Shem is listed first among Noah’s three sons in Genesis.
Genesis 5:32 names Noah’s sons as Shem, Ham, and Japheth. The same trio appears repeatedly in the flood narrative, including when they enter the ark and when they leave it with Noah. Genesis later develops separate genealogical lines for each son.
The order of names does not always settle questions about age. Genesis 10:21 contains wording that has been translated in different ways concerning Shem and Japheth, and interpreters have debated the brothers’ relative ages. The traditional listing, however, consistently begins with Shem.
Shem becomes especially important in the biblical genealogies because Genesis traces the line from him through later generations to Abraham. The English word “Semitic” was formed from the name Shem, although modern linguistic classification is more complex than simply labeling every related language or people as descended directly from one biblical individual.