The ground was cursed back in Genesis 3, and some people read Genesis 8 to assume that the curse has been lifted because the earth was wiped clean with the flood.
However, this word “curse” here in Genesis 8 (kalal) is *not* the same as the one in Genesis 3 (arar).
The Lord smelled the soothing aroma, and the Lord said to Himself, “I will never again curse the ground on account of man, for the intent of man’s heart is evil from his youth; and I will never again destroy every living thing, as I have done.
Genesis 8:21 (NIV)
The Genesis 8 kalal means to make light or to render insignificant. To treat as worthless or despised.
The Genesis 3 arar means cursed and suggests a binding, or a punishment.
So when we read that Adam was a worker of the ground before sin entered the world, and then told that he will toil and struggle with the ground after sin, we see a change – the ground is cursed. Bound up. Not fruitful like it was before.
In Genesis 4, when we read that Cain was a “tiller of the ground,” we are supposed to see it and go “uh oh…” because we already know that the ground is cursed. And Cain’s labor leads to murder.
So when we read Genesis 9 and we see that the curse of Genesis 3 is perhaps not abated by Genesis 8, we should be startled to see how Noah is described.
Noah, a man of the soil, proceeded to plant a vineyard. When he drank some of its wine, he became drunk and lay uncovered inside his tent.
Genesis 9:20-21 (NIV)
We should expect things to go sideways. And they do.
