Arpachshad fathered Shelah; and Shelah fathered Eber.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse subtly highlights Eber, the ancestor of the Hebrews, as being chosen not by chance but through a specific lineage tracing back to Noah's son Shem. It emphasizes that while nations scattered, this particular line was preserved, setting the stage for God's future covenant with Abraham.
Arpachshad fathered Shelah; and Shelah fathered Eber.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse appears within a larger genealogy tracing the descendants of Noah after the flood, specifically focusing on the line of his son Shem. It bridges the generations from Arpachshad down to Eber, who is significant as the ancestor from whom the Hebrews derive their name. This lineage is presented as the crucial path leading toward Abraham and the chosen people, setting the stage for later biblical history.
Why does this genealogy, filled with seemingly obscure names, focus on Eber and his descendants?
Genesis 10:21-24 traces the lineage of Shem, Noah's son, emphasizing that from this line would come the people of God. The text specifically calls Shem "the father of all the children of Eber" and notes that Eber himself is pivotal.
Why list names that seem to lead nowhere? This genealogy isn't just about history; it's about God's active hand in preserving His people.
Ask a follow-up
The genealogies in Genesis, including the specific verses about Arpachshad, Shelah, and Eber, are more than just a record of who begat whom. They demonstrate God's providential care and His plan to preserve a faithful line through the generations.
Understand the original words
yalad · Hebrew Verb
Literally 'to beget' or 'to bring forth.' In biblical genealogies, it signifies the act of fathering or the generational succession that serves as the backbone of biblical history.
This passage continues the genealogy of Shem, directly detailing the lineage from Arpachshad through Eber's son Peleg, providing further context to Eber's place in history.
Joshua 24:2-3This passage directly references 'your fathers, including Terah and his fathers, lived long ago beyond the Euphrates' and worshiped other gods, highlighting the significance of Eber's name ('passed over' or 'from the other side') in relation to the ancestral homeland of the Hebrews.
Luke 3:35-36This New Testament genealogy traces Jesus' lineage back through Shem to Arpachshad and Salah, confirming their place in the patriarchal line and indirectly supporting Eber's significance as an ancestor.
1 Chronicles 1:17This verse reiterates the same lineage from Arpachshad to Shelah and Eber, reinforcing their importance in the biblical narrative as progenitors of significant groups.
calvinGenesis 10:1-32: "Now these are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth: and unto them were sons born after the flood."
Et filii Chus, Seba, et Havilah, et Sabthah, et Rahamah, et Sabtecha. Filii autem Rahamah, Seba, et Dedan.
And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth.
Et Chus genuit Nimrod: ipse coepit esse potens in terra:
He was a mighty hunter before the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD.
9.…
barnesGenesis 10:24: "And Arphaxad begat Salah; and Salah begat Eber."
Arpakshad begat (54) Shelah. We know nothing of the nation of which he was the founder. He begat (55) Heber. He is the progenitor of the Hebrews, the race to which Abraham belonged. He is marked out very prominently for reasons partly unknown to us at this distance of time, but partly no doubt because he was the ancestor of the chosen race who immediately preceded the confusion of tongues, and to whom belonged that generic Hebrew…
This verse subtly highlights Eber, the ancestor of the Hebrews, as being chosen not by chance but through a specific lineage tracing back to Noah's son Shem. It emphasizes that while nations scattered, this particular line was preserved, setting the stage for God's future covenant with Abraham.
This verse appears within a larger genealogy tracing the descendants of Noah after the flood, specifically focusing on the line of his son Shem. It bridges the generations from Arpachshad down to Eber, who is significant as the ancestor from whom the Hebrews derive their name. This lineage is presented as the crucial path leading toward Abraham and the chosen people, setting the stage for later biblical history.
This verse appears within a larger genealogy tracing the descendants of Noah after the flood, specifically focusing on the line of his son Shem. It bridges the generations from Arpachshad down to Eber, who is significant as the ancestor from whom the Hebrews derive their name. This lineage is presented as the crucial path leading toward Abraham and the chosen people, setting the stage for later biblical history.
"Arpachshad fathered Shelah; and Shelah fathered Eber." — This verse subtly highlights Eber, the ancestor of the Hebrews, as being chosen not by chance but through a specific lineage tracing back to Noah's son Shem. It emphasizes that while nations scattere…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026