Ham saw his father naked, why Noah cursed Canaan (Son of Ham) instead of Ham?

GENESIS 9:20-25
20 And Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard:

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

22 And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without.

23 And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father's nakedness.

24 And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him.

25 And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren.

It’s an interesting incident. I believe that Ham slept with his mother in a bid to take over as head of the family
(there are clues later in the law to this effect). The curse on Canaan excluded him from the family lineage.

Ham uncovering Noah's nakedness could mean he had sexual relations with his mother while his father
was drunk; Canaan being cursed in such a case would indicate that he was the progeny of such a sin.

Leviticus 18:7 ~ You must not expose the nakedness of your father by having sexual relations
with your mother. She is your mother; you must not have sexual relations with her.

Levitical laws: “None of you shall approach any one of his close relatives to uncover nakedness.”
The phrase “to uncover nakedness” is aptly a euphemism for sexual intercourse, which is how the
NIV translates it throughout Leviticus 18. The phrase “to see the nakedness of” is used in Leviticus
20, again as a euphemism for incest: “If a man takes his sister... and sees her nakedness, and she sees
his nakedness, it is a disgrace...” (Leviticus 20:17). The first act of incest Moses forbids is between a son
and his mother. “You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father, which is the nakedness of your
mother; she is your mother, you shall not uncover her nakedness” (Leviticus 18:7).

GENESIS 9:20-25
20 And Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard:

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

22 And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without.

23 And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father's nakedness.

24 And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him.

25 And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren.

Ham uncovering Noah's nakedness could mean he had sexual relations with his mother while his father
was drunk; Canaan being cursed in such a case would indicate that he was the progeny of such a sin.

Leviticus 18:7 ~ You must not expose the nakedness of your father by having sexual relations
with your mother. She is your mother; you must not have sexual relations with her.

Levitical laws: “None of you shall approach any one of his close relatives to uncover nakedness.”
The phrase “to uncover nakedness” is aptly a euphemism for sexual intercourse, which is how the
NIV translates it throughout Leviticus 18. The phrase “to see the nakedness of” is used in Leviticus
20, again as a euphemism for incest: “If a man takes his sister... and sees her nakedness, and she sees
his nakedness, it is a disgrace...” (Leviticus 20:17). The first act of incest Moses forbids is between a son
and his mother. “You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father, which is the nakedness of your
mother; she is your mother, you shall not uncover her nakedness” (Leviticus 18:7).

GENESIS 9:20-25
20 And Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard:

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

22 And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without.

23 And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father's nakedness.

24 And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him.

25 And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren.

Thanks for providing the details... I made my post on my phone in a spare moment.

how were there giants in Canaan since the nephilim were all destroyed in the flood?

You are welcome! I know this topic has come up before and we've both posted on it...

Magenta, if that really happened wouldn't have the Bible just said so?

GENESIS 9:20-25
20 And Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard:

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

22 And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without.

23 And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father's nakedness.

24 And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him.

25 And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren.

That is how the law defined uncovering someone's nakedness... and it was offered as a possibility, given that it is in Scripture.

Thanks. This is the first time I've heard of this theory. I was thinking it was like: How can you respect God, our Father in heaven, if you don't respect your father on earth? That's why Noah curses Ham and his son Canaan and all the people that come from his line.

GENESIS 9:20-25
20 And Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard:

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

22 And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without.

23 And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father's nakedness.

24 And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him.

25 And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren.

Ham uncovering Noah's nakedness could mean he had sexual relations with his mother while his father
was drunk; Canaan being cursed in such a case would indicate that he was the progeny of such a sin.

Leviticus 18:7 ~ You must not expose the nakedness of your father by having sexual relations
with your mother. She is your mother; you must not have sexual relations with her.

Levitical laws: “None of you shall approach any one of his close relatives to uncover nakedness.”
The phrase “to uncover nakedness” is aptly a euphemism for sexual intercourse, which is how the
NIV translates it throughout Leviticus 18. The phrase “to see the nakedness of” is used in Leviticus
20, again as a euphemism for incest: “If a man takes his sister... and sees her nakedness, and she sees
his nakedness, it is a disgrace...” (Leviticus 20:17). The first act of incest Moses forbids is between a son
and his mother. “You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father, which is the nakedness of your
mother; she is your mother, you shall not uncover her nakedness” (Leviticus 18:7).