Hebrew word · H2526

חָם

cham

Ham

The name of Noah's son Ham (Gen 5:32; 9–10), and by extension the peoples listed as his descendants: Cush, Mizraim (Egypt), Put and Canaan (Gen 10:6). In poetry 'land of Ham' / 'tents of Ham' means Egypt.

Appears 16 times in 15 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

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

Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Psalm 105:23

Range of meaning

The name of Noah's son Ham (Gen 5:32; 9–10), and by extension the peoples listed as his descendants: Cush, Mizraim (Egypt), Put and Canaan (Gen 10:6). In poetry 'land of Ham' / 'tents of Ham' means Egypt.

Against the English

All major English versions keep 'the land of Ham', which is accurate but opaque to readers who do not know Genesis 10; it is simply a poetic synonym for Egypt.

How it drifted

Since the medieval period, and especially in early-modern slavery debates, Ham was linked to a supposed 'curse' marking dark-skinned peoples. That reading is foreign to the Bible: in Gen 9:25 the curse falls on Canaan, not Ham, and nothing in this psalm concerns curse or race.

Used elsewhere in the period

Ps 78:51 ('the firstfruits of their strength in the tents of Ham'), Ps 105:27 (signs 'in the land of Ham'), Ps 106:22 ('wonders in the land of Ham'); 1 Chr 4:40 refers to 'those of Ham' living near Gedor. Genealogical basis: Gen 10:6.

From the study of Psalm 105:27

Range of meaning

A personal name: Ham, son of Noah (Gen 5:32; 9:18), ancestor of Cush, Mizraim (Egypt), Put and Canaan (Gen 10:6). In the Psalms it is used as a poetic name for Egypt ('tents of Ham,' 78:51; 'land of Ham,' 105:23, 27; 106:22). A different place called Ham appears in Gen 14:5.

Against the English

English versions all keep 'land of Ham.' Only paraphrases such as NLT add 'Egyptians' to make the reference clear.

How it drifted

Some modern readers link 'Ham' to the so-called 'curse of Ham,' a much later interpretation used to justify racial slavery. In Genesis 9:25 the curse falls on Canaan, not Ham. The psalm uses the name only as a genealogical label for Egypt.

Used elsewhere in the period

Genesis 10 (the Table of Nations) is the source of the label. Some scholars have suggested a sound-play with Egypt's own name for itself, km.t ('the black land,' after its dark Nile soil), or with Hebrew ḥam 'hot.' These links are uncertain, because the Hebrew and Egyptian consonants do not match exactly.

From the study of Psalm 78:51

Range of meaning

Ham, a son of Noah (Genesis 5:32; 9:18). In Genesis 10:6, Ham's sons include Mizraim (Egypt), Cush, Put and Canaan. In the Psalms 'Ham' is a poetic name for Egypt (78:51; 105:23, 27; 106:22).

Against the English

Translations rightly keep 'Ham.' Modern readers may not know it means Egypt, or may connect it with the later idea of a 'curse of Ham.'

How it drifted

From the medieval period onward, and especially in the transatlantic slave era, Genesis 9 was misused to claim a curse on Ham's descendants, defined by race. The text of Genesis 9:25 actually curses Canaan, not Ham. None of that is present here.

Used elsewhere in the period

Psalm 105:23: 'Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham.' Psalm 106:22: 'wondrous works in the land of Ham.' The name comes from the table of nations in Genesis 10.

Where it appears

Genesis · 9

  1. Genesis 5:32 חָ֥ם Ham

    After Noah was 500 years old, he became the father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

  2. Genesis 6:10 חָ֥ם Ham

    And Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

  3. Genesis 7:13 וְחָ֥ם and Ham

    On that very day Noah entered the ark, along with his sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and his wife, and the three wives of his sons—

  4. Genesis 9:18 וְחָ֣ם וְחָ֕ם and Ham

    The sons of Noah who came out of the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. And Ham was the father of Canaan.

  5. Genesis 9:22 חָ֚ם Ham

    And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father’s nakedness and told his two brothers outside.

  6. Genesis 10:1 חָ֣ם Ham

    This is the account of Noah’s sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth, who also had sons after the flood.

    Here: Second son, ancestor in the table of Cush, Egypt, Put and Canaan. Elsewhere in poetry 'the land of Ham' means Egypt (Psalm 105:23).

  7. Genesis 10:6 חָ֑ם Ham

    The sons of Ham: Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan.

  8. Genesis 10:20 חָ֔ם Ham

    These are the sons of Ham according to their clans, languages, lands, and nations.

1 Chronicles · 3

  1. 1 Chronicles 1:4 חָ֥ם Ham

    The sons of Noah: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

  2. 1 Chronicles 1:8 חָ֑ם Ham

    The sons of Ham: Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan.

  3. 1 Chronicles 4:40 חָ֔ם Ham

    There they found rich, good pasture, and the land was spacious, peaceful, and quiet; for some Hamites had lived there formerly.

Psalms · 4

  1. Psalm 78:51 חָֽם׃ Ham

    He struck all the firstborn of Egypt, the virility in the tents of Ham.

    Here: A poetic name for Egypt. In Genesis 10:6, Mizraim (Egypt) is listed as a son of Ham, so 'tents of Ham' means 'the homes of the Egyptians.' Psalms 105:23, 27 and 106:22 use the name the same way.

  2. Psalm 105:23 חָֽם׃ Ham

    Then Israel entered Egypt; Jacob dwelt in the land of Ham.

    Here: A poetic name for Egypt, drawn from the table of nations, where Mizraim (Egypt) is a son of Ham, son of Noah (Gen 10:6). The same expression occurs in Ps 78:51; 105:27; 106:22.

  3. Psalm 105:27 חָֽם׃ Ham

    They performed His miraculous signs among them, and wonders in the land of Ham.

    Here: Ham, son of Noah and ancestor of Mizraim (Egypt) in Genesis 10:6. 'Land of Ham' is a poetic name for Egypt used only in the Psalms (78:51; 105:23, 27; 106:22). It places Egypt within the family tree of the nations.

  4. Psalm 106:22 חָ֑ם Ham

    wondrous works in the land of Ham, and awesome deeds by the Red Sea.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.