According to Genesis 9:1-29, Ham, the father of the Canaanites and Egyptians, acted immorally when he saw the nakedness of his father, Noah. Out of this lack of respect, the Lord pronounced a curse on his descendants. This curse was not upon individuals, but upon all the descendants of Ham. Being under the curse of God, these people did not share the blessing of God. Genesis 9:1-29 together with Leviticus 18:1-30 reveals that Hamites, which included the Canaanites and Egyptians, were characterized by the same sexually immoral abandonment that their ancestor displayed. The verbs nakedness,
uncover,
and seeing
further allude to the record of Ham in Genesis 6:1-22.
6 “None of you shall approach any one of his close relatives to uncover nakedness. I am the LORD.