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Adam wife was Eve,
Abrahams wife was Sarah.
Etc.

But how come the Bible never records Noahs wife's name?
Do any scholars know if it's recorded elsewhere?

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    Many important people don't have their spouses' names mentioned
    – Double AA
    Jun 4, 2017 at 13:11

1 Answer 1

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The Midrash Genesis Rabbah (ed. Albeck: B'reshit 23) quotes R. Abba bar Kahana stating that Na'amah, the sister of Tuval-Kayin (see Genesis 4:22), was the wife of Noah, and she was called Na'amah (lit. pleasant) due to her proper behaviour:

ואחות תובל קין נעמה אמר ר' אבא בר כהנא נעמה אשת נח הייתה, ולמה נקראת נעמה שמעשיה נעימים

Presumably her name is not mentioned, since she has little screen time or character development. She is only ever mentioned in passing, e.g. in Genesis (7:7).

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    Noah is himself righteous, but his family life is very lacking. The first words that actually are recorded out of his mouth are cursing his son. Contrast with Abraham, who does not exist without Sarah, and the first words out of his mouth are telling her she's beautiful. Hence, she's just "Mrs. Noah."
    – Shalom
    Jun 4, 2017 at 9:46
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    @Shalom You know, I never thought of it like that. I always noticed the fact that Noah should've been more critical of his own lack of self-control. Righteous to a point, you might say? Jun 4, 2017 at 11:48
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    @Shalom Noah is never said to be righteous, but rather "righteous for his generation", נֹחַ אִישׁ צַדִּיק תָּמִים הָיָה, בְּדֹרֹתָיו: (Parshat Noach, Bereishit 6:9) "Noah was in his generations a man righteous and whole-hearted; "(JPS 1917)
    – arp
    Jun 4, 2017 at 16:17
  • @Shalom - They say had Avrohom Ovinu lived during the time of Noach, he would have been the one to enter the Teivah and be spared. It's just that Noach was righteous for his time period, not technically a "tzadik" or anything.
    – ezra
    Jun 4, 2017 at 22:36
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    Might want to add that just being mentioned in passing is more than most of humanity, and thus could be taken to imply that "Ne'amah" had /some/ role in history. Thus defending the idea that she must have been Mrs Noach. Jun 6, 2017 at 18:46

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