Boy Old Testament Known
Ham
hot; heat; brown
חָם cham
Ham (Hebrew: חָם, cham) means “hot; heat; brown”, by traditional interpretation. It appears in 11 verses across 3 books of the Bible. In 1929 it was given to 5 children in the United States. Use is long out of use. Appears with Canaan in Genesis 9.
The bearer in scripture
One person in scripture bears this name.
-
Ham
father of Canaan; related to Egypt; father of Cush
Scripture against society
The two measures, side by side
At a glance
- Verses
- 11 across 3 books
- Bearers
- 1 one person only
- Testament
- Old
- Era
- Patriarchal
Using it today
Based on 1929 births across the United States.
| Measure | Value | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Given in 1929 | 5 | Long out of use |
| All-time total | 29 | Since records begin in 1880 |
| Peak | 7 in 1918 | Its highest year on record |
In scripture
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| First appears | Genesis 5:32 |
| Last appears | Psalms 78:51 |
| Cross-references | 174 linked passages |
Names connected to this one
- Japheth co-occurrence Appears with Japheth in Genesis 9.
- Shem co-occurrence Appears with Shem in Genesis 9.
- Put co-occurrence Appears with Put in 1 Chronicles 1.
- Canaan co-occurrence Appears with Canaan in Genesis 9.
- Noah co-occurrence Appears with Noah in Genesis 9.
- Egypt co-occurrence Appears with Egypt in 1 Chronicles 1.
- Cush co-occurrence Appears with Cush in 1 Chronicles 1.
- Nephilim co-occurrence Appears in the same passages as Nephilim.
Origin & meaning
A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.5.32;
son of: Noah (H5146);
brother of: Shem (H8035) and Japheth (H3315);
father of: Canaan (H3667), Cush (H3568), Egypt (H4714) and Put (H6316)
§ Ham = "hot"
1) 2nd son of Noah, father of Canaan and of various peoples which were inhabitants of southern lands
2) in late usage, a collective name for Egyptians
n pr loc
Ham, one of Noah's three sons, was the father of Canaan and the ancestor of various nations.
The biblical story
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.
Key verses
Ham appears in 10 verses. Here are some of the most notable:
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And Noah was five hundred years old: and Noah begat Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
Genesis 5:32 -
And Noah begat three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
Genesis 6:10 -
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 7:13 -
And the sons of Noah, that went forth of the ark, were Shem, and Ham, and Japheth: and Ham is the father of Canaan.
Genesis 9:18 -
And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without.
Genesis 9:22
Show all 10 references
Genesis (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
1 Chronicles (2)
- 1 Chronicles 1:4
- 1 Chronicles 1:8