Bible Strands
Genesis 6:10
And Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The narrator records this statement following the description of Noah’s righteousness in Genesis 6:9 and preceding the declaration of the earth’s corruption in Genesis 6:11. It functions as a genealogical pivot in the flood narrative.
The words — וַיּוֹלֶד (va.yoled) translates literally to "and he fathered," while בָנִים (banim) means "sons." These terms anchor the verse in a direct biological lineage.
The thread — The text cross-references this same event in Genesis 5:32, which notes Noah fathered these three sons after living five hundred years. The parallel account reinforces the timeline of the flood generation.
Why it lands — The passage establishes a specific family line to serve as the vessel for preservation. It requires the reader to track how divine judgment and mercy operate through recorded human ancestry.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And Noah begat three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
Cross-references
- Genesis 5:32 After Noah was 500 years old, he became the father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth.