Genesis 5:4
And the days of Adam after he had begotten Seth were eight hundred years: and he begat sons and daughters:

begat sons.

Genesis 1:28
And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

Genesis 5:4
And the days of Adam after he had begotten Seth were eight hundred years: and he begat sons and daughters:

Genesis 9:7
And you, be ye fruitful, and multiply; bring forth abundantly in the earth, and multiply therein.

Shem lived 500 years
The long lifespans recorded in Genesis are often seen as indicative of a different pre-flood and immediate post-flood environment. Shem's 500 years after the birth of Arphaxad suggest a significant overlap with many generations, allowing for the transmission of knowledge and tradition. This longevity underscores the patriarchal authority and the preservation of divine revelation through oral tradition. Shem's lifespan also connects him to the antediluvian world, bridging the gap between Noah and the patriarchs.

and had other sons and daughters
This phrase indicates that Shem's lineage was not limited to Arphaxad, though the biblical narrative focuses on the line leading to Abraham. The mention of other children highlights the growth and expansion of humanity post-flood, fulfilling God's command to "be fruitful and multiply." It also suggests the spread of Shem's descendants across different regions, contributing to the development of various Semitic peoples. This expansion is part of the broader biblical theme of God's providence in populating the earth and preparing the way for His redemptive plan.

– Scripture places Shem’s son Arphaxad front and center because through Arphaxad comes the line that will lead to Abram and, ultimately, to Christ (Genesis 10:22; Luke 3:36).

– The phrase “after he had become the father” signals a clear historical marker: two years after the flood (Genesis 11:10), when the new world was still being repopulated.

– God’s faithfulness to His promise that Noah’s family would repopulate the earth (Genesis 9:1) is already evident.

– The age is literal, just as the 600 total years of Shem’s life are literal (100 + 500), paralleling the longevity described earlier for pre-Flood patriarchs (Genesis 5:5–31).

– These extended lifespans provided a living bridge between generations, allowing firsthand knowledge of God’s works to be passed far down the line (cf. Noah living 350 years after the flood, Genesis 9:28).

– Even with the gradual decline in ages leading to Psalm 90:10’s seventy-to-eighty-year norm, God’s sovereignty over human days remains unchanged.

– This brief clause echoes the pattern set in Genesis 5: “and he had other sons and daughters,” underscoring the fruitfulness command of Genesis 1:28 and 9:1.

– Though unnamed, these children filled the earth and spread the knowledge of God; every nation ultimately traces its ancestry to one of Noah’s sons (Genesis 10:32).

– The wording reminds us that while Scripture spotlights the messianic line, God values every person, not only the prominent ones (Acts 17:26).

Genesis 11:11 assures us that God faithfully preserved the righteous line through Shem, granted extraordinary years for truth to be handed down, and continued to multiply humanity after the flood. Every phrase testifies to His sovereign control over history and His relentless commitment to bring salvation through the family line He chose.