Who was Shem in the Bible?

TL;DR:

Shem was one of Noah's three sons who was rescued from the flood. Shem was also the ancestor of Abraham and thus ultimately of Jesus the Messiah.

Shem was one of Noah's sons saved from the flood. After the flood, God made a covenant with Noah, including Shem, promising never to flood the earth again and giving instructions on how to live. Shem's lineage extends to Abraham, the father of the Israelite nation and a key figure in God's plan. Shem’s descendants include various ancient peoples, and his name gives rise to the term Semitic. In the New Testament, Shem is listed in Jesus' genealogy, emphasizing his role in the lineage of the Messiah. This narrative of Shem reflects God's provision of salvation, symbolized by God's rescue of Shem from the flood and Jesus' role as the ultimate Savior, offering redemption and grace to all humanity.

from the old testament

Shem is one of the three sons of Noah, his brothers being Ham and Japheth. They all, along with their wives, were rescued from the great flood (Genesis 8:16–18).
Because Shem's name is consistently listed first, it is possible that he was the oldest of Noah's three sons. Variant translations of Genesis 10:21 confuse the issue. It may be that Shem is often listed first simply because he was considered the most important to the Old Testament audience because he became the founding ancestor of the Israelite people (Genesis 11:10–26).
After the flood, God made a covenant with Noah, his sons (including Shem), and their descendants to never again destroy the earth by flood (Genesis 9:11–17). The rainbow is the sign of that promise. God also instructed them to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth (Genesis 9:1, 7), echoing His command to Adam and Eve in Genesis 1:28. God further instructed them not to take human life (Genesis 9:5–6) like Cain did in Genesis 4:8. God would require a reckoning for taking the lifeblood of a human. But God did give humanity permission to eat animals as food (Genesis 9:3).
As Noah set out to obey God's commands, he planted a vineyard to provide for a growing family (Genesis 9:20). Unfortunately, he became drunk on his own wine and ended up naked within his tent (Genesis 9:21). When Ham saw his father in this shameful state, he refused to help in any way but instead told his brothers (Genesis 9:22). Shem and Japheth held a cloak between them, entered the tent backwards with their faces turned away, and covered their father's nakedness (Genesis 9:23). When Noah awoke, he pronounced blessings over Shem and Japheth and a curse over Ham's son Canaan (Genesis 9:24–27).
Shem’s descendants are listed ten generations down to Abram (later Abraham) whom God called out to father a nation, the Israelites (Genesis 11:10–26; 12:1–3). However, other people groups who trace their lineage to Shem include the Chaldeans, Assyrians, Elamites, Arameans, Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, and Arabs. In fact, Shem's name is the origin of the term Semitic, and his descendant, Eber, is where the word Hebrew originates.

from the new testament

Shem is listed in the genealogy tracing the lineage of Jesus in Luke 3:36.

implications for today

The story of Shem teaches us about our need for salvation and God's provision for it. Just as Shem needed God to rescue him from the flood, so we need God to rescue us from the power and consequences of sin in our lives (Romans 3:23; 6:23; 7:23–24). Just as Shem covered his father's nakedness and shame with a cloak, so too can Jesus Christ's blood cover our sin, unrighteousness, and shame (Romans 5:19; Philippians 3:9). In Shem's story we see part of God's plan for humanity unfold. God set aside a people through whom He would demonstrate His holiness to the world and through whom He would send the Messiah. God told Abraham, "in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed" (Genesis 12:3). Jesus, God incarnate, was born into the family of Shem. His offer of salvation is available to all people (John 3:16–18; Galatians 3:27–29). Every human alive today has descended from Noah, who descended from Adam. Of Adam and Jesus, Romans 5:17 explains, "For if, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man [Adam], much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ." In Jesus, we can become children of God (John 1:12–13). What a glorious salvation (Ephesians 2:1–10)!

understand

Shem was a son of Noah and was saved from the flood.
After the flood, God made a covenant with Noah, including Shem and his descendants, promising never to destroy the earth by flood again. This covenant involved instructions to be fruitful, multiply, refrain from taking human life, and permission to eat animals.
Abraham, who was called by God to father the nation of Israel, was a descendant of Shem. Additionally, Shem is an ancestor of Jesus, as mentioned in the genealogy in the gospel of Luke.

reflect

How, like Shem, do you see your need for salvation?
How do Shem’s actions to cover his father’s nakedness challenge or encourage you?
What insights can you gain about God’s faithfulness from Shem's story?

engage

What other reminders in the physical world do we have for our need for salvation and God's provision of it?
How does Shem's lineage and role as an ancestor to Jesus contribute to our understanding of Jesus' identity and purpose?
How does Shem's narrative connect with themes of redemption and salvation throughout Scripture, and what implications does this have for our lives today?