Arpachshad אַרְפַּכְשַׁד
Son of Shem, ancestor of Abraham
Who is Arpachshad in the Bible?
Arpachshad, also spelled Arphaxad, was a son of Shem and grandson of Noah who was born two years after the flood (Genesis 10:22, 24; 11:10-13). At age 35, he fathered Shelah and lived 403 additional years, having other sons and daughters as well (1 Chronicles 1:17-18, 24). As a key figure in the genealogical line leading to Abraham, Arpachshad appears in both the Genesis genealogies and in Jesus' ancestry recorded in Luke 3:36, making him a vital link in the biblical narrative that connects Noah's post-flood descendants to the patriarchal age.
Biography
Arpachshad, also spelled Arphaxad, was a son of Shem and grandson of Noah. He was born two years after the flood, when Shem was 100 years old. At age 35, Arpachshad became the father of Shelah. He lived 403 years after Shelah's birth and had other sons and daughters. Arpachshad was an ancestor of Abraham and is listed in both the genealogies in Genesis and in Jesus' genealogy in Luke 3. His name is of uncertain meaning but may be related to the region of Arrapḫa in Assyria.
Family
Parents
Siblings
- Asshur Early PatriarchSon of ShemSon of Shem; father of the AssyriansView full profile →
- Elam Tribe of LeviSon of MeshelemiahA temple gatekeeper during David's reignView full profile →
- Lud Early PatriarchSon of ShemSon of Shem; progenitor of the LydiansView full profile →
- Aram Early PatriarchSon of ShemSon of Shem, ancestor of the ArameansView full profile →
In Scripture
3 biblical books ; 2 with study contentGenesis 5 verses
- Genesis 10:22
"The sons of Shem: Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud, and Aram."
Study Genesis → - Genesis 10:24
"Arphaxad was the father of Shelah, and Shelah was the father of Eber."
Study Genesis → - Genesis 11:10
"This is the account of Shem. Two years after the flood, when Shem was 100 years old, he became the father of Arphaxad."
Study Genesis → - Genesis 11:11
"And after he had become the father of Arphaxad, Shem lived 500 years and had other sons and daughters."
Study Genesis → - Genesis 11:12
"When Arphaxad was 35 years old, he became the father of Shelah."
Study Genesis →
1 Chronicles 3 verses
- 1 Chronicles 1:17
"The sons of Shem: Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud, and Aram. The sons of Aram: Uz, Hul, Gether, and Meshech."
- 1 Chronicles 1:18
"Arphaxad was the father of Shelah, and Shelah was the father of Eber."
- 1 Chronicles 1:24
"So from Shem came Arphaxad, Shelah,"
Luke 1 verse
- Luke 3:36
"the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech,"
Study Luke →
Names & Aliases
| Form | Language | Script |
|---|---|---|
| Named | Hebrew | אַרְפַּכְשַׁד |
| Greek | Greek | Ἀρφαξάδ |
Arpachshad
lly subjugated by Tiglath-pileser III in 740 BC, after a siege of two years. It is now the ruin Tell Erfad, 1