Ham
maleAntediluvianMeaning: “Hot; perhaps "dark"”
A son of Noah whose disrespect toward his father led to the cursing of his son Canaan; ancestor of peoples including Egypt, Cush, and Canaan.
Biography
Ham is a son of Noah, named among the eight who survived the flood. He is remembered chiefly for an act of disrespect and its consequences.
The sin against Noah
When Noah lay drunk and uncovered in his tent, Ham "saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without" (Genesis 9:22), failing to honor him. Shem and Japheth covered Noah respectfully. On waking, Noah pronounced a curse — not on Ham directly but on Ham's son Canaan (Genesis 9:25), foreshadowing Israel's later conflict with the Canaanites.
Father of nations
The Table of Nations lists Ham's descendants as Cush, Mizraim (Egypt), Put, and Canaan (Genesis 10:6), peoples of Africa and the Levant. Among them arose Nimrod, "a mighty one in the earth" (Genesis 10:8).
Life Timeline
Born to Noah; enters the ark
Dishonors Noah; his son Canaan is cursed
On the Bible timeline
Ham belongs to the Creation & the Early World era (Beginning – c. 2100 BC).
- c. 2400 BC (traditional)The Flood
- c. 2200 BCThe Tower of Babel
Family Tree
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Themes & lessons from Ham
Biblical themes that run through the passages where Ham appears.
People they appear with
Places in their story
Things in their story
Scripture Appearances
16 verses in 3 booksGenesis9 verses
Genesis 5:32
And Noah was five hundred years old: and Noah begat Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
Genesis 6:10
And Noah begat three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
Genesis 7:13
In the selfsame day entered Noah, and Shem, and Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah's wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, into the ark;
Genesis 9:18
And the sons of Noah, that went forth of the ark, were Shem, and Ham, and Japheth: and Ham is the father of Canaan. Canaan: Heb. Chenaan
Genesis 9:22
And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without.
Genesis 10:1
Now these are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth: and unto them were sons born after the flood.
Genesis 10:6
And the sons of Ham; Cush, and Mizraim, and Phut, and Canaan.
Genesis 10:20
These are the sons of Ham, after their families, after their tongues, in their countries, and in their nations.
Genesis 14:5
And in the fourteenth year came Chedorlaomer, and the kings that were with him, and smote the Rephaims in Ashteroth Karnaim, and the Zuzims in Ham, and the Emims in Shaveh Kiriathaim, Shaveh: or, The plain of Kiriathaim
1 Chronicles3 verses
1 Chronicles 1:4
Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
1 Chronicles 1:8
The sons of Ham; Cush, and Mizraim, Put, and Canaan.
1 Chronicles 4:40
And they found fat pasture and good, and the land was wide, and quiet, and peaceable; for they of Ham had dwelt there of old.
Psalms4 verses
Psalms 78:51
And smote all the firstborn in Egypt; the chief of their strength in the tabernacles of Ham:
Psalms 105:23
Israel also came into Egypt; and Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham.
Psalms 105:27
They shewed his signs among them, and wonders in the land of Ham. his: Heb. words of his signs
Psalms 106:22
Wondrous works in the land of Ham, and terrible things by the Red sea.
Frequently asked about Ham
Who was Ham in the Bible?
A son of Noah whose disrespect toward his father led to the cursing of his son Canaan; ancestor of peoples including Egypt, Cush, and Canaan.
What does the name Ham mean?
The name Ham means “Hot; perhaps "dark"”.
What did Ham do in the Bible?
Ham served as patriarch.
Who were Ham's parents?
Ham was the child of Noah.
Where does Ham appear in the Bible?
Ham is mentioned 16 times across 3 books: Genesis, 1 Chronicles, Psalms.
What can we learn from Ham?
The story of Ham touches on themes of shem, sciences, cush, genealogy — explore each to study the lessons drawn from Ham's life.
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