The other sons of Ham settled Egypt and Assyria, and,
conjointly with Shem, Persia, and afterward, to some
extent, the Grecian and Roman empires. The history
of these nations gives no verification of the prophecy.
Whereas, the history of Canaan’s descendants
for more than three thousand years, records its fulfilment.
First, they were put to tribute by the Israelites;
then by the Medes and Persians; then by the Macedonians,
Grecians and Romans, successively; and finally, were
subjected by the Ottoman dynasty, where they yet remain.
Thus Canaan has been for ages the servant mainly of
Shem and Japhet, and secondarily of the other sons
of Ham. It may still be objected, that though
Canaan alone is named in the curse, yet the
23d and 24th verses show the posterity of Ham in general
to be meant. “And Ham, the father of Canaan,
saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two
brethren without.” “And Noah awoke
from his wine, and knew what his YOUNGER son had done
unto him, and said,” &c. It is argued that
this “younger son” can not be Canaan,
as he was the grandson of Noah, and therefore
it must be Ham. We answer, whoever that “younger
son” was, Canaan alone was named in
the curse. Besides, the Hebrew word Ben,
signifies son, grandson, or any of one
the posterity of an individual. “Know ye Laban
the SON of Nahor?” Laban was the grandson
of Nahor. Gen. xxix. 5. “Mephibosheth
the SON of Saul.” 2 Sam. xix. 24. Mephibosheth
was the grandson of Saul. 2 Sam. ix. 6. “There
is a SON born to Naomi.” Ruth iv. 17.
This was the son of Ruth, the daughter-in-law of Naomi.
“Let seven men of his (Saul’s) SONS
be delivered unto us.” 2 Sam. xxi. 6.
Seven of Saul’s grandsons were delivered
up. “Laban rose up and kissed his SONS.”
Gen. xxi. 55. These were his grandsons.
“The driving of Jehu the SON of Nimshi.”
2 Kings ix. 20. Jehu was the grandson of
Nimshi. Shall we forbid the inspired writer to
use the same word when speaking of Noah’s
grandson? Further; Ham was not the “younger”
son. The order of enumeration makes him the second
son. If it be said that Bible usage varies, the
order of birth not always being observed in enumerations,
the reply is, that, enumeration in that order is the
rule, in any other order the exception.
Besides, if a younger member of a family, takes precedence
of older ones in the family record, it is a mark of
pre-eminence, either in endowments, or providential
instrumentality. Abraham, though sixty years younger
than his eldest brother, stands first in the family
genealogy. Nothing in Ham’s history shows
him pre-eminent; besides, the Hebrew word Hakkatan
rendered “the younger,” means the
little, small. The same word is used in
Isa. xl. 22. “A LITTLE ONE shall become a
thousand.” Isa. xxii. 24. “All
vessels of SMALL quantity.” Ps. cxv.