Shem is the son traditionally placed first in the biblical lists of Noah's sons.
Genesis 5:32 names Noah's sons as Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Genesis 6:10 repeats the same order when describing Noah's family before the Flood, and later chapters continue to give Shem a prominent genealogical role.
Shem is presented as the ancestor of the line that leads to Abraham in the biblical genealogies. The term “Semitic,” used in later linguistic and historical classification, was derived from Shem's name, although modern scholars do not treat the biblical genealogy as a simple scientific classification of all peoples who speak Semitic languages.
A common source of confusion is that Genesis 9:24 calls Ham Noah's youngest son in one passage, while the ordering of names and later interpretations have generated discussion. The straightforward name at the head of the standard list is Shem.