Who was Ham in the Bible?
Lived in the age of the patriarchs
Ham was one of the three sons of Noah, along with Shem and Japheth (Gen.5.32; 6.10). Ham appears in 10 verses across 2 books of the Bible.
What does the Bible say about Ham?
Ham was one of the three sons of Noah, along with Shem and Japheth (Gen.5.32; 6.10). He and his wife were among the eight people who survived the great flood in Noah's ark (Gen.7.13). After the flood, Ham became the father of Canaan (Gen.9.18). An incident occurred in which Ham saw his father Noah naked and informed his brothers (Gen.9.22). When Noah awoke and learned of Ham's actions, he pronounced a curse on Canaan, Ham's son (Gen.9.24-25). Ham is also mentioned as the ancestor of various nations, including the Cushites, Egyptians, Put, and Canaanites (Gen.10.6-20). These nations are often referred to as the "sons of Ham" and are generally associated with the regions of Africa and the Middle East. In the Table of Nations (Genesis 10), Ham's descendants are listed, providing insight into the geographical distribution of ancient people groups. Ham's significance in the Bible lies primarily in his role as the father of Canaan and the ancestor of nations that would later play important roles in the history of Israel.
Definition text: STEPBible · Tyndale House Cambridge. Licensed CC BY 4.0. Lightly edited for length and formatting.
Compiled by Protos: the verse list on this page. Where one name belongs to more than one person or place, each of them gets a separate entry.
Where does Ham appear in the Bible?
Ham is referenced in 10 verses across 2 books. Every passage below is about this one, not just every verse the word turns up in.
- 1 Chronicles 1:4
- 1 Chronicles 1:8
- Genesis 5:32
- Genesis 6:10
- Genesis 7:13
- Genesis 9:18
- Genesis 9:22
- Genesis 10:1
- Genesis 10:6
- Genesis 10:20
What else appears in these passages?
These turn up in the same passages as Ham.
Common questions
How many times does the Bible mention Ham?
Ham appears in 10 verses across 2 books, most often in Genesis, which accounts for 8 of them.
Which books of the Bible mention Ham?
Genesis, 1 Chronicles.
Where can I read every verse about Ham?
This page lists 10 of them. Protos carries all 10, and opens this entry on the verse you are reading rather than in a separate tab.


