Genesis 11:10-26
From Shem to Abram
Read the passage
10This is the account of Shem. Two years after the flood, when Shem was 100 years old, he became the father of Arphaxad.
11And after he had become the father of Arphaxad, Shem lived 500 years and had other sons and daughters.
12When Arphaxad was 35 years old, he became the father of Shelah.
13And after he had become the father of Shelah, Arphaxad lived 403 years and had other sons and daughters.
14When Shelah was 30 years old, he became the father of Eber.
15And after he had become the father of Eber, Shelah lived 403 years and had other sons and daughters.
16When Eber was 34 years old, he became the father of Peleg.
17And after he had become the father of Peleg, Eber lived 430 years and had other sons and daughters.
18When Peleg was 30 years old, he became the father of Reu.
19And after he had become the father of Reu, Peleg lived 209 years and had other sons and daughters.
20When Reu was 32 years old, he became the father of Serug.
21And after he had become the father of Serug, Reu lived 207 years and had other sons and daughters.
22When Serug was 30 years old, he became the father of Nahor.
23And after he had become the father of Nahor, Serug lived 200 years and had other sons and daughters.
24When Nahor was 29 years old, he became the father of Terah.
25And after he had become the father of Terah, Nahor lived 119 years and had other sons and daughters.
26When Terah was 70 years old, he became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran.
Berean Standard Bible
Read aloud
The story returns to the family line of Shem. The genealogy moves from Shem to Arphaxad, Shelah, Eber, Peleg, Reu, Serug, Nahor, and Terah. Each generation is named with sons and daughters, continuing the pattern of a family that lives, grows, and passes life forward.
The names are easy to rush past because the narrative action is quiet. But this list is carrying the story from the scattered nations toward one household. It does not suggest that the people omitted from the list have no value. It follows a particular line because the next stage of God's promise will come through it.
The genealogy also shows that a promise can move through years that seem unremarkable. No voice from heaven appears in these verses. There is no dramatic journey or victory. There are parents, children, ages, and the ordinary work of time. Yet the family line is moving toward Abram.
Reading a genealogy well means holding together the particular and the wide. God will choose one family, but the purpose of that choice will not be private power. The promise to Abram will eventually point outward to the families of the earth. The line is narrow because the mission is specific, not because God has forgotten everyone else.
Questions
1 Whose family line is recorded here?
AnswerThe genealogy follows Shem through successive generations to Terah. Names and ages carry the story from the post-flood nations toward Abram.
2 Who appears at the end of the list?
AnswerTerah appears with his sons Abram, Nahor, and Haran, and the family is positioned for the next movement of God's promise.
3 What does the genealogy repeatedly mention?
AnswerThe record gives ages at fatherhood, years lived afterward, and other sons and daughters. Unlike Genesis 5, it does not repeat the words “and then he died.”
4 Why does this line matter to the story?
AnswerThe genealogy carries the narrative from the scattered nations toward Abram's household. The narrowing is part of how Genesis tells the story of blessing.
What This Means for Us
God may be doing important work through seasons that feel repetitive. A child raised, a promise remembered, or a faithful habit kept can matter more than it looks in the moment. Do today's ordinary work with care. You may not see the future it supports, but you can trust that quiet faithfulness is not wasted.
Prayer
Faithful God, meet us in the ordinary years. Help us honor small responsibilities, care for the people in our households, and trust you when our progress feels slow. Give us patience to live faithfully in the part of the story we can see, leaving the unseen future in your hands. Amen.