Bible Dictionary: Ham

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Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary

Ham

hot; heat; brown

Smith's Bible Dictionary

Ham

(hot; sunburnt).

The name of one of the three sons of Noah, apparently the second in age. (B.C. 2448.) Of the history of Ham nothing is related except his irreverence to his father and the curse which that patriarch pronounced. The sons of Ham are stated, to have been "Cush and Mizraim and Phut and Canaan." (Genesis 10:6) comp. 1Chr 1:8 Egypt is recognized as the "land of Ham" in the Bible. (Psalms 78:51; 105:23; 106:22) The other settlements of the sons of Ham are discussed under their respective names. The three most illustrious Hamite nations--the Cushites, the Phoenicians and the Egyptians--were greatly mixed with foreign peoples. Their architecture has a solid grandeur that we look for in vain elsewhere.
According to the present text, (Genesis 14:5) Chedorlaomer and his allies smote the Zuzim in a place called Ham, probably in the territory of the Ammonites (Gilead), east of the Jordan.

ATS Bible Dictionary

Ham

1. Burnt, swarthy, black, A son of Noah, Genesis 5:32 7:13 9:18 10:1. The impiety revealed in his conduct towards his father, drew upon him, or rather, according to the Bible statement, on his son Canaan, a prophetic malediction, Genesis 9:20-27. Ham was the father of Cush, Mizraim, Phut, and Canaan, that is, the ancestor of the Canaanites, Southern Arabians, Ethiopians, Egyptians, and the Africans in general, Genesis 10:6-20.

2. A poetical name for Egypt, Psalm 78:51 106:22.

3. An unknown place of the Zuzim, Genesis 14:5.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Warm, hot, and hence the south; also an Egyptian word meaning "black", the youngest son of Noah (Genesis 5:32; Comp. 9:22, 24). The curse pronounced by Noah against Ham, properly against Canaan his fourth son, was accomplished when the Jews subsequently exterminated the Canaanites.

One of the most important facts recorded in Genesis 10 is the foundation of the earliest monarchy in Babylonia by Nimrod the grandson of Ham (6, 8, 10). The primitive Babylonian empire was thus Hamitic, and of a cognate race with the primitive inhabitants of Arabia and of Ethiopia. (see ACCAD.)

The race of Ham were the most energetic of all the descendants of Noah in the early times of the post-diluvian world.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary

1. (n.) Home.

2. (n.) The region back of the knee joint; the popliteal space; the hock.

3. (n.) The thigh of any animal; especially, the thigh of a hog cured by salting and smoking.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

HAM (1)

ham (cham; Cham):

1. The Youngest Son of Noah:

The youngest son of Noah, from whom sprang the western and southwestern nations known to the Hebrews. His name first occurs in Genesis 5:32, where, as in 6:10 and elsewhere, it occupies the second place. In Genesis 9:18 Ham is described as "the father of Canaan," to prepare the reader for 9:25-27, where Noah, cursing Ham for having told Shem and Japheth of his nakedness, refers to him as Canaan. On account of this, it has been suggested that "Canaan" stood originally in all the passages where the three brothers are spoken of, and that this was later changed to "Ham," except in the verses containing the curse. It seems more likely, however, that the name "Canaan" is inserted prophetically, as Noah would not desire to curse his son, but only one branch of that son's descendants, who were later the principal adversaries of the Hebrews.

2. Ham as a Nationality:

The name given, in Psalm 105:23, 17; Psalm 106:22 (compare 78:51), to Egypt as a descendant of Ham, son of Noah. As Shem means "dusky," or the like, and Japheth "fair," it has been supposed that Ham meant, as is not improbable, "black." This is supported by the evidence of Hebrew and Arabic, in which the word chamam means "to be hot" and "to be black," the latter signification being derived from the former.

3. Meaning of the Word:

That Ham is connected with the native name of Egypt, Kem, or, in full pa ta' en Kem, "the land of Egypt," in Bashmurian Coptic Kheme, is unlikely, as this form is probably of a much later date than the composition of Genesis, and, moreover, as the Arabic shows, the guttural is not a true kh, but the hard breathing h, which are both represented by the Hebrew cheth.

