The description of Ham as Noah’s “youngest son” (בנו הקטן) in Gen 9:24 has long puzzled readers, since he appears to be depicted as the middle son in 9:18 (i.e., “Shem, Ham, and Japheth”). Discussions surrounding this verse often have centered around source- and redaction-critical issues, with interpreters arguing that this phrase is a vestige of an earlier account which focused on Canaan, who originally was depicted as Noah’s youngest son. Ham, it is claimed, was later inserted into this account, essentially taking the place of Canaan, which resulted in inconsistencies within the text.
In this paper, I will argue that this conclusion reflects a misunderstanding of the role of the “youngest” (קטן) descriptor within the larger narrative. As a phonological wordplay with Canaan’s name, this designation is intended to function alongside the wordplays in the surrounding verses concerning Shem, Ham, and Japheth to describe the place of various peoples (and Canaan in particular) within the framework of God’s election. Even though this term is describing Ham, it serves as a wordplay with Canaan’s name, portraying Canaan through a description of his father. Understanding this phrase as meaning “smallest” or “most insignificant” fits better than “youngest” within the immediate context, which speaks of Canaan’s future servitude to Noah’s other sons. Canaan being “small” also corresponds to the additional size imagery related to Shem and Japheth in 9:26–27: God will “enlarge” Japheth, who, in turn, will dwell in the tents of Shem, implying that Shem is larger than Japheth.
Describing Canaan as “small” contributes to the passage’s—as well as the book of Genesis’s—theology of election. Though both Japheth and Canaan are clearly “non-elect,” 9:24–27 highlights the greater relative distance of the Canaanites from God’s election as opposed to Japheth and his descendants or ultimately to Shem and his elect lineage.