Chapter CXXXIX.—The blessings, and also the curse, pronounced by Noah were
prophecies of the future.
“For another mystery was accomplished and predicted in the days of Noah, of which
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you are not aware. It is this: in the blessings wherewith Noah blessed his two sons, and in
the curse pronounced on his son’s son. For the Spirit of prophecy would not curse the son
that had been by God blessed along with [his brothers]. But since the punishment of the sin
would cleave to the whole descent of the son that mocked at his father’s nakedness, he made
the curse originate with his son.716 Now, in what he said, he foretold that the descendants
of Shem would keep in retention the property and dwellings of Canaan: and again that the
descendants of Japheth would take possession of the property of which Shem’s descendants
had dispossessed Canaan’s descendants; and spoil the descendants of Shem, even as they
plundered the sons of Canaan. And listen to the way in which it has so come to pass. For
you, who have derived your lineage from Shem, invaded the territory of the sons of Canaan
by the will of God; and you possessed it. And it is manifest that the sons of Japheth, having
invaded you in turn by the judgment of God, have taken your land from you, and have
possessed it. Thus it is written: ‘And Noah awoke from the wine, and knew what his
younger son had done unto him; and he said, Cursed be Canaan, the servant; a servant shall
he be unto his brethren. And he said, Blessed be the Lord God of Shem; and Canaan shall
be his servant. May the Lord enlarge Japheth, and let him dwell in the houses of Shem; and
let Canaan be his servant.’717 Accordingly, as two peoples were blessed,—those from Shem,
and those from Japheth,—and as the offspring of Shem were decreed first to possess the
dwellings of Canaan, and the offspring of Japheth were predicted as in turn receiving the
same possessions, and to the two peoples there was the one people of Canaan handed over
for servants; so Christ has come according to the power given Him from the Almighty
Father, and summoning men to friendship, and blessing, and repentance, and dwelling to-
gether, has promised, as has already been proved, that there shall be a future possession for
all the saints in this same land. And hence all men everywhere, whether bond or free, who
believe in Christ, and recognise the truth in His own words and those of His prophets, know
that they shall be with Him in that land, and inherit everlasting and incorruptible good.
716 [But Justin goes on to show that it was prophetic foresight only: the curse cleaves only to wicked descend-
ants, the authors of idolatry. It was removed by Christ. St. Matt. xv. 22–28.]
717 Gen. ix. 24–27.
Chapter CXXXIX.—The blessings, and also the curse, pronounced by Noah were prophecies of the future.
716
Chapter CXXXIX.—The blessings, and also the curse, pronounced by Noah were…