Easton's Bible Dictionary A name; renown, the first mentioned of the sons of Noah (Genesis 5:32; 6:10). He was probably the eldest of Noah's sons. The words "brother of Japheth the elder" in Genesis 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 (Genesis 11:10-26; 1 Chronicles 1:24-27). Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia SHEM shem (shem; Sem): 1. Position in Noah's Family: His Name: The eldest son of Noah, from whom the Jews, as well as the Semitic ("Shemitic") nations in general have descended. When giving the names of Noah's three sons, Shem is always mentioned first (Genesis 9:18; Genesis 10:1, etc.); and though "the elder" in "Shem the brother of Japheth the elder" (Genesis 10:21 margin) is explained as referring to Shem, this is not the rendering of Onkelos. His five sons peopled the greater part of West Asia's finest tracts, from Elam on the East to the Mediterranean on the West. Though generally regarded as meaning "dusky" (compare the Assyr-Babylonian samu-also Ham-possibly = "black," Japheth, "fair"), it is considered possible that Shem may be the usual Hebrew word for "name" (shem), given him because he was the firstborn-a parallel to the Assyr-Babylonian usage, in which "son," "name" (sumu) are synonyms (W. A. Inscriptions, V, plural 23, 11, 29-32abc). 2. History, and the Nations Descended from Him: Shem, who is called "the father of all the children of Eber," was born when Noah had attained the age of 500 years (Genesis 5:32). Though married at the time of the Flood, Shem was then childless. Aided by Japheth, he covered the nakedness of their father, which Ham, the youngest brother, had revealed to them; but unlike the last, Shem and Japheth, in their filial piety, approached their father walking backward, in order not to look upon him. Two years after the Flood, Shem being then 100 years old, his son Arpachshad was born (Genesis 11:10), and was followed by further sons and daughters during the remaining 500 years which preceded Shem's death. Noah's prophetic blessing, on awakening from his wine, may be regarded as having been fulfilled in his descendants, who occupied Syria (Aramaic), Palestine (Canaan), Chaldea (Arpachshad), Assyria (Asshur), part of Persia (Elam), and Arabia (Joktan). In the first three of these, as well as in Elam, Canaanites had settled (if not in the other districts mentioned), but Shemites ruled, at some time or other, over the Canaanites, and Canaan thus became "his servant" (Genesis 9:25, 26). The tablets found in Cappadocia seem to show that Shemites (Assyrians) had settled in that district also, but this was apparently an unimportant colony. Though designated sons of Shem, some of his descendants (e.g. the Elamites) did not speak a Semitic language, while other nationalities, not his descendants (e.g. the Canaanites), did. See HAM; JAPHETH; TABLE OF NATIONS. T. G. Pinches

Multi-Version Concordance Shem (17 Occurrences) Luke 3:36 the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech, (WEB WEY ASV BBE WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) Genesis 5:32 Noah was five hundred years old, and Noah became the father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) Genesis 6:10 Noah became the father of three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) Genesis 7:13 In the same day Noah, and Shem, Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah's wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, entered into the ship; (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) Genesis 9:18 The sons of Noah who went forth from the ship were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Ham is the father of Canaan. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) Genesis 9:23 Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it on both their shoulders, went in backwards, and covered the nakedness of their father. Their faces were backwards, and they didn't see their father's nakedness. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) Genesis 9:26 He said, "Blessed be Yahweh, the God of Shem. Let Canaan be his servant. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) Genesis 9:27 May God enlarge Japheth. Let him dwell in the tents of Shem. Let Canaan be his servant." (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) Genesis 10:1 Now this is the history of the generations of the sons of Noah and of Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Sons were born to them after the flood. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) Genesis 10:21 To Shem, the father of all the children of Eber, the elder brother of Japheth, to him also were children born. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) Genesis 10:22 The sons of Shem: Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud, and Aram. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) Genesis 10:31 These are the sons of Shem, after their families, after their languages, in their lands, after their nations. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) Genesis 11:10 This is the history of the generations of Shem. Shem was one hundred years old and became the father of Arpachshad two years after the flood. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) Genesis 11:11 Shem lived five hundred years after he became the father of Arpachshad, and became the father of sons and daughters. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) 1 Chronicles 1:4 Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) 1 Chronicles 1:17 The sons of Shem: Elam, and Asshur, and Arpachshad, and Lud, and Aram, and Uz, and Hul, and Gether, and Meshech. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV) 1 Chronicles 1:24 Shem, Arpachshad, Shelah, (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)