Nimrod
“Possibly from a root meaning to rebel, or from Persian meaning Lord”
Summary
Nimrod was the son of Cush and founder of the first great kingdom after the flood, described as a mighty hunter before the Lord who established cities in both Babylonia and Assyria.
☩Identity and Character
Nimrod was the son of Cush and a grandson of Ham. His name appears to be derived from a root meaning 'let us rebel,' possibly given by his contemporaries as descriptive of his character. He is described as one who 'began to be a mighty one in the earth,' suggesting he was the first after the flood to achieve renown for bold and daring deeds. The phrase 'a mighty hunter before the Lord' passed into a proverb used to describe great hunters and warriors in subsequent generations. Some interpret 'before the Lord' as meaning 'in defiance of the Lord,' indicating opposition to the existing patriarchal order of society.
☩His Kingdoms
The beginning of Nimrod's kingdom was Babel (Babylon), Erech, Accad, and Calneh in the land of Shinar. From that land he went forth to Assyria and built Nineveh, Rehoboth-Ir, Calah, and Resen, which was called 'a great city.' This expansion northward from Babylonia to Assyria represents the spread of early civilization along the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. The 'land of Nimrod' in Micah's prophecy is understood as a synonym for Assyria or Babylonia.
☩Historical Significance
From being a hunter of beasts, Nimrod became a hunter of men, subverting the existing patriarchal order by setting up a chieftainship based on personal valor and maintained by aggression. The chase was an image of war and a training for it. The early Babylonians spoke a Semitic language, but the oldest inscriptions are Turanian or Cushite, which accords with Nimrod's Hamitic origin. Tradition points to Babylon's Cushite origins, and Nimrod was identified by some with Bel or Belus, the god of Babylon. Various mounds and sites in Mesopotamia still bear his name, including Birs Nimrud and the mound Nimrud near ancient Calah.
See Also
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Nimrod," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. VII (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.Andrew Robert Fausset, "Nimrod," in The Englishman's Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopædia (Hodder & Stoughton, 1878).
- 3.F. N. Peloubet & M. A. Peloubet (ed.), "Nimrod," in Smith's Bible Dictionary (Porter & Coates, 1884).