Who Are the Semitic People?
(Jews, Arabs, and the Ancient Lines of Promise)
This whole modern world throws around words like “Semitic” or “Zionist” like they’re just political buzzwords—tools to label, accuse, or divide. But those words didn’t come from politics. They came from Scripture. From real people. From dusty roads, ancient tents, and desert-born promises. If you want to understand today’s headlines—or even some of today’s spiritual confusion—you’ve got to go all the way back to the bones of Genesis.
Because everything we call “Middle Eastern conflict” or “Semitic identity” or “Zionism” or “anti-Semitism”… it all goes back to a family. Not a philosophy. Not a race. A family. A father. Sons. And a covenant that never expired.
So let’s get to the bones.
It starts with Noah, after the flood. He had three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. From these three men came the entire post-flood world. That’s not just a Bible story—it’s the beginning of civilization as we know it. And Shem? He was set apart.
“Blessed be the LORD, the God of Shem.”
—Genesis 9:26
That’s the only time God is referred to as the God of one of Noah’s sons. Not the God of Japheth. Not the God of Ham. The God of Shem. Why? Because the line of covenant would come through Shem. That’s where we get the term “Semitic”—from Shem (shame in Hebrew), which means “name” or “renown.”
Now, from Shem comes a whole line of people that the Bible walks us straight through in Genesis 10 and 11. His descendants include:
- Arphaxad
- Eber – where we get the word Hebrew
- Abram – the one called out of Ur, renamed Abraham
- And from there, the entire house of Israel
But Shem didn’t just father the Israelites. His other descendants became:
- Elamites
- Assyrians
- Arameans (think Aramaic—Yeshua’s everyday language)
- And eventually, the Ishmaelites, Midianites, and Arabs
That’s right. Jews and Arabs are both Semitic peoples. And they’re both descended from Shem and Abraham.
So let’s get this straight:
“Semitic” doesn’t mean “Jewish.” It means “descended from Shem.”
That includes Jews, Arabs, Assyrians, Chaldeans, and more. It’s a family line.
So who are the Arabs?
They come through Abraham’s son Ishmael, born of Hagar the Egyptian. Abraham loved that boy. But Ishmael wasn’t the child of the promise. That covenant was reserved for Isaac, born through Sarah by the will of God and not the will of the flesh, as Ishmael was.
“In Isaac shall your seed be called.”
—Genesis 21:12
That’s not a rejection of Ishmael. That’s a designation. A choosing. Because God made a promise to Abraham, not just to any son of Abraham. And God Himself blessed Ishmael—called him “great,” promised him twelve princes, and said he’d become a vast nation. And he did.
But the covenant went through Isaac. Then Jacob, not Esau. Then the twelve sons of Jacob. That’s the line of the Hebrews. That’s the nation called Israel. That’s the lineage of Messiah.
Meanwhile, Ishmael’s sons and the sons of Keturah (Abraham’s second wife after Sarah died) became the tribes of Arabia. The Midianites, Jokshanites, and others populated what we now call the Arab world. They’re Semitic. They’re Abrahamic. But they’re not Israel.
And the split between these two sides of the family—Isaac and Ishmael—has caused ripples for 4,000 years.
Let’s be honest: Jews and Arabs are cousins. Sons of the same patriarch. Semitic brothers. And yet, most of history has been written in the pain of that broken bond.
That brings us to the modern word Zionist, which people use in all kinds of ways—some accurate, some absolutely twisted.
Originally, a Zionist is someone who believes that the Jewish people have the right to live in their ancestral homeland, the land of Zion, which is Jerusalem and the territory God gave them.
Zionism isn’t about colonialism. It’s about return. Return from exile. Return to a promise.
“The LORD shall inherit Judah as His portion in the holy land, and shall again choose Jerusalem.”
—Zechariah 2:12
If you believe God meant what He said to Abraham in Genesis 17—“to you and your descendants I give this land as an everlasting possession”—then guess what? You’re standing on Zionist ground. Even if you don’t use the word. Even if you don’t like politics. You’re aligned with the covenant.
And when people say they’re “anti-Zionist,” they may not realize it, but what they’re really saying is, “I don’t believe the Jews have a right to the land God gave them.” And that’s not just a political position. That’s a theological one. It means denying the eternal promises of God to the line of Shem, through Isaac, through Jacob.
That’s why we need to return to the bones of Genesis. Because if you don’t know where a family started, you’ll never understand why they fight. If you don’t know who was promised what, you’ll fall for all kinds of modern revisions. This isn’t just about news cycles or land disputes. It’s about bloodlines, blessings, and the character of God Himself.
So next time someone throws out the word “Semitic,” or accuses someone of “Zionism,” pause. Ask yourself:
Where does this go back to?
Who were Shem’s sons?
What did God say to Abraham?
And whose promises are we actually standing on?
Because I’ll tell you this—God keeps His Word. Every single one. And He’s not finished with His people.
“He who scattered Israel will gather them and will keep them as a shepherd keeps His flock.”
—Jeremiah 31:10
“For the LORD will comfort Zion… He will make her wilderness like Eden.”
—Isaiah 51:3
And all the bones… will live again.
image done by chatgpt at my direction