Shem is named first in the Bible’s list of Noah’s three sons. Genesis 6:10 identifies Noah’s sons as Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and the same order appears in several later passages.
Shem becomes especially important in the biblical genealogy after the flood. Genesis 10 presents descendants associated with the three sons, and Genesis 11 traces the line from Shem to Abram, later known as Abraham. The term “Semitic” is historically derived from the name Shem, although modern linguistic classifications are more complex than a simple genealogical label.
Ham is associated in Genesis with Canaan, while Japheth is presented as another ancestor of post-flood peoples. The narrative does not treat the three sons as interchangeable: each has a distinct place in the genealogy and in the story following Noah’s survival.
Shem should not be confused with Shem, the divine name in some later Jewish and Islamic contexts, or with the modern word “Semite,” whose historical usage has developed beyond the biblical passage.