Genesis 11:10

“These are the generations of Shem. Shem was a hundred years old when he fathered Arpachshad, two years after the flood.”
Genesis 11:10 · direct translation from the Hebrew

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With the Hebrew beneath

Theseאֵלֶּהare the generationsתּוֹלְדֹתof Shem.שֵׁםShemשֵׁםwas a hundredבֶּן מְאַתyears oldשָׁנָהwhen he fatheredוַיּוֹלֶדArpachshad,אֶת אַרְפַּכְשָׁדtwo yearsשְׁנָתַיִםafterאַחַרthe flood.הַמַּבּוּל

Allusion · Luke 3:34-36

Go to Luke 3:34-36

Luke gives, from Abraham to Shem, the series of names of Genesis 11:10-26, in reverse order. Between Shelah and Arpachshad he adds Cainan, whom the Hebrew of Genesis 11 does not have.

They share words that are rare in the original, without a quotation.

שֵׁםshemH8035ΣὴμSēmG4590“Shem”
אַרְפַּכְשָׁדarpajshadH775ἈρφαξὰδArphaxadG742“Arpachshad”
עֵבֶרeverH5677ἜβερEberG1443“Eber”
פָּלֶגpalegH6389ΦάλεκPhalekG5317“Peleg”
שְׂרוּגserugH8286ΣεροὺχSerouchG4562“Serug”
נָחוֹרnajorH5152ΝαχὼρNachōrG3493“Nahor”
תָּרַחtarajH8646ΘάραTharaG2291“Terah”

Genesis 11:10, word by word

are the generationsתּוֹלְדֹתtoldot

generations

What comes from someone: his descendants and their history. "These are the generations of..." is the phrase with which Genesis opens each of its sections.

Where else “toldot” appears

of Shemשֵׁםshem

Shem

Shem, one of the three sons of Noah; Abraham descends from him. The name also stands for his descendants.

Where else “shem” appears

was a hundredבֶּןben

years old

To give someone's age, how long they have lived.

Where else “ben” appears

was a hundredמְאַתmeat

hundred

The amount of one hundred; with other numbers it forms two hundred, three hundred and the rest.

Where else “meat” appears

years oldשָׁנָהshana

age

The years of a person's life.

Where else “shana” appears

when he fatheredיּוֹלֶדyoled

father

For a man to have a child.

Where else “yoled” appears

Arpachshadאַרְפַּכְשָׁדarpachshad

Arpachshad

Arpachshad, son of Shem and ancestor of Abraham.

Where else “arpachshad” appears

the floodמַּבּוּלmabul

flood

Flood: the great flood in the days of Noah. The word is almost only used for that event.

Where else “mabul” appears

Parallel passages

Other books that tell the same thing or quote these words.

From Shem to Abram

1 Chronicles 1:24-27

See them side by side

Genesis 11:10-26

¹⁰These are the generations of Shem. Shem was a hundred years old when he fathered Arpachshad, two years after the flood. ¹¹After he fathered Arpachshad, Shem lived five hundred years and fathered sons and daughters. ¹²Arpachshad lived thirty-five years and fathered Shelah. ¹³After he fathered Shelah, Arpachshad lived four hundred and three years and fathered sons and daughters. ¹⁴Shelah lived thirty years and fathered Eber. ¹⁵After he fathered Eber, Shelah lived four hundred and three years and fathered sons and daughters. ¹⁶Eber lived thirty-four years and fathered Peleg. ¹⁷After he fathered Peleg, Eber lived four hundred and thirty years and fathered sons and daughters. ¹⁸Peleg lived thirty years and fathered Reu. ¹⁹After he fathered Reu, Peleg lived two hundred and nine years and fathered sons and daughters. ²⁰Reu lived thirty-two years and fathered Serug. ²¹After he fathered Serug, Reu lived two hundred and seven years and fathered sons and daughters. ²²Serug lived thirty years and fathered Nahor. ²³After he fathered Nahor, Serug lived two hundred years and fathered sons and daughters. ²⁴Nahor lived twenty-nine years and fathered Terah. ²⁵After he fathered Terah, Nahor lived a hundred and nineteen years and fathered sons and daughters. ²⁶Terah lived seventy years and fathered Abram, Nahor, and Haran.

1 Chronicles 1:24-27

²⁴Shem, Arpachshad, Shelah, ²⁵Eber, Peleg, Reu, ²⁶Serug, Nahor, Terah, ²⁷Abram, that is, Abraham.

The context

9That is why its name was called Babel, because there YHWH confused the language of all the earth, and from there YHWH scattered them over the face of all the earth.

10 · This verse (above)

11After he fathered Arpachshad, Shem lived five hundred years and fathered sons and daughters.

Read all of Genesis 11

To study Genesis 11 in a group

1. What it says
What did the people in the land of Shinar say as they built their city and tower (vv. 3-4)?
2. What it means
Why did YHWH confuse their language and scatter them over the whole earth (vv. 6-9)?
3. How I live it
In what you are planning, what is for making a name for yourself, and what is for serving others?

How to use it