Who was Ham in the Bible?

TL;DR:

Ham was a son of Noah who dishonored Noah and whose descendants faced consequences as a result. Ham set a poor example for his descendants.

Ham, the youngest son of Noah, was part of the family saved from the flood. He later fathered four sons who populated various ancient nations, including the Canaanites and Egyptians. Nimrod, a descendant of Ham, built the cities of Nineveh and Babylon. After the flood, God promised not to destroy the earth by flood again and instructed Noah's family to repopulate the earth. An incident occurred where Noah became drunk and was found naked; Ham saw him and told his brothers, who respectfully covered Noah, leading to Noah cursing Ham's son Canaan. This curse highlights the ongoing presence of servitude and rebellion in human history. Ham’s story exposes the persistent sinful nature of humanity and the need for redemption through Jesus Christ, whose lineage includes a descendant of Ham, demonstrating that salvation is available to all.

from the old testament

Ham is thought to be the youngest of Noah's three sons, his older brothers being Shem and Japheth. Ham, his wife, and the rest of Noah's family were rescued from the flood and repopulated the earth. Ham's four sons—Cush, Egypt, Put, and Canaan—fathered people groups that included the Canaanites (such as Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, Hittites, Jebusites, and Philistines), Cushites, Babylonians, and Egyptians (Genesis 10:6–20).
Nimrod was an early descendant of Ham and was known for constructing the notorious cities of Nineveh and Babylon (Genesis 10:9–12) with its infamous Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1–9).
After the flood, God promised to never again destroy the earth by flood (Genesis 8:21–22; 9:11). He gave instructions for Noah and his sons, including Ham, to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth (Genesis 9:1). He then gave them animals as food (Genesis 9:3) and warned them against taking human life (Genesis 9:5–6) before reiterating His command to be fruitful and multiply (Genesis 9:7) and repeating His promise to never again flood the earth (Genesis 9:9–11). In other words, God said He would preserve the earth, the humans were to repopulate it, and there were only certain instances to take life. It was humans' job to spread life while God continued to preserve life on earth.
Noah planted a vineyard to provide for this growing population (Genesis 9:20). However, he became drunk and was found naked inside his tent (Genesis 9:21). Ham (although some say Canaan) saw his father in this dishonorable state, but rather than help his father, he compounded the shame by telling his two older brothers (Genesis 9:22). Shem and Japheth quickly spread a cloak between the two of them, walked into Noah's tent backwards with their faces turned away, and covered their father's nakedness with the cloak (Genesis 9:23). These older brothers covered their father's shame and restored his honor. When Noah awoke, he realized what each of his sons had done and pronounced a curse over Ham's son Canaan and then pronounced blessings over Shem and Japheth (Genesis 9:24–27).
The curse Noah gave was that Canaan would be "a servant of servants shall he be to his brothers" (Genesis 9:25). It is important to note that this curse was uttered by Noah and not pronounced by God Himself, who had pronounced curses in the garden of Eden after Adam and Eve's sin (Genesis 3:14–19). There is no evidence that Noah's curse came true. Rather, servitude and slavery have long been a part of human existence with Shem's descendants (Israelites) enslaved by Ham's descendants (Egyptians) and the reverse (Israelites (Shem) ruling over Philistines (Ham)).

from the new testament

Ham is not mentioned in the New Testament.

implications for today

Due to the wickedness of mankind, God destroyed the earth by flood. He rescued Noah and his family because "Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD… Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God" (Genesis 6:8–9). While Noah's righteousness was enough to save him and his family from the flood, it was not enough to overcome the power of sin in his life or in the lives of his sons, as evidenced by the drunken nakedness debacle. Ham’s lack of honor toward his father impacted generations to come. The fact that Ham's descendants built the Tower of Babel saying, "Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth" (Genesis 11:4) shows what happens when hearts are in rebellion to God's commands.

The Bible states that every human heart harbors rebellion to God. "None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one" (Romans 3:10–12). For this reason, God sent His holy and perfect Son to live a completely righteous life and offer it as a sacrifice on behalf of all who would believe (Hebrews 10:14). Just as Shem and Japheth covered their father's shame, so, too, can Jesus Christ's blood cover our sin and shame (Hebrews 9:14). This redemption is offered not just to Shem's and Japheth's descendants, but to all people. In fact, the lineage of Christ includes one of Ham's descendants, the Canaanite woman Rahab (Matthew 1:5). What a blessing that any person can know God's saving grace!

understand

Ham was the youngest son of Noah who was saved by going into the ark.
After the ark landed, Ham dishonored his father in an unpleasant event with drinking to excess. As a result, Noah pronounced judgment on Ham's youngest son.
Ham’s descendants through Canaan are listed in Genesis 10. They include the Sidonians, the Hittites, the Jebusites, the Amorites, and the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 10:15–19). Noah’s curse/prophecy came true during the time of Joshua when the Canaanites were conquered by the Israelites. True to God’s Word, some of the Canaanites became slaves (Joshua 9:27; 17:12–13).

reflect

Reflecting on Ham's actions, how do you handle situations where you encounter the failings or weaknesses of those you respect or look up to?
Considering the story of Ham and the consequences of his actions, why is it important to think of how your behavior and choices might impact future generations in your family?
In what ways can you ensure that you honor and support your family members, even when they make mistakes, similar to how Shem and Japheth acted toward Noah?

engage

Some scholars posit that Ham actually castrated or raped Noah while he was in the tent, but that is not evidenced in the text of the Bible.
God cursed Canaan, Ham’s son, instead of Ham. Noah prophesied that the Canaanites, in their wickedness, would receive their fate (see Leviticus 18 for a list of future Canaanite sins). Ham’s punishment was lacking a fatherly blessing and knowing that he was the ancestor of a doomed people group.
How does the story of Ham and his descendants illustrate the broader biblical theme of the consequences of sin and the need for redemption?