4. The Nations Descending from Ham:

Of the nationalities regarded as descending from Ham, none can be described as really black. First on the list, as being the darkest, is Cush or Ethiopia (Genesis 10:6), after which comes Mitsrayim, or Egypt, then PuT or Libyia, and Canaan last. The sons or descendants of each of these are then taken in turn, and it is noteworthy that some of them, like the Ethiopians and the Canaanites, spoke Semitic, and not Hamitic, languages-Seba (if connected with the Sabeans), Havilah (Yemen), and Sheba, whose queen visited Solomon. Professor Sayce, moreover, has pointed out that Caphtor is the original home of the Phoenicians, who spoke a Semitic language. The explanation of this probably is that other tongues were forced upon these nationalities in consequence of their migrations, or because they fell under the dominion of nationalities alien to them. The non-Sem Babylonians, described as descendants of Nimrod (Merodach), as is welI known, spoke Sumerian, and adopted Semitic Babylonian only on account of mingling with the Semites whom they found there. Another explanation is that the nationalities described as Hamitic-a parallel to those of the Semitic section-were so called because they fell under Egyptian dominion. This would make the original Hamitic race to have been Egyptian and account for Ham as a (poetical) designation of that nationality. Professor F. L. Griffith has pointed out that the Egyptian Priapic god of Panopolis (Akhmim), sometimes called Menu, but also apparently known as Khem, may have been identified with the ancestor of the Hamitic race-he was worshipped from the coast of the Red Sea to Coptos, and must have been well known to Egypt's eastern neighbors. He regards the characteristics of Menu as being in accord with the shamelessness of Ham as recorded in Genesis 9:20.

See JAPHETH; SHEM; TABLE OF NATIONS.

T. G. Pinches

HAM (2)

(ham):

(1) A place East of the Jordan named between Ashteroth-karnaim and Shaveh-kiriathaim, in which Chedorlaomer smote the Zu-zim (Genesis 14:5). No name resembling this has been recovered. Septuagint reads bahem "with them," instead of beham, "in Ham." Some have thought that "Ham" may be a corruption from "Ammon"; or that it may be the ancient name of Rabbath-ammon itself.

(2) A poetical appellation of Egypt: "the land of Ham" (Psalm 105:23, etc.) is the land of Jacob's sojourning, i.e. Egypt; "the tents of Ham" (Psalm 78:51) are the dwellings of the Egyptians. It may be derived from the native name of Egypt, Kemi, or Khemi.

See MIZRAIM; SHEM.

W. Ewing

Greek

265. hamartema -- a sin
... a sin. Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter Transliteration: hamartema Phonetic Spelling:
(ham-ar'-tay-mah) Short Definition: a fault, sin, evil deed Definition: a fault ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/265.htm - 7k

266. hamartia -- a sin, failure
... a sin, failure. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: hamartia Phonetic
Spelling: (ham-ar-tee'-ah) Short Definition: a sin Definition: prop: missing ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/266.htm - 7k

268. hamartolos -- sinful
... sinful. Part of Speech: Adjective Transliteration: hamartolos Phonetic Spelling:
(ham-ar-to-los') Short Definition: sinning, sinful, a sinner Definition: sinning ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/268.htm - 7k

260. hama -- at once
... at once. Part of Speech: Adverb Transliteration: hama Phonetic Spelling: (ham'-ah)
Short Definition: at the same time, along with Definition: at the same time ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/260.htm - 6k

264. hamartano -- to miss the mark, do wrong, sin
... to miss the mark, do wrong, sin. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: hamartano
Phonetic Spelling: (ham-ar-tan'-o) Short Definition: I sin Definition ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/264.htm - 9k

Strong's Hebrew

1990. Ham -- a place in Palestine
... 1989, 1990. Ham. 1991 . a place in Palestine. Transliteration: Ham Phonetic
Spelling: (hawm) Short Definition: Ham. ... NASB Word Usage Ham (1). Ham. ...
/hebrew/1990.htm - 5k

2680. chatsi Hammanachti -- Chatsi-ham-Menachtite or descendant of ...
chatsi Hammanachti. 2679, 2680. chatsi Hammanachti. 2681 . Chatsi-ham-Menachtite
or descendant of Chatsi-ham-Menuchoth -- half of the Manahethites. ...
/hebrew/2680.htm - 6k

1023. beth hammerchaq -- Beth-ham-Merchak, a place in Palestine ...
... Beth-ham-Merchak, a place in Palestine -- place that was far off. Transliteration:
beth hammerchaq Phonetic Spelling: (bayth ham-mer-khawk') Short Definition ...
/hebrew/1023.htm - 6k

