiqtol 3p ♂ sing. qal wayyiqtol (sequential imperfect) third person masculine singular

c
Vqw3ms
H8035
 שֵׁ֨ם (shem)
 Shem
Noun Noun
♂ masculine
Name/Place name/place

 Npm
H9002
H3315
 וָ (va)
יֶ֜פֶת (jefet)
 and
Japheth
Conj. Conjunktion

Noun Noun
♂ masculine
Name/Place name/place

 C
Npm
H0853
H9014
 אֶת (et-)
־
obj.
link
Particle Particle (Direct Object Marker)

 To
H9009
H8071
 הַ (ha)
שִּׂמְלָ֗ה (simelah)
 the
mantle
Particle Particle (Definite Article)

Noun Noun
♀ sing. feminine singular Absolute state

 Td
Ncfsa
H9001
H7760a
 וַ (va)
יָּשִׂ֙ימוּ֙ (jasimo)
 seq
to set
Conj. Conjunktion

Verb Verb
qal wayyiqtol 3p ♂ pl. qal wayyiqtol (sequential imperfect) third person masculine plural

c
Vqw3mp
H5921a
H9014
 עַל (al-)
־
upon
link
Prep. Preposition

 R
H7926
 שְׁכֶ֣ם (shekhem)
 shoulder
Noun Noun
♂/♀ sing. gen. masculine och feminine singular Construct state

Ncbsc
H8147
H9028
 שְׁנֵי (shenei)
הֶ֔ם (hem)
 two
their
Adj. Adjective
♂/♀ dual (couple) gen. masculine och feminine dual (2/a couple) Construct state

Suffix Suffix
pron. 3p ♂ pl. Pronominal third person masculine plural

Acbdc
Sp3mp
H9001
H1980
 וַ (va)
יֵּֽלְכוּ֙ (jelekho)
 seq
to go
Conj. Conjunktion

Verb Verb
qal wayyiqtol 3p ♂ pl. qal wayyiqtol (sequential imperfect) third person masculine plural

c
Vqw3mp
H0322
 אֲחֹ֣רַנִּ֔ית (achóranit)
 backwards
Adv. Adverb

 D
H9001
H3680
 וַ (va)
יְכַסּ֕וּ (jekhaso)
 seq
to cover
Conj. Conjunktion

Verb Verb
piel wayyiqtol 3p ♂ pl. piel wayyiqtol (sequential imperfect) third person masculine plural

c
Vpw3mp
H0853
 אֵ֖ת (et)
 obj.
Particle Particle (Direct Object Marker)

 To
H6172
 עֶרְוַ֣ת (erevat)
 nakedness
Noun Noun
♀ sing. gen. feminine singular Construct state

Ncfsc
H0001
H9028
 אֲבִי (avi)
הֶ֑ם (hem)
 father
their
Noun Noun
♂/♀ sing. gen. masculine och feminine singular Construct state

Suffix Suffix
pron. 3p ♂ pl. Pronominal third person masculine plural

Ncbsc
Sp3mp
H9002
H6440
H9028
 וּ (o)
פְנֵי (fenei)
הֶם֙ (hem)
 and
face
their
Conj. Conjunktion

Noun Noun
♂ pl. gen. masculine plural Construct state

Suffix Suffix
pron. 3p ♂ pl. Pronominal third person masculine plural

C
Ncmpc
Sp3mp
H0322
 אֲחֹ֣רַנִּ֔ית (achóranit)
 backwards
Adv. Adverb

 D
H9002
H6172
 וְ (ve)
עֶרְוַ֥ת (erevat)
 and
nakedness
Conj. Conjunktion

Noun Noun
♀ sing. gen. feminine singular Construct state

C
Ncfsc
H0001
H9028
 אֲבִי (avi)
הֶ֖ם (hem)
 father
their
Noun Noun
♂/♀ sing. gen. masculine och feminine singular Construct state

Suffix Suffix
pron. 3p ♂ pl. Pronominal third person masculine plural

Ncbsc
Sp3mp
H3808
 לֹ֥א (ló)
 not
Particle – negation Particle (Negative)

 Tn
H7200
H9016
 רָאֽוּ (rao)
׃
to see
verseEnd
Verb Verb
qal qatal 3p pl. qal qatal third person plural

Vqp3cp

The color of the words tell you how rare the word is, the more red, the fewer uses.

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