Genesis 9:21
New International Version
When he drank some of its wine, he became drunk and lay uncovered inside his tent.

New Living Translation
One day he drank some wine he had made, and he became drunk and lay naked inside his tent.

English Standard Version
He drank of the wine and became drunk and lay uncovered in his tent.

Berean Standard Bible
But when he drank some of its wine, he became drunk and uncovered himself inside his tent.

King James Bible
And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent.

New King James Version
Then he drank of the wine and was drunk, and became uncovered in his tent.

New American Standard Bible
He drank some of the wine and became drunk, and uncovered himself inside his tent.

NASB 1995
He drank of the wine and became drunk, and uncovered himself inside his tent.

NASB 1977
And he drank of the wine and became drunk, and uncovered himself inside his tent.

Legacy Standard Bible
And he drank of the wine and became drunk and uncovered himself inside his tent.

Amplified Bible
He drank some of the wine and became drunk, and he was uncovered and lay exposed inside his tent.

Christian Standard Bible
He drank some of the wine, became drunk, and uncovered himself inside his tent.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
He drank some of the wine, became drunk, and uncovered himself inside his tent.

American Standard Version
and he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent.

Contemporary English Version
One day he got drunk and was lying naked in his tent.

English Revised Version
and he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
He drank some wine, got drunk, and lay naked inside his tent.

Good News Translation
After he drank some of the wine, he became drunk, took off his clothes, and lay naked in his tent.

International Standard Version
He drank some of the wine, got drunk, and lay down naked right in the middle of his tent.

Majority Standard Bible
But when he drank some of its wine, he became drunk and uncovered himself inside his tent.

NET Bible
When he drank some of the wine, he got drunk and uncovered himself inside his tent.

New Heart English Bible
He drank of the wine and got drunk. He was uncovered within his tent.

Webster's Bible Translation
And he drank the wine, and was drunken, and he was uncovered within his tent.

World English Bible
He drank of the wine and got drunk. He was uncovered within his tent.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and drinks of the wine, and is drunken, and uncovers himself in the midst of the tent.

Young's Literal Translation
and drinketh of the wine, and is drunken, and uncovereth himself in the midst of the tent.

Smith's Literal Translation
And he will drink of the wine and he will be intoxicated, and will be uncovered within his tent.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And drinking of the wine was made drunk, and was uncovered in his tent.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And by drinking its wine, he became inebriated and was naked in his tent.

New American Bible
He drank some of the wine, became drunk, and lay naked inside his tent.

New Revised Standard Version
He drank some of the wine and became drunk, and he lay uncovered in his tent.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And he drank of its wine, and became drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And he drank from its wine and he was drunk and he was exposed within the tent.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And he drank of the wine, and was drunk, and was naked in his house.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Noah's Shame and Canaan's Curse
20Now Noah, a man of the soil, proceeded to plant a vineyard. 21But when he drank some of its wine, he became drunk and uncovered himself inside his tent. 22And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father’s nakedness and told his two brothers outside.…

Cross References
Ephesians 5:18
Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to reckless indiscretion. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.

Proverbs 20:1
Wine is a mocker, strong drink is a brawler, and whoever is led astray by them is not wise.

Isaiah 28:7
These also stagger from wine and stumble from strong drink: Priests and prophets reel from strong drink and are befuddled by wine. They stumble because of strong drink, muddled in their visions and stumbling in their judgments.

Habakkuk 2:15
Woe to him who gives drink to his neighbors, pouring it from the wineskin until they are drunk, in order to gaze at their nakedness!

1 Corinthians 6:10
nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor verbal abusers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.

Galatians 5:21
and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Romans 13:13
Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.

1 Peter 4:3
For you have spent enough time in the past carrying out the same desires as the Gentiles: living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing, and detestable idolatry.

Luke 21:34
But watch yourselves, or your hearts will be weighed down by dissipation, drunkenness, and the worries of life—and that day will spring upon you suddenly like a snare.

