These are the generations of Shem. When Shem was 100 years old, he fathered Arpachshad two years after the flood.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse marks the start of tracing a crucial lineage, not just any line, but the line leading to Abraham and eventually the Messiah. It highlights Shem's fathering of Arpachshad precisely "two years after the flood," emphasizing that the continuity of God's redemptive plan was already in motion even as the world was beginning to rebuild.
These are the generations of Shem. When Shem was 100 years old, he fathered Arpachshad two years after the flood.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Following the Tower of Babel incident, the text shifts focus to the lineage of Shem, one of Noah's sons. This genealogy is presented to trace the line through which God's promises would be fulfilled, ultimately leading to Abraham. The specific mention of Shem fathering Arpachshad establishes a crucial chronological marker after the Flood.
Ever wonder why the Bible lists so many names and ages? It's not just random data. These genealogies are like a sacred roadmap.
The Sacred Lineage
When Genesis says "These are the generations of Shem," it's not just providing a family tree. It's highlighting the chosen lineage through which God's promises would unfold, most importantly, the promise of a Savior.
The world had just experienced a catastrophic flood. What does Shem's firstborn son signify in the wake of such judgment?
A New Beginning
Genesis 11:10 marks a crucial point: Shem, a survivor of the flood, fathers his son Arpachshad just two years later. This event is brimming with significance:
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Understand the original words
towledah · Hebrew Noun
Literally 'begettings' or 'history of descent.' It refers to the historical account of families, lineages, and the unfolding of God’s plan through humanity after significant events.
mabbul · Hebrew Noun
A cataclysmic event sent by God to judge the wickedness of the world, cleansing the earth and beginning a new era of human history through Noah and his descendants.
This verse anchors the lineage of humanity after the flood, specifically tracing the line through Shem that will eventually lead to Abraham. It highlights a key moment in patriarchal history, emphasizing God's plan to preserve a chosen line amidst a world that was beginning to scatter and stray.
c. 2948 BC
The Great Flood
Noah and his family, along with pairs of all living creatures, are preserved in an ark during a catastrophic global flood.
c. 2946 BC— this verse
Shem fathers Arpachshad
Shem, Noah's son, is 100 years old and fathers his son Arpachshad two years after the flood. This marks the beginning of a genealogy that will lead to Abraham.
c. 2450 BC
Tower of Babel Incident
Humanity, united in language and purpose, attempts to build a city and a tower to reach the heavens, defying God. God confuses their languages and scatters them.
c. 2090 BC
Terah's Migration Begins
Terah, a descendant of Shem through Abram, begins a journey with his family from Ur of the Chaldeans, intending to go to Canaan.
c. 2008 BC
Abram Called by God
God calls Abram (later Abraham) to leave his land and go to a place God will show him, initiating a covenant relationship.
This verse introduces the 'generations of Shem' by referencing the broader table of nations, setting the stage for tracing Shem's lineage specifically.
Luke 3:36This New Testament passage, part of Jesus' genealogy, directly echoes the lineage starting from Shem, showing the continuity of this line through history.
Genesis 10:22This verse lists Arpachshad as one of Shem's sons, directly preceding the verse in question and establishing him as Shem's immediate offspring.
Genesis 11:11This verse continues Shem's generational account, specifying his lifespan after fathering Arpachshad, which helps to anchor the timeline provided in Genesis 11:10.
gillGenesis 11:10: "These are the generations of Shem: Shem was an hundred years old, and begat Arphaxad two years after the flood:"
These are the generations of Shem,.... Or a genealogy of the posterity of Shem; not of all of them, only of those of the line which led to Abraham, by which might appear the true line in which the Messiah from Adam through Abraham sprung: Shem was one hundred years old, and begat Arphexad two years after the flood; by which it is pretty plain that he was younger than…
clarkeGenesis 11:10: "These are the generations of Shem: Shem was an hundred years old, and begat Arphaxad two years after the flood:"
These are the generations of Shem - This may he called the holy family, as from it sprang Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, the twelve patriarchs, David, Solomon, and all the great progenitors of the Messiah. We have already seen that the Scripture chronology, as it exists in the Hebrew text, the Samaritan, the Septuagint, Josephus, and some of the fathers, is greatly embarrasse…
The verse marks the start of tracing a crucial lineage, not just any line, but the line leading to Abraham and eventually the Messiah. It highlights Shem's fathering of Arpachshad precisely "two years after the flood," emphasizing that the continuity of God's redemptive plan was already in motion even as the world was beginning to rebuild.
Following the Tower of Babel incident, the text shifts focus to the lineage of Shem, one of Noah's sons. This genealogy is presented to trace the line through which God's promises would be fulfilled, ultimately leading to Abraham. The specific mention of Shem fathering Arpachshad establishes a crucial chronological marker after the Flood.
Following the Tower of Babel incident, the text shifts focus to the lineage of Shem, one of Noah's sons. This genealogy is presented to trace the line through which God's promises would be fulfilled, ultimately leading to Abraham. The specific mention of Shem fathering Arpachshad establishes a crucial chronological marker after the Flood.
"These are the generations of Shem. When Shem was 100 years old, he fathered Arpachshad two years after the flood." — The verse marks the start of tracing a crucial lineage, not just any line, but the line leading to Abraham and eventually the Messiah. It highlights Shem's fathering of Arpachshad precisely "two year…
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Last reviewed October 2026