In Genesis, Shem is listed first among Noah's three sons. Genesis 5:32 and 6:10 name Shem, Ham, and Japheth in that order, although other passages raise questions about the brothers' relative ages.
Shem becomes especially important in the biblical genealogies. Genesis 10 traces descendants from him, and Genesis 11 continues the line from Shem to Abram, later known as Abraham. The term “Semitic” was formed from Shem's name in later scholarly and historical usage, although modern language classification does not treat biblical ancestry as a scientific explanation of language families.
Listing order and birth order are not always identical in ancient genealogies. Genesis 10:21 is translated differently in various versions, so interpreters debate details about which brother was older. Shem's first position in the standard list, however, is clear.