The children of Shem; Elam, and Asshur, and Arphaxad, and Lud, and Aram.
Elam - Elymais, Susiana, the name of a Persian province, of which the capital was Susa. The word is used in the early books of Scripture for Persia.
Asshur = Assyria.
Arphaxad. According to Bochart, it was the province [Arrapachitis] Arrapachitis in Northern Assyria, near Armenia.
Lud = the Lydians of Asia-Minor. The Egyptian monuments represent a powerful nation of Shemite type, called Luden, residing not far from Mesopotamia.
Aram - the highland, as Canaan was the sunk, depressed land. This name was applied to a very extensive district of country, because there is generally another descriptive word added to define it, as Aram Damesk (2 Samuel 8:5); Aram Naharayim (Genesis 24:10); Padan-aram (Genesis 25:20). It included not only Mesopotamia, but a part of Northern Syria. The Septuagint here adds, 'and Cainan,' as the youngest son of Shem.