Indecent Exposure: Social Shame, ʿerwâ and the Interpretation of Gen 9:20-27

Abstract

Abstract This article contends that the conflict between Ham and Noah in Gen 9:20-27 centers on the use of a male head-of-household’s exposed pelvic region (ʿerwâ) to shame him and undermine his authority. The pericope draws on a well-attested taboo on the exposure of the pelvic region in socially inappropriate and unacceptable contexts. In particular, the story resembles other biblical examples in which men’s exposed pelvic regions are used to shame them (2 Sam 6:16, 20-26; 10:4-5). This element of the story helps explain several questions about the severity of Ham’s crime and the punishment inflicted on his son, Canaan.