Ham

Technical Profile

Name Meaning: Hebrew Ḥām (חָם), commonly linked with “hot/warm.”
Period/Era: Primeval History
Main References: Genesis 5:32; 6:10; 9:18–27; 10:6–20; 1 Chronicles 1:8–16
Key Connections: Son of Noah; brother of Shem and Japheth; father of Cush, Egypt, Put, and Canaan

Who was Ham?

Ham was one of Noah’s three sons named before the flood and among those preserved in the ark.
After the flood he appears in an episode involving Noah’s nakedness and the response of Noah’s sons.
Genesis presents Ham as an ancestor of several major post-flood peoples through his sons.

Key Events & Achievements

Entering the ark: Listed among Noah’s sons who survived the flood and repopulated the earth (Genesis 6:10; 7:13).
Incident with Noah: Saw his father’s nakedness and reported it to his brothers, followed by Noah’s spoken words regarding Canaan (Genesis 9:20–27).
Ancestral line: Named as father of Cush, Egypt, Put, and Canaan within the Table of Nations (Genesis 10:6–20).

Life Lesson & Legacy

Ham’s narrative mainly functions to frame early family relationships after the flood and to locate later nations within Israel’s genealogical memory.

Key Verse

“Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father naked and told his two brothers outside.” — Genesis 9:22, NIV

Quizzes

Answer the questions below. When you choose an option, you will see the result and an explanation.

1. Which four sons are named as Ham's descendants in the Table of Nations?

2. What did Ham do in the episode involving Noah’s nakedness?