In the Bible, the family lineage of Shem holds a special place of honor amongst the sons of Noah. Not only was Shem the father of five sons who would become the heads of the Semitic nations. Out of his line would eventually come the nation of Israel and, one day, Jesus Christ.
But what do we know about this favored son of Noah?
Shem is a significant figure in the Bible, mainly known as one of the three sons of Noah. He is mentioned in the Book of Genesis. According to the biblical account, Shem, along with his brothers Ham and Japheth, survived the Great Flood aboard the Ark. Noah's family was chosen by God to repopulate the Earth after the floodwaters receded.
Shem is often considered the ancestor of the Semitic peoples. This includes various ethnic groups in the Middle East, such as the Jews, Arabs, and Assyrians, among others. The term "Semitic" is actually derived from his name, emphasizing his importance in the lineage of these groups.
In the genealogies listed in Genesis, Shem is shown to have several descendants who play critical roles in the biblical narrative and in the subsequent history of the Middle East. His descendants are said to have populated regions now part of modern-day Iran, Iraq, and the Arabian Peninsula.
The Bible credits Shem with a long lifespan, similar to other pre-flood and immediate post-flood figures, living for several hundred years, reflecting the early Genesis narratives of extended lifespans for humans before and after the flood. Shem's legacy in biblical terms is not just of historical or genealogical interest but also carries theological significance, representing the spread of peoples who were central to the biblical story and its propagation.
Genesis 5:32 - After Noah was 500 years old, Noah fathered Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
Genesis 9:18-19 - The sons of Noah who came out of the ark were Shem, Ham and Japheth. (Ham was the father of Canaan.) These were the three sons of Noah, and from them came the people who were scattered over the whole earth.
Genesis 9:26 - He also said, “Praise be to the LORD, the God of Shem! May Canaan be the slave of Shem.
Genesis 11:10 - This is the account of Shem’s family line. Two years after the flood, when Shem was 100 years old, he became the father of Arphaxad.
After the Great Flood, recorded in Genesis 6-8, the remnant of humanity, contained in the family of Noah, exited the ark and began to fulfill the God-given mandate to “be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth” (Genesis 9:1). The task of repopulating the earth was given to Noah’s three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, who had entered the ark with their father and mother and their wives before the flood (Genesis 9:19).
The first mention of Shem by name is in Genesis 9:18, where he is listed first among his brothers. Naturally, this ordering suggests that Shem was the eldest of Noah’s three sons. In Genesis 10:21, Shem is also listed as Japheth’s older brother. In Genesis 9:24, the author refers to Ham as Noah’s youngest son. By process of elimination, that would make Shem the oldest.
In any case, the birth order of Noah’s three sons and their families is far less important than the blessings their father and God bestowed upon them. In fact, throughout the Bible, younger brothers are frequently honored above their older siblings.
For example, Isaac would receive the blessing promised to Abraham above Ishmael, Abraham’s firstborn. Jacob would supplant his twin brother Esau for the family birthright and the will of their father, Isaac. Judah, the fourth son of Jacob (Israel), became the patriarch of the tribe from which David and Jesus would eventually be born. Even David was the youngest of Jesse’s eight sons, and yet God would anoint him to become the next king of Israel. Case in point, where man looks at the outward appearance and the expectations of the eldest son to carry on his father’s legacy, God looks at the heart. His blessings are bestowed upon those He chooses.
As mentioned, after the flood, Shem and his brothers began cultivating and repopulating the earth with their wives, whom they brought along on the ark. In time, these families would grow and migrate throughout the earth, settling throughout what historians called the Cradle of Civilization.
An unusual story in Genesis, however, may provide some clues as to why particular sons of Noah were more favored above others.
Genesis 9 describes Noah farming and planting a vineyard in his old age. One evening, Noah had a little too much wine to drink and proceeded to do what intoxicated individuals often do: he made a fool of himself.
Not only did the father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth get so drunk that he passed out in his tent. He also disrobed and lay naked, apparently where others could see him.
