Genesis 9:20 kjv

And Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard:

Genesis 9:20 nkjv

And Noah began to be a farmer, and he planted a vineyard.

Genesis 9:20 niv

Noah, a man of the soil, proceeded to plant a vineyard.

Genesis 9:20 esv

Noah began to be a man of the soil, and he planted a vineyard.

Genesis 9:20 nlt

After the flood, Noah began to cultivate the ground, and he planted a vineyard.

Genesis 9 verses

Genesis 9 20 Meaning

Genesis 9:20 describes Noah's post-flood activity of establishing agriculture, specifically planting a vineyard. It signifies his return to the occupation of cultivating the ground, echoing humanity's initial mandate. This action sets the immediate scene for the subsequent pivotal events involving Noah and his sons, highlighting that even in a renewed world, humanity's fallen nature remains.

Genesis 9 20 Context

Genesis chapter 9 follows the account of the global flood and God's covenant with Noah, signifying a new beginning for humanity. God has just re-established humanity's mandate to be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth, granting permission to eat meat and establishing the covenant of the rainbow. This verse, Gen 9:20, transitions the narrative from a global, theological perspective to Noah's immediate personal life and activities post-flood. Noah, the last vestige of the pre-flood world and the new progenitor of humanity, returns to settled life. This specific action of planting a vineyard is significant because it directly precedes and sets the stage for the narrative of Noah's drunkenness and the sin of Ham, which leads to the curse of Canaan. It underlines that even after a divine cleansing, human nature remains flawed, and sin, though judged, quickly re-emerges in the new creation.

Genesis 9 20 Word analysis

• And Noah began (וַיָּחֶל נֹחַ - Vayyachel Noach):

  • וַיָּחֶל (Vayyachel): The Hebrew word is vayyachel, from the root חלל (chalal). While chalal can mean "to profane" or "to pollute," in the Hiphil stem, it frequently means "to begin" or "to start." Here, it signifies the inauguration of a new phase or activity. Noah "started" or "took up" the role of husbandman. This phrasing implies a definite change of focus or a new endeavor for Noah in this post-diluvian world. It doesn't necessarily mean he had never done this before, but that this became his defining occupation.
  • Noah (נֹחַ - Noach): The progenitor of post-flood humanity. He is explicitly identified as the central figure of the previous narrative, now shifting to an everyday, yet profoundly significant, act. His name means "rest" or "comfort," contrasting with the upcoming disturbance his actions will bring.

• to be an husbandman (אִישׁ הָאֲדָמָה - ish ha'adamah):

  • אִישׁ (ish): Literally "man." When combined with a profession or a characteristic, it describes someone devoted to that activity or type of person. Examples include "man of war" or "man of God." Here, "man of the ground."
  • הָאֲדָמָה (ha'adamah): "The ground" or "the earth." This term, adamah, is closely related to Adam (אדם), the first man, who was formed from the adamah and was commanded to work it. The definite article 'ha' ("the") emphasizes the direct connection to the fundamental earth. Noah, the "second Adam," now returns to working the adamah, re-engaging with humanity's original occupation and stewardship, but now in a world cursed by the fall and violence.

• and he planted (וַיִּטַּע - vayyitta'):

  • וַיִּטַּע (vayyitta'): The verb for "to plant." This action signifies an act of cultivation and establishing permanence. Planting requires foresight, effort, and an expectation of future harvest. It implies settling down and investing in the land's produce.

• a vineyard (כָּרֶם - kerem):

  • כָּרֶם (kerem): Specifically "a vineyard." This is crucial. Instead of planting grains or other general crops, Noah plants grapevines. Vineyards, and the wine produced from them, frequently hold symbolic weight in the Bible: prosperity, joy, divine blessing, but also potential for excess, judgment, or misuse. This specific choice of crop directly leads to the subsequent incident of Noah's drunkenness, indicating that while agriculture is blessed by God, the specific output (wine) can be a catalyst for human sin.

Words-Group analysis:

• "And Noah began to be an husbandman": This phrase sets Noah's primary role and new way of life after the flood. It re-establishes a link to pre-fall humanity's mandate to "work and keep" the garden (Gen 2:15) but also highlights the toil resulting from the curse on the ground (Gen 3:17-19). Noah, like Adam, is intrinsically connected to the soil, a universal human condition.
• "and he planted a vineyard": This specific action highlights the very next chapter in humanity's story, one that swiftly introduces a new form of human failure. While planting itself is not sinful, the specific crop leads to the vehicle of Noah's nakedness and Ham's sin. This foreshadows that despite God's covenant and renewal, humanity's propensity for sin remains deeply embedded, and even good things can be misused for ill. It’s a transition from divine providence to human responsibility and the consequences of moral failure.

Genesis 9 20 Bonus section

• The parallel between Noah and Adam is often drawn here. Just as Adam's initial occupation involved the "ground" (adamah) and led to his fall, Noah, the new progenitor of humanity, also begins by cultivating the adamah, and his action indirectly leads to a significant post-flood fall and curse. This repetition reinforces the pervasive nature of sin after a new beginning.
• This verse represents a societal development from nomadic life to settled agriculture, a fundamental shift in human history. The stability of farming enables population growth and the development of culture, though in this case, it quickly exposes a new aspect of human failing.
• The incident involving Noah, his vineyard, and his sons has been interpreted in various ways through history, often serving as a justification or critique of societal structures and ethnic relationships, though its primary theological purpose remains to reveal the persistence of sin in humanity after the Flood and its consequences for subsequent generations.

Genesis 9 20 Commentary

Genesis 9:20 is a deceptively simple verse that acts as a pivot in the early post-flood narrative. Noah, having been faithful in constructing the ark and receiving God's covenant, transitions into civilian life by engaging in agriculture, echoing the pre-Fall human vocation. His choice to plant a vineyard, specifically, is profoundly significant. Vineyards, while symbols of blessing, joy, and the fruitfulness of the land, also carry inherent risks. They represent concentrated power—wine's ability to gladden the heart (Ps 104:15) but also to lead to intoxication and moral compromise (Prov 20:1). This act of cultivation is not inherently sinful, but it provides the means for Noah's subsequent misstep. The verse immediately introduces the human element back into a renewed world; despite the sweeping divine judgment and a new covenant, the heart of man remains unchanged. Noah, righteous though he was (Gen 6:9), demonstrates the persistent stain of sin within humanity, setting the stage for a private familial failure that would have public and lasting repercussions for his descendants. This serves as a sober reminder that even in grace, human responsibility and susceptibility to sin endure.