9:1-4 God entrusted animals to the stewardship of those whom he created in his own image. Hence it is legitimate to use animals for food and clothing. They may be domesticated to help man in his work and leisure. Medical and scientific experimentation on animals is a morally acceptable practice if it remains within reasonable limits and contributes to caring for or saving human lives. (Catechism of the Catholic Church 2417)

9:4 In order to form them to a right way of living, they were forbidden the use of the blood that they might abhor the shedding of human blood. (St. Thomas Aquinas)

9:5 beasts: That is, even though those who have been devoured by beasts, God will nevertheless reconstitute them whole, with body and soul, at the end of the world. (Theodore of Canterbury)

9:6 Whoever sheds blood, that is, whoever kills a man by any kind of death, his blood will be shed because he loses his eternal life by sinning. Similar to what Jesus said to Peter Mt 26:52, ‘for all that take the sword shall perish with the sword,’ or if this were to be said plainly, ‘all who kill a man unjustly, the same also perish in their soul by the killing.’ (St. Bede)

9:16 God made an everlasting covenant with Noah and with all living beings. It will remain in force as long as the world lasts. (Catechism of the Catholic Church 71)

9:12-13 bow: The rainbow is called a bow from what the Lord spoke to Noah and to his sons, that they should not fear any further flood in the generation of God, but fire. For thus He says: I will place my bow in the clouds, that you may now no longer fear water, but fire see 2 Peter 3:6-7. (St. Victorinus)

9:21 drunk: What happened to Noah was the result of inexperience, not intemperance. He was the first to crush the fruit of the vine and was unaware of both the amount to drink and of the way to dilute the wine before drinking it, so he fell into torpor. His nakedness was hardly odd. Even today people go to sleep naked, as sleep robs them of awareness. (Theodoret of Cyrus)

9:22-27 Cursed be Chanaan: The curses, as well as the blessings, of the patriarchs, were prophetical: And this in particular is here recorded by Moses, for the children of Israel, who were to possess the land of Chanaan. But why should Chanaan be cursed for his father's faults? The Hebrews answer, that he being then a boy, was the first that saw his grandfather's nakedness, and told his father Cham of it; and joined with him in laughing at it: which drew upon him, rather than upon the rest of the children of Cham, this prophetical curse. (Bishop Challoner) Also see Q&A above.