More problems followed.
“Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brothers outside.” (Genesis 9:22)
Now, we don’t know what Ham thought when he saw his father lying drunk, naked, and undignified before his eyes. We also don’t know why he went and told his brothers. The text does not make his motivations or intentions clear. However, it is clear that both Shem and Japheth approached their father’s shame much differently than their younger brother.
Instead of leaving their father lying naked on the ground, Shem and Japheth “took a garment and laid it upon both their shoulders and walked backward and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were turned away, so that they did not see their father’s nakedness” (Genesis 9:23).
Unlike Ham, Shem and Japheth refused to even look upon their exposed father, covering his nakedness and restoring a small measure of dignity to the head and leader of their family.
When Noah woke up and learned of what his sons had done, he cursed his youngest son, saying, “cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants he shall be to his brothers” (Genesis 9:25). Given how Israel related to the people of Canaan (Ham’s direct descendants), Noah’s curse upon his youngest son holds particular significance.
On the other hand, Noah blessed the lines of Shem and Japheth for the way they had chosen to honor him in his moment of disgrace.
“Blessed be the Lord, the God of Shem; and let Canaan be his servant. May God enlarge Japheth, and let him dwell in the tents of Shem; and let Canaan be his servant.” (Genesis 9:26-27)
The following chapters of Genesis outline the lineages of Noah’s three sons, starting with Japheth, Ham, and then Shem. We know from these accounts that Shem would have five sons of record: Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud, and Aram (Genesis 10:22). Genesis chapter 11 also informs us that Shem was one hundred years old when he fathered Arpachshad, two years after the flood. Shem would live five hundred years after the birth of Arpachshad, having additional sons and daughters in that time (Genesis 11:10-11; 1 Chronicles 1:17).
Of course, in various biblical genealogies, special attention is given to one son of Shem in particular, namely Arpachshad, for out of Arpachshad’s line would eventually come to Abraham (Genesis 11:10-32), Isaac, Jacob, and the nation of Israel. Furthermore, the gospel writer Luke traces the lineage of Jesus Christ back to Arpachshad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah (Luke 3:23-38).
The blessing Shem’s father bestowed upon him far exceeded Shem’s lifetime. It was also a blessing passed down through generations, culminating in the birth of Jesus Christ, the Messiah and a descendent of Abraham, through whom all the world’s nations would be blessed (Genesis 22:18).
However, it is essential to remember that the five sons of Shem are listed in the genealogy of Noah’s oldest son. While the descendants of Arpachshad would eventually become the nation of Israel (as well as the Arab nations, through Abraham’s firstborn son Ishmael), the other four sons of Shem gave birth to the various Semitic tribes that populated the Fertile Crescent following the Great Flood.
Although the terms “Semite” and “Semitic” are not used in the Bible, history reveals that the sons of Shem did become the fathers of the Semitic nations.
- Elam would become the father of Elam, and the nation settled in the highlands east of the Tigris River between Media and Persia.
- Asshur would be the father of the Assyrians.
- Lud would be the father of the Lydian Empire in Asia Minor.
- Aram would become the father of the Syrians, who lived west of the Euphrates.
Students of the Bible, especially the Old Testament, should be familiar with these names as each played a significant role in the history of Israel. Ironically, the Canaanites lived up to Noah’s curse placed upon Ham and his descendants: they would become a thorn in the side of the Israelites for most of their history. The blessings bestowed upon Noah’s oldest sons, particularly Shem, lasted for generations.
Therefore, in outlining the genealogies of Noah’s three sons, Genesis meticulously recorded the family lineage of one of the Bible’s most influential families. More than just a list of names, these records provide an overview of Israel’s early history while offering profound insights into God’s redemptive plan for humanity, in which Noah and his sons played a pivotal part.
Photo Credit: © Getty Images/MR1805
This article is part of our People of Christianity catalog that features the stories, meaning, and significance of well-known people from the Bible and history. Here are some of the most popular articles for knowing important figures in Christianity:
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