How many sons does Noah have in the Genesis Flood narrative?

Noah has three sons in the Genesis Flood narrative: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

Genesis introduces these three sons before describing the construction and loading of the Ark. They accompany Noah into the Ark with their wives, and the family survives the Flood together. Their names are among the most familiar personal names connected with the story.

The number three is distinct from later genealogical interpretations that associate the sons with broad groups of peoples. Genesis 10, often called the Table of Nations, presents descendants connected with Shem, Ham, and Japheth, but those associations are part of the text’s genealogy rather than a modern scientific classification of humanity.

Noah’s wife is also included in the Ark narrative, although Genesis does not give her a personal name. The text likewise refers to the wives of the three sons without naming them.