Genesis 10:22

 Genesis 10:22

The children of Shem; Elam, and Asshur, and Arphaxad, and Lud, and Aram. 

a. NLT: The descendants of Shem were Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud, and Aram. [Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.]

b. ASV: The sons of Shem: Elam, and Asshur, and Arpachshad, and Lud, and Aram. [Thomas Nelson & Sons first published the American Standard Version in 1901. This translation of the Bible is in the public domain.]

c. YLT: Sons of Shem are Elam, and Asshur, and Arphaxad, and Lud, and Aram.  [The Young's Literal Translation was translated by Robert Young, who believed in a strictly literal translation of God's word. This version of the Bible is in the public domain.]

d. Classic Amplified: The sons of Shem: Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud, and Aram. [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]

e. Stone Edition THE CHUMASH, Rabbinic Commentary: The sons of Shem: Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud, and Aram. [The Artscroll Series/Stone Edition, THE TANACH--STUDENT SIZE EDITION Copyright 1996, 1998 by Mesorah Publications, Ldt.]

1. “The children of Shem; Elam, and Asshur, and Arphaxad, and Lud, and Aram.”

a. [The] children [Strong: 1121 ben bane from 1129; a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like 1, 251, etc.)):--+ afflicted, age, (Ahoh-) (Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-)ite, (anoint-)ed one, appointed to, (+) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-)ian, one born, bough, branch, breed, + (young) bullock, + (young) calf, X came up in, child, colt, X common, X corn, daughter, X of first, + firstborn, foal, + very fruitful, + postage, X in, + kid, + lamb, (+) man, meet, + mighty, + nephew, old, (+) people, + rebel, + robber, X servant born, X soldier, son, + spark, + steward, + stranger, X surely, them of, + tumultuous one, + valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth.]

b. [of] Shem [Strong: 8035 Shem shame the same as 8034; name; Shem, a son of Noah (often includ. his posterity):--Sem, Shem.]

c. Elam [Strong: 5867 `Eylam ay-lawm' or mOwlam (Ezra 10:2; Jeremiah 49:36) {o-lawm'}; probably from 5956; hidden, i.e. distant; Elam, a son of Shem and his descendants, with their country; also of six Israelites:--Elam.]

1). In Genesis 14 Abram goes to war with 4 kings from Mesopotamia the area north of the Persian Gulf. One of those kings was Chedorlaomer, the king of Elam. Jewish rabbanic teaching says that this was in fact Elam, son of Shem.

2). D.C:  Elam was a city named after Shem’s son. If Elam’s age when he died was comparable to Arphaxad, his brother’s age (Arphaxad was contemporary with Abram for 86 years. Abram was 86 years old when Arphaxad died), then Elam was living when this war occurred. As previously stated, Jewish tradition teaches that Chedorlaomer was none other than Elam, Shem’s son. Not only is this possibly true, there is a good possibility that Abram was known to Chedorlaomer and that Chedorlaomer was known to Abram. Ur the city where Abram grew up is only about 150 miles from Elam, the city and nation descended from Elam, the son of Shem. The point I’m making is that Abram went to war and defeated not only Shem’s grandchildren but possibly even his son! The question that begs to be asked is, Where or what part does Shem play in all this? He was certainly alive while all this was going on. I believe this is perhaps the reason for Shem disappearing from the Biblical record after the flood, and also why Abraham gains the preeminence in the Biblical record and not Shem or any of his sons.  

d. [and] Asshur [Strong: 804 'Ashshuwr ash-shoor' or iAshshur {ash-shoor'}; apparently from 833 (in the sense of successful); Ashshur, the second son of Shem; also his descendants and the country occupied by them (i.e. Assyria), its region and its empire:--Asshur, Assur, Assyria, Assyrians.]

e. [and] Arphaxad [Strong: 775 'Arpakshad ar-pak-shad' probably of foreign origin; Arpakshad, a son of Noah; also the region settled by him:--Arphaxad.]

f. [and] Lud [Strong: 3865 Luwd lood probably of foreign derivation; Lud, the name of two nations:--Lud, Lydia.]

g. [and] Aram [Strong: 758 'Aram arawm' from the same as 759; the highland; Aram or Syria, and its inhabitants; also the name of the son of Shem, a grandson of Nahor, and of an Israelite:--Aram, Mesopotamia, Syria, Syrians.]