Shem is the first of Noah’s sons named in Genesis 5:32.
Genesis 5:32 says that Noah was 500 years old and became the father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth. The same three names appear repeatedly in the Flood narrative and in the account of Noah’s later life. Although Shem is listed first, the passage does not necessarily settle every question about the brothers’ exact ages or birth order.
Later biblical genealogies trace important lines through Shem. Genesis 10 presents descendants of Shem, Ham, and Japheth in the so-called Table of Nations, while Genesis 11 follows Shem’s line to Abram. The term “Semitic” ultimately derives from Shem’s name, though modern linguistic classification is more complex than a simple family label.
A common mix-up is substituting Canaan for one of Noah’s sons. Canaan is identified as a son of Ham, not as a son of Noah. The three sons named in Genesis 5:32 are Shem, Ham, and Japheth.