2679. chatsi Hammenuchoth -- Chatsi-ham-Menuchoth, an Israelite ...
... Chatsi-ham-Menuchoth, an Israelite -- half of the Manahethites. Transliteration:
chatsi Hammenuchoth Phonetic Spelling: (chat-tsee' ham-men-oo-khoth') Short ...
/hebrew/2679.htm - 6k

6316. Put -- a son of Ham, also his desc. and their land
... Put. 6317 . a son of Ham, also his desc. ... Word Origin of uncertain derivation
Definition a son of Ham, also his desc. and their land NASB Word Usage put (8). ...
/hebrew/6316.htm - 6k

3667. Kna'an -- a son of Ham, also his desc. and their land West ...
... Kna'an. 3667a . a son of Ham, also his desc. ... From kana'; humiliated; Kenaan, a
son a Ham; also the country inhabited by him -- Canaan, merchant, traffick. ...
/hebrew/3667.htm - 5k

1719. Dedan -- a descendant of Ham, also a descendant of Abraham ...
... Dedan or Dedaneh. 1720 . a descendant of Ham, also a descendant of Abraham, also
the tribes desc. ... of Ham, also a desc. of Abraham, also the tribes desc. ...
/hebrew/1719.htm - 6k

3568. Kuwsh -- a son of Ham, also his desc., also a land in the S. ...
... Kuwsh. 3568a . a son of Ham, also his desc., also a land in the S. Nile Valley.
Transliteration: Kuwsh Phonetic Spelling: (koosh) Short Definition: Cush. ...
/hebrew/3568.htm - 5k

3568a. Kush -- a son of Ham, also his desc., also a land in the S. ...
... 3568, 3568a. Kush. 3568b . a son of Ham, also his desc., also a land in the
S. Nile Valley. Transliteration: Kush Short Definition: Cush. ...
/hebrew/3568a.htm - 5k

3667a. Kenaan -- a son of Ham, also his desc. and their land West ...
... 3667, 3667a. Kenaan. 3667b . a son of Ham, also his desc. and ... Word Origin
from kana Definition a son of Ham, also his desc. and ...
/hebrew/3667a.htm - 5k

Library

Ham the First Magician.
... Book IV. Chapter XXVII."Ham the First Magician. "For these and some other
causes, a flood was brought upon the world, [740] as ...
/.../unknown/recognitions of clement /chapter xxvii ham the first magician.htm

Of the Generations of the Three Sons of Noah.
... Ham, Noah's middle son, had four sons, and by one of them five grandsons,
and by one of these two great-grandsons; in all, eleven. ...
/.../augustine/city of god/chapter 3 of the generations of.htm

Now of These one Fell under a Curse, and the Two Others Inherited ...
... For the younger of them, [111] who was called Ham, having mocked his father, and
having been condemned of the sin of impiety because of his outrage and ...
/.../the demonstration of the apostolic preaching/chapter 20 now of these.htm

Jewish Chronology Continued.
... Noah had three sons"Shem, Ham, and Japheth. ... Unto Ham, however, these 32 children
are born in accordance with previous declarations. ...
/.../the refutation of all heresies/chapter xxvii jewish chronology continued.htm

The Promise.
... Ham mocked at his father's infirmity, while his two brothers veiled it; and Noah
was therefore inspired to prophesy that Canaan, the son of the undutiful Ham ...
//christianbookshelf.org/yonge/the chosen people/lesson i the promise.htm

Psalm 105
... which from his mouth proceed; ^6O ye that are of Abr'ham's race,. his servant
well approv'n; ... And Jacob also sojourned. within the land of Ham. ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/anonymous/scottish psalter and paraphrases/psalm 105.htm

From the Flood to Abraham
... The descendants of Ham, because of his joy rather than sorrow over the sin and
humiliation of his father, should always be a servile race. ...
/.../tidwell/the bible period by period/chapter iii from the flood.htm

Here Beginneth the History of Noah
... Noah then was a man perfect and righteous and kept God's commandment. And when
he was five hundred years old, he gat Shem, Ham, and Japhet. ...
/.../wells/bible stories and religious classics/here beginneth the history of.htm

Then Noah First of all Erected an Altar to God...
... Accordingly, the sons of Noah were alone left in the then vacant world;
for he had three, Shem, Ham, and Japhet. But Ham, because ...
/.../severus/life and writings of sulpitius severus /chapter iv then noah first.htm

