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Genesis 11:10

EOB (Eastern / Greek Orthodox Bible):

This is the family line of Shem: When Shem was one hundred years old, he became the father of Arpachshad, two years after the flood.

EOB Footnote:

The LXX includes an additional generation not found in the MT: Cainan, son of Arphaxad and father of Shelah, who lived 130 years before fathering Shelah and 330 years afterward. The MT lacks this generation entirely, making Shelah the direct son of Arphaxad. The LXX also gives different ages: Shem was 100 years old when he fathered Arphaxad (agreeing with MT), but the LXX states this was two years after the flood, while some LXX manuscripts vary on the total years Shem lived afterward (500 years in both traditions). Arphaxad’s age at fathering his son is 135 in the LXX versus 35 in the MT. No DSS manuscript preserves this verse.

Other Translations:

KJV (King James Version):

These are the generations of Shem: Shem was an hundred years old, and begat Arphaxad two years after the flood.

WEB (World English Bible):

This is the history of the generations of Shem. Shem was one hundred years old when he fathered Arpachshad, two years after the flood.

Benton LXX (Vaticanus):

The Brenton translation of the Septuagint does not include Genesis 11:10.

Douai-Rheims (Vulgate):

These are the generations of Sem: Sem was a hundred years old when he begot Arphaxad, two years old after the flood.

Apostoliki Diakonia (LXX):

These are the descendants of Shem: Shem was one hundred years old and became the father of Arphaxad two years after the flood.

YLT (Young Literal Translation )(MT):

These are Shem’s generations: Shem was 100 years old and became the father of Arphaxad, two years after the flood.

BBE (Bible in Basic English):

These are the generations of Shem. Shem was a hundred years old when he became the father of Arpachshad, two years after the great flowing of waters;

EOB COMMENTARY:

EOB Commentary:

Commentary on Genesis 11:10

The Genealogy of Shem and the Line of Promise

This verse initiates the toledot (generations) of Shem, marking a pivotal transition in the Genesis narrative from the universal history of humanity to the particular lineage through which salvation would come. Following the dispersion at Babel, the sacred text narrows its focus to trace the ancestry that will culminate in Abraham and ultimately in Christ Himself.

Christological Significance:
The genealogy beginning here finds its fulfillment in the Gospel of Luke, where the evangelist traces the lineage of our Lord Jesus Christ back through Shem to Adam and to God Himself (Luke 3:36). This connection establishes that the Incarnate Word entered human history not arbitrarily but through a divinely prepared lineage. The Church Fathers understood these genealogies as demonstrating God’s providential ordering of history toward the coming of the Messiah. Saint Irenaeus of Lyon emphasized that such genealogical records prove Christ’s true humanity and His genuine participation in our nature through real ancestral descent.

Patristic Interpretation:
Saint John Chrysostom, in his Homilies on Genesis, notes that Scripture preserves these genealogies with precision to demonstrate God’s faithfulness across generations. The mention that Shem begat Arphaxad “two years after the flood” anchors sacred history in concrete temporal reality, showing that God works within time to accomplish His eternal purposes. The Fathers saw in Shem’s blessing by Noah (Genesis 9:26) a prophetic indication that through his line the blessing would flow to all nations.

Liturgical and Spiritual Dimensions:
The Orthodox Church reads portions of these genealogies during the Royal Hours of the Nativity, connecting the birth of Christ to the long preparation of His ancestors. This practice reflects the theological conviction that every generation in this lineage participated, knowingly or unknowingly, in the divine economy of salvation.

The careful recording of ages and generations also speaks to Orthodox spirituality regarding the communion of saints across time. Each name represents a person who lived, died, and awaited the fulfillment of God’s promises. The faithful who hear these names in liturgical context are reminded that they too stand within a great cloud of witnesses stretching from Shem to the present day.

The genealogy thus serves as a bridge connecting the primordial history of Genesis 1-11 with the patriarchal narratives that follow, demonstrating that God’s plan of redemption unfolds through particular people in particular times, yet always moves toward the universal salvation accomplished in Christ.

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