We may never know how many of the tales about Nimrod are myths and how much is history, but we can learn one thing. Being strong or powerful does not always equate to being in the right with God.
Bible Study7 Facts You Didn’t Know about Nimrod in the BibleWe may never know how many of the tales about Nimrod are myths and how much is history, but we can learn one thing. Being strong or powerful does not always equate to being in the right with God.Alyssa RoatUpdated Dec 15, 2020 : Follow topic Follow this topic Log in to your existing account or sign up today!Sign up to start following Log In Follow author Follow this author Log in to your existing account or sign up today!Sign up to start following Log In Log in to your existing account or sign up today!Sign up to start saving Log InOnly seven verses in the Bible mention anything about Nimrod. Little is explicitly said about him. He was a mighty warrior, the son of Cush, and the great-grandson of Noah.However, legends and tales galore have sprung up about this elusive figure. So what do we truly know about Nimrod?What Did Nimrod Do in the Bible?Nimrod is mentioned in three passages.The first and most thorough passage is Genesis 10:8-12: “Cush was the father of Nimrod, who became a mighty warrior on the earth. He was a mighty hunter before the Lord; that is why it is said, ‘Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before the Lord.’ The first centers of his kingdom were Babylon, Uruk, Akkad and Kalneh, in Shinar. From that land he went to Assyria, where he built Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir, Calah and Resen, which is between Nineveh and Calah—which is the great city.”The next time Nimrod appears is in a genealogy at the beginning of 1 Chronicles. His brief listing in 1 Chronicles 1:10 states, “Cush was the father of Nimrod, who became a mighty warrior on earth.”The final passage also only mentions Nimrod in passing. Micah 5:5-6 says,“And he will be our peace when the Assyrians invade our land and march through our fortresses. We will raise against them seven shepherds, even eight commanders, who will rule the land of Assyria with the sword, the land of Nimrod with drawn sword. He will deliver us from the Assyrians when they invade our land and march across our borders.”From this passage in Micah, we gather that Assyria was still regarded as the land of Nimrod—at least by the people of God—hundreds of years later. However, we learn little about Nimrod himself.What Is the Meaning of Nimrod’s Name?The name “Nimrod” has now come to mean a great hunter since Nimrod was identified as a mighty hunter in Genesis 10:9. However, the name probably had a different meaning in the original language.Some scholars posit that Nimrod actually came from a Semitic root, a language similar to ancient Hebrew. The root appears to be a word roughly Romanized to marad, meaning “to rebel.”Because of this, Nimrod is often thought to have been a rebel against the Lord. The phrasing in the Bible that says he was a mighty hunter “before the Lord” (e.g. Genesis 10:9) might more literally be translated “to the face of the Lord”—in other words, in opposition to God. This possible translation may back up Nimrod’s name as The Rebel. Who Was Nimrod in History?Theories abound about Nimrod’s life, from Jewish stories and legends to modern interpretations. We will begin with a few things that we can gather with more surety from the biblical text itself.The genealogies in Genesis 10 and 1 Chronicles 1 distinctly list Nimrod’s lineage. His father was Cush, the son of Noah’s son Ham. Thus, Noah was Nimrod’s great-grandfather.Only a few generations had passed since the Flood that destroyed the world and washed away all of humanity other than Noah and his family. Due to Ham’s unfortunate behavior in Genesis 9:18-27, Noah cursed Ham’s son Canaan, who was presumably Nimrod’s uncle. However, it does not appear that Noah directly cursed Ham’s other sons. Cush, then, may not have been under the curse.Nimrod, according to Genesis 20:8, was a “mighty warrior.” The Hebrew word here, gibbor, could potentially also mean “tyrant,” though it is used many other times in the Bible simply to refer to strong warriors or champions, so the potential conclusion that he was tyrannical is tenuous.Nimrod was presumably some sort of king, as the Bible records the “centers of his kingdom” in Genesis 10:10-12. These include the great cities of Babylon and Nineveh. His kingdom appears to have extended across Sumer, then called Shinar.After Nimrod established cities in Shinar, Genesis 10:11 records that he went to Assyria built great cities there, including Nineveh.7 Facts You Didn’t Know about Nimrod in the BibleBeyond these facts, there is little we know for certain. So check out the fun facts—and some myths and legends—below.Nimrod May Not Have Been a Real PersonSome interpreters have suggested that Nimrod was not an individual, but a stand-in term for a rebellious people group. This is possible, but seems unlikely, given that other nations in the surrounding genealogical records are clearly treated as such, whereas Nimrod is portrayed as a singular person. Later Jewish writers and historians also tend to treat Nimrod as a distinct perso...