II. POST-FLOOD AND PATRIARCHAL LINEAGE: FROM SHEM TO ABRAHAM (Genesis 11:10–26; Luke 3)
1. Name and Meaning
• Name: Arphaxad (Hebrew: אַרְפַּכְשַׁד, ’Arpakhshad)
• Meaning: Uncertain; possibly “stronghold of the Chaldees” or “healer of the realm”; interpretations vary, though some link it to regions associated with early Mesopotamia
2. Genealogical Placement and Lineage Role
• Position: Twelfth generation from Adam; second generation after the flood in the Messianic line
• Father: Shem – the blessed son of Noah
• Son: Shelah – continued the redemptive lineage leading to Abraham
• Lineage Role: Early post-diluvian patriarch linking Noah’s line to the emergence of civilisation in Mesopotamia and ultimately to Abraham and Christ (Luke 3:36)
3. Life Summary and Historical Setting
• Born two years after the flood (Genesis 11:10); lived in the early generations of renewed human settlement
• His lineage is associated with regions of the ancient Near East, including Ur of the Chaldees, where Abraham’s story begins
• Lifespan: 438 years (Genesis 11:12–13)
4. Theological and Christological Significance
• Contributes to the preservation of the divine promise in a newly repopulated world
• Acts as a vital generational bridge between the patriarch Shem and the covenant figure Abraham
• Though not directly typological of Christ, he belongs to the unbroken genealogical chain leading to the Saviour
5. Legacy and Interpretive Reflections
• Mentioned consistently in Genesis, 1 Chronicles, and Luke with no controversy over placement
• Sometimes associated with the development of Chaldean peoples, highlighting the geographic proximity of God’s chosen line to centres of ancient culture and idolatry
• Viewed as part of God’s providential ordering of generations leading to the call of Abraham
6. Summary Insight
• Arphaxad represents the faithful continuity of God’s redemptive purpose in the immediate aftermath of the flood, linking the covenant of Shem to the future promise through Abraham.
7. Biblical References
• Genesis 10:22, 24; 11:10–13
• 1 Chronicles 1:17–18
• Luke 3:36