Meaning of HAM

(a) One of the three sons of Noah; father of Cush, Mizraim, Put and Canaan. Mizraim and Put, his descendants, were mainly connected with Egypt.

Nothing is known about Ham personally except his disrespectful behavior towards his father when he became drunk, which brought Noah's curse on Canaan (Gen. 5:32; 6:10; 9:18, 22; 10:1, 6 , 20; 1 Chr. 1:4, 8).

Scholars who are interested in the topic of why Canaan, who had not participated in the action of his father, was the object of Noah's curse, are recommended to read "Why Noah Cursed Canaan Instead of Ham: A New Approach to an Old Problem" in Noah's Three Sons, by Arthur C. Custance (Zondervan, Grand Rapids, 1975). See also the treatment of this text in Matthew Henry's Commentary, loc. cit.

(b) The abode of the above mentioned in Egypt is designated as "the land of Ham" (Ps. 78:51; 105:23, 27; 106:22).

(c) In their search for pasture for their flocks in the south, the Simeonites came to a place where those of Ham had formerly dwelt; Others believe that they were Canaanite nomads.