What Does Genesis 9:21 Mean in the King James?
And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
Hebrew describes Noah as uncovering himself, so the exposure rises from within the scene rather than arriving from outside it.
THE MEANING
The verse holds drinking, drunkenness, and self-exposure in one continuous scene: what Noah takes in ends with his body uncovered inside his tent. Its Hebrew verb casts Noah as the one uncovering himself, locating the exposure within his own action.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
The scene undoes the assumption that Noah is only passively exposed: Hebrew’s reflexive verb presents him as uncovering himself.
THE ROOT
וַיִּתְגַּל
vayyitgal
GROWS FROM
גלה
to uncover, expose, or reveal
The English passive “was uncovered” can sound as if something simply happens to Noah; the Hebrew form presents him as uncovering himself. The root’s sense of bringing what is covered into view gives this bodily exposure the shape of disclosure.
ALSO GROWS
gillah: uncovered, exposed, or revealed
גִּלָּה
This verb carries the same root גלה and names the unveiling action present in Noah’s exposure.
niglah: became visible or was revealed
נִגְלָה
This form shares the root’s consonants and shows how uncovering can also appear as something coming into view.
וַיִּשְׁכָּר
vayyishkar
GROWS FROM
שכר
to become intoxicated or drunk
“was drunken” in this verse is vayyishkar. The Hebrew joins Noah’s state of drunkenness to words for intoxicating drink and a drunk person. It binds what is taken in to the condition that follows.
ALSO GROWS
shekhar: intoxicating drink
שֵׁכָר
This noun shares the root שכר and names the kind of drink associated with intoxication.
shikkor: a drunk or intoxicated person
שִׁכּוֹר
This word from שכר names the person in the condition the verse describes.
THE PATTERN
Covering does not guarantee concealment; what is hidden can be brought into view.
And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known.Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.THE THREAD
The LORD hath made known his salvation: his righteousness hath he openly shewed in the sight of the heathen.Psalm 98:2 uses גלה (galah, uncover or reveal) for the LORD openly showing righteousness. The same root that names Noah’s bodily self-uncovering also names what is made visible in public, linking exposure to disclosure without making the two scenes identical.
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