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Dialogue with Trypho

Justin Martyr

Chapter 139

About this work

A literary dialogue in which Justin recounts his conversion to Christianity and debates Scripture, covenant, messianic prophecy, law, and the identity of God’s people with a Jewish interlocutor.

Author: Justin Martyr
Date: Mid-2nd century
Origin: Rome
Genre: Dialogue

Chapter CXXXIX.—The blessings, and also the curse, pronounced by Noah were prophecies of the future.

“For another mystery was accomplished and predicted in

‹ Chapter 138 Chapter 140 ›

the

days

of

Noah

,

of

which

you

are

not

aware

.

It

is

this

:

in

the

blessings

wherewith

Noah

blessed

his

two

sons

,

and

in

the

curse

pronounced

on

his

son’s

son

.

For

the

Spirit

of

prophecy

would

not

curse

the

son

that

had

been

by

God

blessed

along

with

[

his

brothers

]

.

But

since

the

punishment

of

the

sin

would

cleave

to

the

whole

descent

of

the

son

that

mocked

at

his

father’s

nakedness

,

he

made

the

curse

originate

with

his

son

.

Now

,

in

what

he

said

,

he

foretold

that

the

descendants

of

Shem

would

keep

in

retention

the

property

and

dwellings

of

Canaan

:

and

again

that

the

descendants

of

Japheth

would

take

possession

of

the

property

of

which

Shem’s

descendants

had

dispossessed

Canaan’s

descendants

;

and

spoil

the

descendants

of

Shem

,

even

as

they

plundered

the

sons

of

Canaan

.

And

listen

to

the

way

in

which

it

has

so

come

to

pass

.

For

you

,

who

have

derived

your

lineage

from

Shem

,

invaded

the

territory

of

the

sons

of

Canaan

by

the

will

of

God

;

and

you

possessed

it

.

And

it

is

manifest

that

the

sons

of

Japheth

,

having

invaded

you

in

turn

by

the

judgment

of

God

,

have

taken

your

land

from

you

,

and

have

possessed

it

.

Thus

it

is

written

:

‘

And

Noah

awoke

from

the

wine

,

and

knew

what

his

younger

son

had

done

unto

him

;

and

he

said

,

Cursed

be

Canaan

,

the

servant

;

a

servant

shall

he

be

unto

his

brethren

.

And

he

said

,

Blessed

be

the

Lord

God

of

Shem

;

and

Canaan

shall

be

his

servant

.

May

the

Lord

enlarge

Japheth

,

and

let

him

dwell

in

the

houses

of

Shem

;

and

let

Canaan

be

his

servant

.

’

Accordingly

,

as

two

peoples

were

blessed

,

—

those

from

Shem

,

and

those

from

Japheth

,

—

and

as

the

offspring

of

Shem

were

decreed

first

to

possess

the

dwellings

of

Canaan

,

and

the

offspring

of

Japheth

were

predicted

as

in

turn

receiving

the

same

possessions

,

and

to

the

two

peoples

there

was

the

one

people

of

Canaan

handed

over

for

servants

;

so

Christ

has

come

according

to

the

power

given

Him

from

the

Almighty

Father

,

and

summoning

men

to

friendship

,

and

blessing

,

and

repentance

,

and

dwelling

together

,

has

promised

,

as

has

already

been

proved

,

that

there

shall

be

a

future

possession

for

all

the

saints

in

this

same

land

.

And

hence

all

men

everywhere

,

whether

bond

or

free

,

who

believe

in

Christ

,

and

recognise

the

truth

in

His

own

words

and

those

of

His

prophets

,

know

that

they

shall

be

with

Him

in

that

land

,

and

inherit

everlasting

and

incorruptible

good

.

Notes

536
[But Justin goes on to show that it was prophetic foresight only: the curse cleaves only to wicked descendants, the authors of idolatry. It was removed by Christ. St. Matt. xv. 22–28.]
537
Gen. ix. 24–27.