In brief
Shem, Ham and Japheth are the three sons of Noah. They enter the ark with him and come out of it after the flood, and the Bible states that from these three the whole earth was populated (Genesis 9:19). After Noah’s drunkenness, Ham sees his father’s nakedness and tells his brothers, while Shem and Japheth cover their father by walking in backwards. Genesis 10 then lists the nations that came from each of them. From the line of Shem will come Eber, and then Abram.
What does the name Shem, Ham and Japheth mean?
Shem is generally linked to the Hebrew word meaning name. Ham is often linked to a root evoking heat, though this is uncertain. For Japheth, the Bible itself makes a play on words in Noah’s blessing, May God enlarge Japheth (Genesis 9:27), since the verb to enlarge sounds like his name in Hebrew.
The story of Shem, Ham and Japheth
Three sons of a righteous man
Genesis 6:9-10Noah, a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, has three sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth. When the earth fills with violence, God tells Noah to build the ark. On the day the rain begins, the three sons enter it with their father, their mother and their three wives (Genesis 7:13). They are spared from the judgment alongside their father, who walked with God.
Blessed as they leave the ark
Genesis 9:1-19After the flood, God blesses Noah and his sons and tells them to be fruitful and fill the earth. He establishes his covenant with them: there will never again be a flood to destroy the earth, and the rainbow in the cloud will be its sign. Shem, Ham and Japheth receive this promise with their father. The Bible stresses that their descendants will populate the whole earth.
Noah’s nakedness
Genesis 9:20-23Noah plants a vineyard, drinks the wine, gets drunk and lies uncovered inside his tent. Ham, the father of Canaan, sees his father’s nakedness and goes outside to tell his two brothers. Shem and Japheth take a garment, walk in backwards and cover their father without looking at him. The contrast is striking: one exposes his father’s shame, the other two cover it with respect.
Noah’s words about his sons
Genesis 9:24-27When he wakes, Noah learns what his youngest son has done to him. He pronounces a curse, not on Ham himself but on Canaan, Ham’s son. Then he blesses the Lord, the God of Shem, and asks that God enlarge Japheth and let him dwell in the tents of Shem. These words point to the particular place of Shem’s line.
The fathers of the nations
Genesis 10:1-32Genesis 10 lists the descendants of the three brothers. From Japheth come Gomer, Magog and Javan, among others, and the peoples of the coastlands. From Ham come Cush, Mizraim, Put and Canaan, as well as Nimrod, who ruled over Babel. From Shem come Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud and Aram, and then Eber. The Bible concludes that from these the nations spread over the earth after the flood.
From Shem to Abram
Genesis 11:10-26The Bible then picks up the generations of Shem. Shem is one hundred years old when he becomes the father of Arphaxad, two years after the flood. The genealogy runs from generation to generation down to Terah, the father of Abram. It is in this line that God will choose Abraham, through whom all the families of the earth will be blessed. Luke 3:36 also lists Shem among the ancestors of Jesus.
Test your knowledge
What Shem, Ham and Japheth teaches us
- Honoring your parents sometimes means covering their weaknesses with respect rather than exposing them, as Shem and Japheth did.
- The way you speak about other people’s faults reveals your heart: Ham told outside what he could have covered.
- God keeps his promises across generations: the line of Shem leads to Abraham, and then to Jesus.
- All nations come from one family, which reminds us that the gospel is meant for every people.
Key verses
Shem and Japheth take the garment, walk in backwards and cover their father without seeing his nakedness. A concrete gesture of respect and discretion toward a father who had just fallen.
Noah blesses the Lord, the God of Shem, and asks that God enlarge Japheth. These words point to the place of Shem’s line in God’s plan.
The conclusion of the list of Noah’s descendants: from them the nations spread over the earth after the flood. All of humanity shares one origin.
Bible verses to meditate on
Sermons about Shem, Ham and Japheth
Frequently asked questions
Who were Shem, Ham and Japheth?
They are the three sons of Noah (Genesis 5:32). They enter the ark with their wives, survive the flood and receive God’s blessing and covenant together with their father (Genesis 9:1-17). The Bible says that from them the whole earth was populated, and Genesis 10 lists the nations that came from each of them.
Why did Noah curse Canaan and not Ham?
The text does not explain it. It reports that Ham saw his father’s nakedness and told his brothers, and that Noah, on waking, cursed Canaan, Ham’s son (Genesis 9:22-25). The curse was aimed at Canaan: using it to justify the enslavement of other peoples is a reading that goes against the biblical text.
Where can I find the story of Shem, Ham and Japheth in the Bible?
They appear in Genesis 5:32, 6:10 and 7:13, then at the center of the account in Genesis 9:18-27, after the flood. Genesis 10 gives the list of their descendants, and Genesis 11:10-26 follows the line of Shem down to Terah and Abram. 1 Chronicles 1:4 repeats their names in the genealogies.