Shem, son of Noah
The name Shem means “name; renown.” Shem is mentioned in 17 verses of the Bible, first in Genesis 5:32. Also called Sem.
Family of Shem
Who was Shem?
A name; renown, the first mentioned of the sons of Noah (Gen. 5:32; 6:10). He was probably the eldest of Noah’s sons. The words “brother of Japheth the elder” in Gen. 10:21 are more correctly rendered “the elder brother of Japheth,” as in the Revised Version. Shem’s name is generally mentioned first in the list of Noah’s sons. He and his wife were saved in the ark (7:13). Noah foretold his preeminence over Canaan (9:23-27). He died at the age of six hundred years, having been for many years contemporary with Abraham, according to the usual chronology. The Israelitish nation sprang from him (Gen. 11:10-26; 1 Chr. 1:24-27).
Biography adapted from Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897), public domain, linked via Theographic Bible Metadata.
Key verses about Shem
- Genesis 5:32
And Noah was five hundred years old: and Noah begat Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
- Genesis 9:18
And the sons of Noah, that went forth of the ark, were Shem, and Ham, and Japheth: and Ham is the father of Canaan.
- Genesis 9:23
And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father’s nakedness.
- Genesis 10:1
Now these are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth: and unto them were sons born after the flood.
- Genesis 10:22
The children of Shem; Elam, and Asshur, and Arphaxad, and Lud, and Aram.
- 1 Chronicles 1:4
Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
Timeline of Shem's life
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 2445 BC | Birth of Shem |
| 2445 BC | Lifetime of Shem |
| 2347 BC | The Great Flood begins |
| 2347 BC | The Great Flood |
| 2347 BC | Water covers the earth |
| 2346 BC | The flood subsides |
| 2346 BC | Leaving the Ark |
| 2345 BC | Noah gets drunk and Canaan is cursed |
| 2345 BC | Birth of Arphaxad |
| 1845 BC | Death of Shem |