Shem is traditionally listed first among Noah’s three sons in the Bible.
Genesis 5:32 names Shem, Ham, and Japheth as Noah’s sons, and Genesis 9–10 continues to organize the post-Flood family story around them. Shem is especially important in biblical genealogy because the line leading to Abraham is traced through him.
The order of names does not always indicate age in every biblical passage, and Genesis 10:21 has wording that has produced different interpretations about the brothers’ relative ages. Still, Shem is the conventional first-listed name in the standard formula naming Noah’s sons. Ham is associated with Canaan in the narrative, while Japheth is connected with his own descendants in the table of nations.