Shem

Shem (Heb. Shem, “name, renown”) is the firstborn of Noah’s three sons, brother to Ham and Japheth. He enters the ark with his father, his wife, and his brothers (Gen.7.13), and his name heads the post-flood Table of Nations (Gen.10.21–31). After the episode of Noah’s drunkenness, in which Shem and Japheth respectfully cover their father, Noah pronounces a blessing on Shem in particular: “Blessed be the LORD God of Shem” (Gen.9.26). The Semitic peoples — Elamites, Assyrians, Aramaeans, Hebrews, and Arabs among them — trace from him. The genealogy of Genesis 11 carries his line in a straight succession through Arphaxad, Salah, Eber, Peleg, Reu, Serug, Nahor, and Terah to Abram (Gen.11.10–26), so that the covenant promise of Genesis 12 unfolds within the Shemite branch of humanity. Shem himself lived 600 years (Gen.11.10–11). He reappears in 1 Chronicles 1 and in Luke’s genealogy of Jesus (Luk.3.36).