Protos

Who was Shem in the Bible?

Lived in the age of the patriarchs

Shem was one of the three sons of Noah, along with Ham and Japheth (Gen.5.32; 6.10). Shem appears in 17 verses across 3 books of the Bible.

Shem
Shem · James Tissot, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

What does the Bible say about Shem?

Shem was one of the three sons of Noah, along with Ham and Japheth (Gen.5.32; 6.10). He and his wife were among the eight people who survived the great flood in the ark (Gen.7.13). After the flood, Shem and his brothers became the ancestors of the nations that repopulated the earth (Gen.9.18,19; 10.1). Shem was the ancestor of the Semitic peoples, including the Elamites, Assyrians, Arameans, and Hebrews (Gen.10.21-31). He was also the ancestor of Abraham and, therefore, of the Israelites (Gen.11.10-26; 1Ch.1.17-27). In the New Testament, Shem is mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus in Luk.3.36. Shem and Japheth showed respect for their father by covering his nakedness when he became drunk (Gen.9.23). As a result, Noah blessed Shem, saying, "Blessed be the Lord, the God of Shem" (Gen.9.26). This blessing implied that Shem's descendants would have a special relationship with God. Shem lived for 600 years (Gen.11.10-11).

Definition text: STEPBible · Tyndale House Cambridge. Licensed CC BY 4.0. Lightly edited for length and formatting.

Compiled by Protos: the verse list on this page. Where one name belongs to more than one person or place, each of them gets a separate entry.

Where does Shem appear in the Bible?

Shem is referenced in 17 verses across 3 books. Every passage below is about this one, not just every verse the word turns up in.

Genesis 131 Chronicles 3Luke 1

What else appears in these passages?

These turn up in the same passages as Shem.

NoahHamJaphethCanaanShelahEber

Common questions

How many times does the Bible mention Shem?

Shem appears in 17 verses across 3 books, most often in Genesis, which accounts for 13 of them.

Which books of the Bible mention Shem?

Genesis, 1 Chronicles, Luke.

Where can I read every verse about Shem?

This page lists 17 of them. Protos carries all 17, and opens this entry on the verse you are reading rather than in a separate tab.

Read it in context

Read Genesis with Shem explained on the verse.

Tap any name, place, or word you do not recognize and the background opens on the verse you are reading. No second tab, no search, no losing your place.

The Protos reader open on Genesis 1 with the How to Read Genesis background sheet raised over it
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Fabio Jonathan ArifinFabio JonathanFounder of Protos · Portland Bible College graduate

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