In Genesis's Noah's Ark story, Shem is named first among Noah's three sons.
Genesis 5:32 and Genesis 6:10 list Noah's sons as Shem, Ham, and Japheth. The three men enter the Ark with Noah, Noah's wife, and their own wives during the flood account.
The order of names is a textual fact, but it does not automatically settle every question about age or chronology. Genesis 10 presents the descendants of the three sons in a different sequence, and later biblical passages attach significant genealogical importance to each branch.
Shem is especially prominent in the genealogy leading toward Abraham in Genesis 11. Ham is associated with the story of Canaan in Genesis 9, while Japheth receives a separate line of descendants. These later associations should not be mistaken for separate sons or additional Ark passengers.