The biblical authors had a purpose in mind when using a genealogy. The first genealogy in the Bible is found in Genesis 5. The purpose of this is to show us how we got from Adam, to Seth, all the way down to Noah.
Then there are two different genealogies listed, beginning in chapter 9:18. The first genealogy tells us about Noah’s immediate descendants.
The second genealogy continue to list Noah’s descendants and in chapter 11:10, it lists the descendants of one of Noah’s sons, Shem. Why does the genealogy begin to focus in on Shem? Because from Shem comes a guy named Terah and he was Abram’s father, whom God later changed his name to Abraham. Yes, that Abraham.
The biblical narrative weave the different genealogies to tell us of the Son of Man who was to come many years later. The gospel authors, Matthew and Luke, include a genealogy to show us how Jesus was the son of Abraham and the son of Adam.
Galatians 4:4–5
[4] But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, [5] to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. (ESV)
