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Nations Descended from Noah
10 These are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Sons were born to them after the flood.
The sons of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras. The sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah. The sons of Javan: Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim. From these the coastland peoples spread in their lands, each with his own language, by their clans, in their nations.
The sons of Ham: Cush, Egypt, Put, and Canaan. The sons of Cush: Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca. The sons of Raamah: Sheba and Dedan. Cush fathered Nimrod; he was the first on earth to be a mighty man. He was a mighty hunter before the LORD. Therefore it is said, “Like Nimrod a mighty hunter before the LORD.” The beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. From that land he went into Assyria and built Nineveh, Rehoboth-Ir, Calah, and Resen between Nineveh and Calah; that is the great city. Egypt fathered Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim, Pathrusim, Casluhim (from whom the Philistines came), and Caphtorim.
Canaan fathered Sidon his firstborn and Heth, and the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, the Arkites, the Sinites, the Arvadites, the Zemarites, and the Hamathites. Afterward the clans of the Canaanites dispersed. And the territory of the Canaanites extended from Sidon in the direction of Gerar as far as Gaza, and in the direction of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha. These are the sons of Ham, by their clans, their languages, their lands, and their nations.
To Shem also, the father of all the children of Eber, the elder brother of Japheth, children were born. The sons of Shem: Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud, and Aram. The sons of Aram: Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash. Arpachshad fathered Shelah; and Shelah fathered Eber. To Eber were born two sons: the name of the one was Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided, and his brother’s name was Joktan. Joktan fathered Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, Obal, Abimael, Sheba, Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab; all these were the sons of Joktan. The territory in which they lived extended from Mesha in the direction of Sephar to the hill country of the east. These are the sons of Shem, by their clans, their languages, their lands, and their nations.
These are the clans of the sons of Noah, according to their genealogies, in their nations, and from these the nations spread abroad on the earth after the flood.
(ESV)
Genesis 10 Commentary
by Brad Boyles
Here in Genesis 10, we are introduced to an individual whose full-fledged insurrection led to all sorts of rebellion among humanity.
Now Cush became the father of Nimrod; he became a mighty one on the earth. 9 He was a mighty hunter before the LORD; therefore it is said, “Like Nimrod a mighty hunter before the LORD.” 10 The beginning of his kingdom was Babel and Erech and Accad and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. 11 From that land he went forth into Assyria, and built Nineveh and Rehoboth-Ir and Calah, 12 and Resen between Nineveh and Calah; that is the great city.
Genesis 10:8-12 NASB
Nimrod was the great-grandson of Noah. His name means “let us rebel,” and that was certainly his focus. Being one of the first “mighty men” after the flood, it is speculated that he was a giant. When Moses sent spies into the land of Canaan, they came back and reported that there were giants in the land. These would have been named after Canaan, son of Ham, and thus related to Nimrod.
Being a man of great stature and strength, he naturally became a fierce warrior. Scripture says he was a mighty hunter and this does not refer to animals. Nimrod was an arrogant, cold-blooded killer.
“He was powerful in hunting and in wickedness before the Lord, for he was a hunter of the sons of men, and he said to them, ‘Depart from the judgment of the Lord, and adhere to the judgment of Nimrod!’ Therefore it is said: ‘As Nimrod the strong one, strong in hunting, and in wickedness before the Lord.'”
A Jerusalem Targum
Nimrod used his violence to establish great kingdoms on Earth. This included Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh. Yes, the tower of Babel was most likely constructed under Nimrod’s authority (more on that in Gen 11). He would also establish the wicked city of Nineveh and the prophet Micah references Nimrod when describing the region of Assyria.
Nimrod was indeed mighty before the Lord, but even the mightiest of men pale in comparison to God. In the end, Nimrod established kingdoms on Earth that rose and fell. He suffered the same fate as the men he murdered, and his legacy is one that challenged the authority of God and failed. God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.