How Every Nation was Denominated from their First Inhabitants.
... 2. The children of Ham possessed the land from Syria and Amanus, and the mountains
of Libanus; seizing upon all that was on its sea-coasts, and as far as the ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 6 how every nation.htm

Thesaurus

Jero'ham (10 Occurrences)
Jero'ham. Jeroham, Jero'ham. Jerubbaal . Multi-Version Concordance
Jero'ham (10 Occurrences). 1 Samuel 1:1 Now there ...
/j/jero'ham.htm - 9k

Ham'mu-el (1 Occurrence)
Ham'mu-el. Hammuel, Ham'mu-el. Hammurabi . Multi-Version Concordance
Ham'mu-el (1 Occurrence). 1 Chronicles 4:26 And ...
/h/ham'mu-el.htm - 6k

Ham'mon (1 Occurrence)
Ham'mon. Hammon, Ham'mon. Hammoth . Multi-Version Concordance
Ham'mon (1 Occurrence). 1 Chronicles 6:76 and out of the ...
/h/ham'mon.htm - 6k

Ham'moth-dor (1 Occurrence)
Ham'moth-dor. Hammoth-dor, Ham'moth-dor. Hammuel . Multi-Version
Concordance Ham'moth-dor (1 Occurrence). Joshua 21:32 ...
/h/ham'moth-dor.htm - 6k

Mizraim (5 Occurrences)
... The dual form of matzor, meaning a "mound" or "fortress," the name of a people
descended from Ham (Genesis 10:6, 13; 1 Chronicles 1:8, 11). ...
/m/mizraim.htm - 11k

Japheth (12 Occurrences)
... After the Flood the earth was re-peopled by the descendants of Noah, "the sons of
Japheth" (Genesis 10:2), "the sons of Ham" (6), and "the sons of Shem" (22). ...
/j/japheth.htm - 15k

Shem (17 Occurrences)
... Though generally regarded as meaning "dusky" (compare the Assyr-Babylonian
samu-also Ham-possibly = "black," Japheth, "fair"), it is considered possible that ...
/s/shem.htm - 15k

Put (13688 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary. (1.) One of the sons of Ham (Genesis 10:6). ... Put is the
only one of the sons of Ham who is not credited with descendants. ...
/p/put.htm - 12k

Cush (31 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary Black. (1.) A son, probably the eldest, of Ham,
and the father of Nimrod (Genesis 10:8; 1 Chronicles 1:10). ...
/c/cush.htm - 25k

Phut (7 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary. (1.) One of the sons of Ham (Genesis 10:6). ... Genesis
10:6 And the sons of Ham; Cush, and Mizraim, and Phut, and Canaan. ...
/p/phut.htm - 9k

Bible Concordance

Ham (16 Occurrences)

Genesis 5:32 Noah was five hundred years old, and Noah became the father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Genesis 6:10 Noah became the father of three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Genesis 7:13 In the same day Noah, and Shem, Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah's wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, entered into the ship;
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Genesis 9:18 The sons of Noah who went forth from the ship were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Ham is the father of Canaan.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Genesis 9:22 Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brothers outside.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Genesis 10:1 Now this is the history of the generations of the sons of Noah and of Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Sons were born to them after the flood.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Genesis 10:6 The sons of Ham: Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Genesis 10:20 These are the sons of Ham, after their families, after their languages, in their lands, in their nations.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Genesis 14:5 In the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer came, and the kings who were with him, and struck the Rephaim in Ashteroth Karnaim, and the Zuzim in Ham, and the Emim in Shaveh Kiriathaim,
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

1 Chronicles 1:4 Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

1 Chronicles 1:8 The sons of Ham: Cush, and Mizraim, Put, and Canaan.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

1 Chronicles 4:40 They found fat pasture and good, and the land was wide, and quiet, and peaceable; for those who lived there before were of Ham.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Psalms 78:51 and struck all the firstborn in Egypt, the chief of their strength in the tents of Ham.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Psalms 105:23 Israel also came into Egypt. Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Psalms 105:27 They performed miracles among them, and wonders in the land of Ham.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Psalms 106:22 Wondrous works in the land of Ham, and awesome things by the Red Sea.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Subtopics

Ham

Ham: Patronymic of the Descendants of Ham

Ham: Place where Chedorlaomer Struck Down the Zuzims

Ham: Son of Noah

Ham: Son of Noah: His Children

Ham: Son of Noah: Provokes his Father's Wrath and is Cursed by Him

Related Terms