27
May Elohimאֱלֹהִיםmake roomיַפְתְּfor Japheth,לְיֶפֶתand let him liveוְיִשְׁכֹּןin the tentsבְּאָהֳלֵיof Shem;שֵׁםand letוִיהִיCanaanכְנַעַןbeיהִיtheirלָמוֹslave.”עֶבֶד
Genesis 9:27
Study it in the app“May Elohim make room for Japheth, and let him live in the tents of Shem; and let Canaan be their slave.””
With the Hebrew beneath
Genesis 9:27, word by word
- May Elohimאֱלֹהִיםelohim
Elohim
The one true God, the Creator; the word is plural but means one.
Where else “elohim” appears- make roomיַפְתְּyaft
leave open
To leave wide open; to open the mouth without restraint.
Where else “yaft” appears- for Japhethיֶפֶתyefet
Japheth
Japheth, one of the three sons of Noah; also his descendants.
Where else “yefet” appears- and let him liveיִשְׁכֹּןyishkon
dwell
To live somewhere, stay.
Where else “yishkon” appears- in the tentsאָהֳלֵיahole
tent
A home of cloth or skins on poles, where herdsmen lived; also one's home.
Where else “ahole” appears- of Shemשֵׁםshem
Shem
Shem, one of the three sons of Noah; Abraham descends from him. The name also stands for his descendants.
Where else “shem” appears- and letיהִיyhi
be
To be: "I will be their Elohim".
Where else “yhi” appears- Canaanכְנַעַןchenaan
Canaan
See it on the mapWhere else “chenaan” appears- slaveעֶבֶדeved
slave
A person who belongs to a master and works for him, without freedom of his own.
Where else “eved” appears
Translation note
“Make room” (yaft) sounds like the name of Japheth (Yefet).
Places in this verse
Canaan
Today: Israel, West Bank, Gaza, Lebanon, western Syria
The land between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea, today Israel, Palestine and parts of Lebanon.
God promised this land to Abraham and his descendants (Gen 17:8). Israel entered it after forty years in the wilderness (Josh 5:12).
The context
26And he said, “Blessed be YHWH, the Elohim of Shem; and let Canaan be their slave.
27 · This verse (above)
28And Noah lived after the flood three hundred and fifty years.
To study Genesis 9 in a group
1. What it says
What sign did Elohim set as a covenant with Noah and every living creature (vv. 12-13)?
2. What it means
What does verse 6 say about the value of human life, and what reason does it give?
3. How I live it
What simple sign can help you remember Elohim’s promises today?