Lexical Definition

‎חָם‎ Châm (khawm) Ham ^N:N-M-P
the same as ‎חָם‎; hot (from the tropical habitat)

Ham.

• § Ham = "hot"
• Cham, a son of Noah
• also (as a patronymic) his descendants or their country

n pr m
1) 2nd son of Noah, father of Canaan and of various peoples which were inhabitants of southern lands
2) in late usage, a collective name for Egyptians
n pr loc
3) the place where Chedorlaomer smote the Zuzim, probably in the territory of Ammonites (Gilead) east of the Jordan

Brown-Driver-Briggs

I. ‎חָם‎ proper name, masculine person and location (compare Sabean ‎חם‎ Hal²⁴³) — ᵐ5 Ξαμ: —

1. Ham, 2nd son of Noah Gen 5:32; Gen 6:10; Gen 7:13; Gen 9:18 (twice in verse); 1Chr 1:4 called father of Canaan Gen 9:22 and of various peoples Gen 10:1; Gen 10:6; Gen 10:20; 1Chr 1:8, compare ‎מִןחָֿם הַיּשְׁבִים שָׁם‎ 1Chr 4:40 these peoples were inhabitants of southern lands, or related historically or politically to such inhabitants; see ‎כּוּשׁ‎, ‎כְּנַעַן‎, ‎מִצְרַיִם‎, ‎פּוּט‎, etc.

2. in late Psalms a name (collective) for Egyptians: — ‎׳‎‎אָֽהֳלֵיחֿ‎ Ps 78:51 ‎׳‎‎אֶרֶץחֿ‎ Ps 105:23; Ps 105:27; Ps 106:22 (all || ‎מִצְרַיִם‎, except Ps 105:27). — On historical significance, and attempts at etymology see Di^{Gen. ed. 6, chap.10}, especially pp. 165, 168 f., Hom^{SV i. 427} Bu^{Urg. 323} Wied^{Ägypt. Geschichte. i. 22}.

Brown-Driver-Briggs References