Shem
Shem means "name". He is the son of Noah and he lived from 1558 FC to 2158 FC (2410 BC – 1810 BC | 600 yrs). Noah is 502 yrs old when Shem was born.
Why we chose that time?
When Genesis 5:32 says that Noah was 500 years old and sired “Shem, Ham, and Japheth”, we are led to believe they were triplets; or, at the least, that Shem was the eldest. Yet the Bible makes it clear that isn’t possible by using some simple math.
The flood began when Noah was 600 (Genesis 7:6). At that time, Shem would have been 100 years old, if born when Noah was 500. But if you read Genesis 11:10, you’ll see that Shem’s firstborn, Arphaxad, was born 2 years after the flood, when Shem was 100 years old.
See the problem? Shem was born when Noah was 500, the flood happened when Noah was 600, and Shem’s son was born two years LATER when Noah was 602 … and at THAT point Shem was only 100! There are two extra years there. Figuring backwards, we cannot escape the conclusion that Shem was born when Noah was 502. Yet Genesis 5:32 clearly said Noah was 500 when he had “Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
How can we reconcile this without breaking the unbreakable scripture? Simple! ALL the scriptures must be used. Read Genesis 10:21. Shem was the brother of Japheth – we knew that – but the brother of Japheth WHO WAS THE ELDER!
This means that the order given in Genesis 5:32 is wrong. Not wrong exactly, because the order is given that way for a reason; but wrong, chronologically. See, the Bible has an interesting quirk in that the “eldest” child is often not the eldest in chronological age, but is the eldest reckoned by birthright. In other words, if the “real” firstborn child is an evil monster, the birthright will go to the next eldest; and from that point on, HE will always be given the honors that belong to the eldest.
Shem was mentioned first because Shem received the birthright, not Ham or Japheth, the elder. We know that Shem received the birthright because the line of Christ and the blessings of Abraham were given to HIS children, not to the others!
We don’t know exactly why Shem inherited the birthright in front of his brothers. Very little is said about any of the three. Regardless, they were listed as “Shem, Ham, and Japheth”, even though Shem was certainly younger than Japheth; the way it is listed implies that Ham was the firstborn; Japheth the second; Shem the last.
If that is so, then we can safely conclude that Ham was born when Noah was 500; Japheth when he was 501; and Shem when he was 502. And that Genesis 5:32 meant that Noah was 500 years old when he began to have children, and had Shem, Ham, and Japeth – in order of birthright, or Ham, Japheth, and Shem, in order of birth.
Verses that mention "Shem" or "Sem"
Genesis 5:32 And Noah was five hundred years old: and Noah begat Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
Genesis 6:10 And Noah begat three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
Genesis 7:13 In the selfsame day entered Noah, and Shem, and Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah's wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, into the ark;
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 9:26 And he said, Blessed be the Lord God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.
Genesis 9:27 God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.
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 10:21 Unto Shem also, the father of all the children of Eber, the brother of Japheth the elder, even to him were children born.
Genesis 10:22 The children of Shem; Elam, and Asshur, and Arphaxad, and Lud, and Aram.
Genesis 10:31 These are the sons of Shem, after their families, after their tongues, in their lands, after their nations.
Genesis 11:10 These are the generations of Shem: Shem was an hundred years old, and begat Arphaxad two years after the flood:
Genesis 11:11 And Shem lived after he begat Arphaxad five hundred years, and begat sons and daughters.
1 Chronicles 1:4 Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
1 Chronicles 1:17 The sons of Shem; Elam, and Asshur, and Arphaxad, and Lud, and Aram, and Uz, and Hul, and Gether, and Meshech.
1 Chronicles 1:24 Shem, Arphaxad, Shelah,
Luke 3:36 Which was the son of Cainan, which was the son of Arphaxad, which was the son of Sem, which was the son of Noe, which was the son of Lamech,
