Which three sons of Noah are named in Genesis as entering the Ark with him?

The story behind the answer

The three sons named as entering Noah’s Ark are Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

Genesis 7:13 names Noah, his wife, his sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and the sons’ wives as those who entered the ark. These three sons are also introduced earlier in Genesis 5:32 and 6:10, before the flood account develops.

The narrative does not name Noah’s wife or the wives of his sons. That is why later traditions sometimes supply names, but those names are not given in the Genesis text itself. The sons are important in the story after the flood as well, especially in the account of Noah’s vineyard and the different responses to his drunkenness.

Later biblical genealogies associate peoples and nations with the descendants of Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Those later interpretations have a long history, but the basic answer to the ark question is the three names stated in Genesis.

Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Oct. 2026

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