Which of Noah’s sons is traditionally linked with the ancestry of Canaan in Genesis?

The story behind the answer

In Genesis, Ham is the son of Noah whose lineage includes Canaan.

Genesis 10:6 lists Canaan among Ham’s sons, alongside Cush, Mizraim, and Put. The chapter presents a genealogy of peoples descended from Noah’s three sons after the Flood, with Ham’s line associated in the text with several regions and kingdoms.

Genesis 9 also tells a separate episode involving Noah, Ham, and Canaan. After Noah becomes drunk, Ham sees his father’s nakedness and tells his brothers. Noah later pronounces a curse on Canaan, not directly on Ham. The passage has been interpreted in many ways and was wrongly used historically to justify racism and slavery.

The genealogical answer is therefore specific: Canaan is listed as Ham’s son. Shem and Japheth are Noah’s other sons, and Genesis assigns them different descendants in the same table of nations.

Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Oct. 2026

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