Did God curse black African people with slavery? The short answer to this question is simply NO. The Holy Scriptures do not teach any doctrine, which is based on human skin color.  God created black African people in His image and likeness like all other non-black ethnic populations. The “curse on Ham” (Genesis 9:25) and the Mark on Cain (Genesis 4) sprang the idea that God cursed black populations to be subservient to other ethnic groups. These biblical passages reveal nothing about Ham or Cain’s physical appearance. Those who say that God cursed black African people with dark skin and servitude have no biblical basis for their claims.

The “curse on Ham” doctrine is false. White supremacists and anti-Christian bigots teach this false doctrine partly because they want to discourage black African people from embracing the God of the Holy Scriptures.  According to Genesis chapter 9, Ham sees his father lying drunk and naked in his tent (Genesis 9:20–22). Ham tells his brothers of their father’s condition, and the brothers avert their eyes from seeing their fathers nakedness and they respectfully cover their father (Genesis 9:23). When Noah awoke from his wine and found out what his youngest son had done to him, he said, “Cursed be Canaan! The lowest of slaves will he be to his brothers” (Genesis 9:24-25, NIV).

False teachers incorrectly assume that this verse is referring to Ham in this biblical passage. However, if Ham is the person being referred to in Genesis 9:24 as offending Noah, why should the curse fall on his son Canaan? The most likely answer is that this verse is not referring to Ham, but to Canaan. The expression is “HIS YOUNGEST SON.” Who is Noah’s youngest son? In Genesis, the author repeatedly refers to Ham as the SECOND SON OF NOAH, never the youngest son (5:32, 6:10, 7:13, 9:18 and 10:1). Noah’s curse on “his youngest son” refers to Canaan because of some kind of disrespectful sinful act done to Noah when Noah was asleep in his tent, which the author never recorded in the Bible. The author sometimes uses the paleo-Hebrew word for “Son” to mean “grandson” and great grandson, and it seems the author used the same word here in this manner. Because Canaan was the “youngest” of all Noah’s grandsons during this period, the curse was clearly on Canaan and his descendants only. The text clearly says the curse is on Canaan rather than Ham. Canaan and his offspring were to be subject to Japheth and Shem before their defeat and enslavement during the generation of Joshua. This textual analysis means the correct reading of the Genesis passage should be: “When Noah awoke from his wine and found out what his youngest son (CANAAN) had done to him, he said, “Cursed be Canaan! The lowest of slaves he will be to his brothers” (Genesis 9:24-25 NIV).

ANALYSIS OF NOAH’S CURSE

Since the Holy Scriptures reveals no details about Canaan’s specific actions in Noah’s tent, the exact reason for Noah’s curse on Canaan is unknown. Whatever happened, Noah was greatly displeased and cursed his grandson Canaan. The Bible does not relate exactly how Canaan’s descendants would serve Japheth and Shem. Generations later, Canaan’s line did indeed experience enslavement under Shem’s descendants. The Israelites (who are Shemites) defeated and subjugated many of the Canaanites during the conquest of the Promised Land.  The Canaanites became the ancestors of the Phoenicians. The Phoenicians were builders of great cities, navigators, and inventors. The Phoenicians were a free people for generations. However, the Greeks under Alexander the Great (who descended from Japheth) conquered and enslaved the Tyrians (who descended from the Phoenicians). The Romans (who descended from Japheth)  conquered  and enslaved the  Carthaginians ( who descended from the Phoenicians).

For many years, false teachers interpret Noah’s curse to justify the domination, subjugation, and enslavement of black African populations worldwide. However, Noah could not have cursed Ham because God had already blessed Ham along with his brothers, according to Genesis 9:1

. The first great post-flood civilizations in the Middle East and North Africa all originated from the descendants of Ham.  The first rulers of Babylon and Egypt were primarily the descendants of Ham.  The descendants of Ham were great navigators who traveled to North, Central, and South America generations before Christopher Columbus. They built great post-flood civilizations, such as empires of Assyria, Babylon, Kush, Egypt, and Ethiopia, many generations before the rise of Greece and Rome.

PRIMARY SOURCES: The Holy Bible New International Version; 2014. Ancient Egypt; Donald P. Ryan, Ph.D.2002. Middle East Conflict; Mitchell G. Bard, Ph.D.; 2008. The Middle East; Craig S. Davis,PhD; 2003. World History; Peter Haugen; 2009. Got Questions Articles on the “Curse on  Ham”. New King James Version (NKJV). Greek Septuagint (LXX)