1 Thessalonians 5:7
For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night.

Proverbs 23:29-35
Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaints? Who has needless wounds? Who has bloodshot eyes? / Those who linger over wine, who go to taste mixed drinks. / Do not gaze at wine while it is red, when it sparkles in the cup and goes down smoothly. ...

Leviticus 10:9
“You and your sons are not to drink wine or strong drink when you enter the Tent of Meeting, or else you will die; this is a permanent statute for the generations to come.

Deuteronomy 21:20
and say to the elders, “This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious; he does not obey us. He is a glutton and a drunkard.”

1 Samuel 25:36-37
When Abigail returned to Nabal, there he was in the house, holding a feast fit for a king, in high spirits and very drunk. So she told him nothing until morning light. / In the morning when Nabal was sober, his wife told him about these events, and his heart failed within him, and he became like a stone.

2 Samuel 11:13
Then David invited Uriah to eat and drink with him, and he got Uriah drunk. And in the evening Uriah went out to lie down on his cot with his master’s servants, but he did not go home.


Treasury of Scripture

And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent.

and was.

Genesis 6:9
These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.

Genesis 19:32-36
Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father…

Proverbs 20:1
Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.

and he.

Habakkuk 2:15,16
Woe unto him that giveth his neighbour drink, that puttest thy bottle to him, and makest him drunken also, that thou mayest look on their nakedness! …

Revelation 3:18
I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

Jump to Previous
Drank Drink Drinketh Drunk Drunken Inside Lay Midst Overcome Tent Uncovered Uncovereth Wine Within
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Drank Drink Drinketh Drunk Drunken Inside Lay Midst Overcome Tent Uncovered Uncovereth Wine Within
Genesis 9
1. God blesses Noah and his sons, and grants them flesh for food.
4. Blood and murder are forbidden.
8. God's covenant, of which the rainbow was constituted a pledge.
18. Noah's family replenishes the world.
20. Noah plants a vineyard,
21. Is drunken, and mocked by his son;
25. Curses Canaan;
26. Blesses Shem;
27. Prays for Japheth, and dies.














But when he drank some of its wine
This phrase highlights Noah's consumption of wine, which he produced from the vineyard he planted after the flood. The cultivation of vineyards and the production of wine were common practices in ancient Near Eastern cultures, indicating Noah's return to agricultural life. Wine in the Bible often symbolizes joy and blessing (Psalm 104:15), but it also serves as a warning against excess (Proverbs 20:1). This incident marks the first mention of drunkenness in Scripture, illustrating the potential for misuse of God's gifts.

he became drunk
Noah's drunkenness is a significant moment, as it shows the vulnerability of even the most righteous individuals to sin. This event serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of overindulgence and losing self-control, which is a recurring theme throughout the Bible (Ephesians 5:18). It also foreshadows the moral failures of humanity post-flood, despite God's covenant with Noah.

and uncovered himself
The act of uncovering oneself is often associated with shame and dishonor in biblical texts. In the cultural context of the ancient Near East, nakedness was considered a state of vulnerability and disgrace (Genesis 3:7). This incident with Noah parallels the shame experienced by Adam and Eve after the fall, highlighting the ongoing struggle with sin and the need for redemption.

inside his tent
The setting of this event within Noah's tent suggests a private matter that becomes public due to the actions of his son Ham. Tents were the primary dwellings of nomadic peoples, providing shelter and privacy. The breach of privacy by Ham, who later sees his father's nakedness, sets the stage for the subsequent curse on Canaan. This incident underscores the importance of respecting family boundaries and the consequences of failing to do so.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Noah
A righteous man chosen by God to survive the flood and repopulate the earth. After the flood, he became a farmer and planted a vineyard.

2. Noah's Tent
The private space where Noah became drunk and exposed himself, leading to subsequent events involving his sons.

