Boyd’s Bible Dictionary:
(name). Oldest son of Noah, preserved with his father in the ark (Gen. 5:32). Blessed by Noah for his conduct (Gen. 9:18-27). His descendants are the Hebrews, Arameans, Persians, Assyrians, and Arabians, whose languages are called Shemitic.
Concise Bible Dictionary:
Eldest son of Noah and one of the three heads of mankind after the flood. Shem is specially blessed: “Blessed be Jehovah, the God of Shem, and Canaan shall be his servant. God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem” (Gen. 9:26-27). This was verified by Jehovah being the God of the descendants of Shem through Abraham; the sons of Japheth (Gentiles) came into the tents for blessing.
The portions of the earth occupied by the descendants of Shem intersect as it were the portions of Ham and Japheth, and stretch from the Mediterranean to the Indian Ocean. Shem had five sons:
ELAM—originally settled in the province of Persia, of which Susa was the capital.
ASSHUR—strictly Assyria, but in an extended sense may have included Babylonia and the land of the Chaldees.
ARPHAXAD—recognized by Josephus and others as the father of the Chaldees. The name is supposed to have been preserved in the province Arrapachitis in northern Assyria.
LUD—said by Josephus to have been the father of the Lydians of Asia Minor (these are distinct from the Lud and Ludim in Africa).
ARAM—the name of Syria, but more especially referring to the high land of Lebanon (Gen. 5:32; Gen. 9:18-27; Gen. 10:21-31; Gen. 11:10-11; 1 Chron. 17:24). In Luke 3:36 the same name is called SEM.
Jackson’s Dictionary of Scripture Proper Names:
a name