House of Shem
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The House of Shem consists of the descendants of Shem in direct line to Terah, father of Abraham.
Contents |
The Synoptic table
This synoptic table lists all the members of the House of Shem, from Genesis 11:10-25 .
| Name | Born | Age of parenthood | Life span | Died | Name means | Authority |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shem | 2601 BC | 100 yr | 600 yr | 2001 BC | renown, prosperity, name | Genesis 11:10-11 |
| Arpachshad | 2501 BC | 35 yr | 438 yr | 2063 BC | healer, releaser | Genesis 11:12-13 |
| Salah | 2466 BC | 30 yr | 433 yr | 2033 BC | mission, sending | Genesis 11:14-15 |
| Eber | 2436 BC | 34 yr | 464 yr | 1972 BC | one that passes, anger | Genesis 11:16-17 |
| Peleg | 2402 BC | 30 yr | 239 yr | 2163 BC | division | Genesis 11:18-19 |
| Reu | 2372 BC | 32 yr | 239 yr | 2133 BC | his friend, his shepherd | Genesis 11:20-21 |
| Serug | 2340 BC | 30 yr | 230 yr | 2110 BC | branch, layer, twining | Genesis 11:22-23 |
| Nahor the Elder | 2310 BC | 29 yr | 148 yr | 2162 BC | hoarse, dry, hot | Genesis 11:24-25 |
| Terah | 2281 BC | 70 yr | 205 yr | 2077 BC | breathe, scent, blow | Genesis 11:26-32 |
Chronological placement
- Main Article: Biblical chronology dispute
The beginning anchor event of this chronology is settled: it is the global flood. The ending anchor point is disputed. At issue is whether Terah was 70 years old when he begat Abraham, or 70 years old when he began begetting his three named sons. James Ussher and his editor Larry Pierce assumed that Terah was in fact 130 years old when he became the father of Abraham, merely because the Bible described Terah's death ahead of Abraham's departure for Canaan, and on the strength of the evidence given by Stephen to the Sanhedrin.[1] Other commentators cite the Seder Olam, which assumes that Terah was 70 years old; they reconcile the apparent discrepancy by saying that the "death" of Terah in Haran was spiritual, and the physical death would not follow until sixty years later.
Life spans
In the earlier generations of Adam, the average life span of each of the patriarchs was more than 900 years. Suddenly, in one generation (from Noah to Shem), it decreases by one-third. In eight more generations, the life span of man has declined by more than seventy-five percent--and it will decline further throughout the line of Abraham, this although the Hebrews will generally live longer than will members of other races.
Meanings of the names
Dean Thomas Coombs has suggested a possible meaning of the names of the House of Shem, in their birth order. To do this, he takes an alternate meaning of the name of Arpachshad: stronghold of Babylon, or Babel as it was likely then known. The names would then make two whole sentences, thus:
| “ | The renown of the stronghold of Babylon shall extend like a plant past the region of division. A friend branches out, snorting with fury! | ” |
The name Peleg does stand for "division," and the assumption, common to Ussher and others, is that the Tower of Babel Incident took place during his life. The names Reu and Serug ("shepherd" and "branch") both presage Jesus Christ, because both of these are alternate Names for Him. Finally, the book of Revelation is mostly a story of the rise (again) and fall of Babylon and the outpouring of the Wrath of God.
References
- ↑ Acts 7:4
- ↑ Coombs, Dean Thomas. "Meaning of names: genealogy of Adam to Abraham." Bible Codes. Accessed December 25, 2007.