3. The Vineyard
Represents Noah's post-flood agricultural endeavors, which led to the production of wine and his subsequent intoxication.
Teaching Points
The Dangers of Intoxication
Noah's experience serves as a cautionary tale about the loss of self-control and dignity that can result from drunkenness. Believers are encouraged to exercise moderation and self-discipline.

The Importance of Personal Responsibility
Noah's actions had consequences not only for himself but also for his family. This underscores the importance of personal responsibility and the impact of our actions on others.

The Role of Accountability
The incident with Noah and his sons highlights the need for accountability within families and communities. Believers are called to support and correct one another in love.

The Grace of God in Human Weakness
Despite Noah's failure, God’s covenant with him remained intact. This illustrates God's grace and faithfulness, even when we fall short.

The Call to Holiness
As followers of Christ, we are called to live lives that reflect God's holiness, avoiding behaviors that lead to shame and dishonor.(21) He was uncovered is, literally, he uncovered himself. It was no accident, but a wilful breach of modesty.

Verse 21. - And he drank of the wine. יַיִן; "perhaps so called from bubbling up and fermenting;" connected with יָוַן (Gesenius). Though the first mention of wine in Scripture, it is scarcely probable that the natural process of fermentation for so many centuries escaped the notice of the enterprising Cainites, or even of the Sethites; that, "though grapes had been in use before this, wine had not been extracted from them" (Murphy); or that Noah was unacquainted with the nature and effects of this intoxicating liquor (Chrysostom, Theodoret, Keil, Lunge). The article before יַיִן indicates that the patriarch was "familiar with the use and treatment" of the grape (Kalisch); and Moses does not say this was the first occasion on which the patriarch tasted the fermented liquor (Calvin, Wordsworth). And was drunken. The verb שָׁכַר (whence shechar, strong drink, Numbers 28:7), to drink to the full, very often signifies to make oneself drunken, or simply to be intoxicated as the result of drinking; and that which the Holy Spirit here reprobates is not the partaking of the fruit of the vine, but the drinking so as to be intoxicated thereby. Since the sin of Noah cannot be ascribed to ignorance, it is perhaps right, as well as charitable, to attribute it to ago and inadvertence. Six hundred years old at the time of the Flood, he must have been considerably beyond this when Ham saw him overtaken in his fault, since Canaan was Ham's fourth son (Genesis 10:6), and the first was not born till after the exit from the ark (Genesis 8:18). But from whatever cause induced, the drunkenness of Noah was not entirely guiltless; it was sinful in itself, and led to further shame. And he was uncovered. Literally, he uncovered himself. Hithpael of גָּלַה, to make naked, which more correctly indicates the personal guilt of the patriarch than the A.V., or the LXX., ἐγυμνώθη. That intoxication tends to sensuality cf. the cases of Lot (Genesis 19:33), Ahasuerus (Esther 1:10, 11), Belshazzar (Daniel 5:1-6). Within his tent. Ἐν τῷ οἴκῷ αὐτοῦ (LXX.).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
But when he drank
וַיֵּ֥שְׁתְּ (way·yê·šət)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 8354: To imbibe

some of
מִן־ (min-)
Preposition
Strong's 4480: A part of, from, out of

its wine,
הַיַּ֖יִן (hay·ya·yin)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3196: Wine, intoxication

he became drunk
וַיִּשְׁכָּ֑ר (way·yiš·kār)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7937: To become tipsy, to satiate with a, stimulating drink, influence

and uncovered himself
וַיִּתְגַּ֖ל (way·yiṯ·gal)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hitpael - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1540: To denude, to exile, to reveal

inside
בְּת֥וֹךְ (bə·ṯō·wḵ)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 8432: A bisection, the centre

his tent.
אָהֳלֹֽה׃‪‬ (’ā·ho·lōh)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 168: A tent


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OT Law: Genesis 9:21 He drank of the wine and got (Gen. Ge Gn)
Genesis 9:20
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