Arphaxad(arpachshad, arphacsad)
“Uncertain; possibly 'stronghold of the Chaldeans'”
Summary
A son of Shem and ancestor in the direct line from Noah to Abraham, born two years after the flood.
☩Genealogical Position
Arphaxad was a son of Shem, born two years after the flood when Shem was one hundred years old. He lived for 438 years and became the father of Shelah (or Salah in some versions). Through this line came Eber (from whom the designation 'Hebrew' may derive), Peleg, Reu, Serug, Nahor, Terah, and ultimately Abraham. Arphaxad thus stands as a crucial link in the genealogy connecting Noah to the patriarchs of Israel.
☩New Testament References
Arphaxad appears in Luke's genealogy of Jesus Christ, which traces the Savior's ancestry back through Abraham to Noah and ultimately to Adam, 'the son of God.' This placement emphasizes Jesus' connection to all humanity while affirming the historical reliability of the genealogical records preserved in Genesis.