The second (?) son of Noah (cf. Gen. v. 32; vi. 10 with ix. 24 and x. 21), and born about the five hundredth year of his life.  At the time of the deluge he was married, but as yet had no children (Gen. vii. 7; 1 Peter iii. 20).  After that catastrophe, he acted with proper filial respect to his father when the latter committed his great sin.  Shem, in consequence, received a blessing, the wording of which implied that the knowledge of the true God should be found in his family when it was lost in those of his brothers (Gen. ix. 23, 27).  He ultimately became the father of five children: Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud, and Aram.  From these, it is believed, came the Elamites, the Assyrians, the Chaldaeans, the Lydians, and the Syrians (x. 21, 22; 1 Chron. i. 17).  They were all peoples of Western Asia. (The Sunday School Teacher's Bible Manual, Hunter, 1894).