In Genesis, Shem is listed first among Noah’s sons in the Flood account. Genesis 6:10 names Shem, Ham, and Japheth in that order.
Shem’s position in the list is significant within Genesis because the later genealogy in chapter 11 traces the line leading to Abram, who is introduced as Abraham in subsequent biblical narrative. The text also gives Shem a separate genealogy after the Flood.
Readers sometimes assume the listing order automatically proves birth order, but biblical genealogies do not always function as simple age rankings. Genesis 10:21 uses wording that has generated translation and interpretation questions about the relationship between Shem and Japheth. The safe textual fact is that Shem appears first in Genesis 6:10.