And Shem lived after he begot Arphaxad five hundred years, and begot sons and daughters.
11. five hundred years ] According to this chronology Shem would have outlived Abram.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
So that he lived almost all the time of Abraham; which was a singular blessing, both to himself, who hereby saw his children of the tenth generation; and to the church of God, which by this means enjoyed the counsel and conduct of so great a patriarch.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
And Shem lived, after he begat Arphaxad, five hundred years,…. So that his whole age was six hundred years, and therefore must live to the times of Abraham, and even throughout the life of that patriarch, or near the end of it; and if he was the same with Melchizedek, as is the general opinion of the Jews, and is embraced by many Christians, they had an interview with each other:
and begat sons and daughters; of whom we have no account, because the Messiah did not spring from them; the design of this genealogy being to carry down his direct line from Shem to Abraham: it is to be observed, that in the account of the patriarchs, and their children after the flood, it is not added as before the flood, “and he died”, their lives being long, that remark is made; but the lives of these being shorter, and gradually decreasing, it is omitted. An Arabic writer x says, that Shem died in the month Elul, on a Friday, at the close of the year of the world 2758. A Jewish writer y says, he died in the fifteenth year of Jacob, and that he saw twelve generations; according to Bishop Usher, he died A. M. 2158.
x Elmacinus, p. 13. apud Hottinger. Smegma, p. 258. y R. Gedaliah, Shalshalet, fol. 1. 2.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Gen 11:11 And Shem lived after he begat Arphaxad five hundred years, and begat sons and daughters.
Ver. 11. And Shem lived after he begat, &c. ] He saw ten generations, and lived till Isaac was fifty years old, who might well be his pupil, which (if Shem were Melchisedec) is so much the more likely. Heber also lived till Abraham was dead; a singular blessing to them both. This comfort the patriarchs had of their tiresome and tedious pilgrimage, that as Shem saw Lamech, so Lamech saw Adam, and Isaac saw Shem. Now, ipse aspectus viri boni delectat , saith Seneca. How much more, when “they that fear the Lord speak often one to another” Mal 3:16 for mutual edification and encouragement? This the mad world calls faction and capriciousness. But what saith Tertullian to it? Cum boni, cum probi coeunt, cum pii, cum casti congregantur, non est factio dicenda, sed curia: et e contrario illis nomen factionis accommodandum est, qui in odium bonorum et proborum conspirant. a
a Tert. Apol. advers. Gentes, cap. 39, n. 520.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Shem. A return to the main purpose of the Book. See note on Gen 5:32.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
am 2158, bc 1846
Shem: Gen 5:4-32
begat sons: Gen 1:28, Gen 5:4, Gen 9:7, Psa 127:3, Psa 127:4, Psa 128:3, Psa 128:4, Psa 144:12
Reciprocal: Gen 9:29 – nine Gen 47:9 – have not