In Genesis, what were Noah’s three sons doing when the Flood began?

In Genesis, Noah’s three sons were inside the Ark when the Flood began. Genesis 7:13 says that Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth entered the Ark on the day the waters came.

The same verse also mentions Noah’s wife and the wives of his sons. This places the named family members inside the vessel before the rain described in the following verses. The sons are not portrayed as arriving later or remaining outside during the initial floodwaters.

Planting a vineyard belongs to a later episode, after Noah leaves the Ark. Genesis 9:20 says that Noah became a man of the soil and planted a vineyard. Mount Ararat is mentioned only when the Ark later comes to rest on its mountains. Keeping these chronological scenes separate prevents the post-Flood vineyard episode from being confused with the family’s situation at the Flood’s beginning.