Nimrod
A son of Cush described as a mighty hunter whose kingdom began at Babel and extended into Assyria.
3 passages
Mighty Hunter Whose Kingdom Began at Babel
8Cush was the father of Nimrod. Nimrod began to be a mighty man on the earth.
And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth.
"A mighty man" means a strong leader that people talked about. He was famous for being brave and powerful.
9He was a mighty hunter before the LORD. That is why people say, "Like Nimrod, the mighty hunter before the LORD."
He was a mighty hunter before the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD.
"Before the LORD" means out where God could see him. When LORD is printed in big letters, it stands for God's own special name. People made up a little saying about Nimrod and repeated it for years.
10His kingdom began with Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.
And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.
A kingdom is a land with a king over it. Babel was a city that later grew into the great city of Babylon. Shinar was flat land between two rivers, far to the east.
11Out of that land went Asshur, who built Nineveh, the city Rehoboth, and Calah,
Out of that land went forth Asshur, and builded Nineveh, and the city Rehoboth, and Calah,
Nineveh was a huge city that people knew about for a very long time.
12and Resen, which is between Nineveh and Calah. That is a great city.
And Resen between Nineveh and Calah: the same is a great city.
"A great city" means a big and important one, with many people in it.
Cush Begets Nimrod, Mighty Upon the Earth
10Cush was also the father of Nimrod. Nimrod grew to be a strong and powerful man on the earth.
And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be mighty upon the earth.
The old words say Nimrod "began to be mighty upon the earth." That means he became a famous leader and hunter that people feared.
The Land of Nimrod Wasted by the Sword
5He will be our peace. The army of Assyria will come into our land. It will walk through our strong houses. Then we will send out seven shepherds against them, even eight leaders.
And this man shall be the peace, when the Assyrian shall come into our land: and when he shall tread in our palaces, then shall we raise against him seven shepherds, and eight principal men.
Assyria was a strong country with a huge army. "Seven shepherds, and eight principal men" is a way of saying plenty of leaders, more than enough.
6Those leaders will rule the land of Assyria with swords. They will do the same to the land of Nimrod at its gates. So he will save us when Assyria comes into our land and crosses our borders.
And they shall waste the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod in the entrances thereof: thus shall he deliver us from the Assyrian, when he cometh into our land, and when he treadeth within our borders.
Nimrod was a famous hunter who lived long, long ago. The land was named after him. The land of Nimrod is another name for that same land, Assyria.
Every passage here is the King James text. Nothing on this page retells the story; it only puts the pieces in order.