This is the account of Shem. Two years after the flood, when Shem was 100 years old, he became the father of Arphaxad.
Parallel translations
- WEB This is the history of the generations of Shem: Shem was one hundred years old when he became the father of Arpachshad two years after the flood.
- KJV These are the generations of Shem: Shem was an hundred years old, and begat Arphaxad two years after the flood:
- NKJV This is the genealogy of Shem: Shem was one hundred years old, and begot Arphaxad two years after the flood.
- NASB These are the records of the generations of Shem. Shem was a hundred years old when he fathered Arpachshad, two years after the flood;
- NLT This is the account of Shem’s family. Two years after the great flood, when Shem was 100 years old, he became the father of Arphaxad.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
This begins the genealogy of Shem, noting he fathered Arpachshad two years after the flood. The focus narrows to the line of promise.
Overview
After the scattering of the nations, the narrative deliberately returns to Shem's line, tracing the lineage toward Abraham. This narrowing reflects God's purpose to work through one chosen family to bless all nations. The genealogy is part of the unbroken chain of promise that leads from Shem to Abraham and ultimately to Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 4
- 1 Chr 1:17–27The sons of Shem: Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud, and Aram. The sons of Aram: Uz, Hul, Gether, and Meshech.
- Gen 10:21–22And sons were also born to Shem, the older brother of Japheth; Shem was the forefather of all the sons of Eber.
- Gen 11:27This is the account of Terah. Terah became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran. And Haran became the father of Lot.
- Luke 3:34–36the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor,
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
From the first promise that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent (3:15), through Abraham's blessing to all nations and Judah's coming ruler, Genesis sows every seed that flowers in Christ — the true offspring, the better Adam, the ram caught for Isaac.
How Genesis 11:10 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.