Interesting Facts

• Nimrod began to be a mighty one in the earth.
• He led a war against the children of Japheth and subdued them, placing officers over them.
• He built several cities in the land of Shinar, including Babel, Erech, Eched, and Calnah, naming them after events related to the Tower.
• His subjects and princes called him Amraphel, because at the tower his princes and men fell through his means.
• King Nimrod had a dream about Abram that was interpreted as Abram and his seed warring with and slaying the king in later days.

Genealogy

• Nimrod was the son of Cush, who was the son of Ham, the son of Noah.
• Cush took a wife in his old age who bore Nimrod.
• Nimrod had a son named Mardon, who was said to be more wicked than his father.

Historical Context

Nimrod lived in the generations following the flood, a time when mankind was repopulating the earth and beginning to establish settlements. According to the texts, this was a period when people again began to rebel and transgress against God. Nimrod’s rise to power occurred as he led the sons of Cush and others in a war against the children of Japheth, successfully subduing them and gaining servants. This victory led to his brethren and others assembling to make him king, marking the beginning of his kingdom. His reign coincided with a time when all the earth was of one language and one speech, and under his control. He initiated the building of a city and a tower in the land of Shinar, with the aim of making a name for themselves and preventing scattering across the earth. However, this act was seen as rebellion and transgression against the Lord, leading to the confusion of languages and the dispersal of the people. Even after this event, Nimrod continued in wickedness and taught it to others.

Narrative

Nimrod’s personal story is one of ambition and defiance. He is first introduced as becoming a mighty one on the earth. His leadership in war led to him being crowned king, and he established his kingdom with its capital in Babel, extending his rule over all the sons of Noah. Despite this power, he did not walk in the ways of the Lord and was considered more wicked than those before him since the flood, making idols and teaching his people to do the same. He orchestrated the building of the Tower of Babel, an act of human pride and rebellion against divine will, intended to prevent dispersal and establish their fame. The texts suggest that the confusion of languages and the scattering of people were a direct consequence of this undertaking. Nimrod also had a significant encounter involving Abram. Conjurors predicted that Abram would rise to power and overthrow him. This led Nimrod to attempt to kill the infant Abram, a plot thwarted by Terah’s deception. Years later, after Abram openly denounced idolatry and even destroyed his father’s idols, Nimrod had Abram imprisoned and then cast into a fiery furnace, from which Abram was miraculously delivered. King Nimrod had a prophetic dream foretelling his defeat by Abram’s seed, which his wise servant Anuki interpreted. Fearing this, Nimrod attempted to seize Abram again, but Abram escaped. Ultimately, Nimrod’s reign continued for many years, but he eventually died by the sword of Esau, as foreseen in his dream, and his kingdom was divided. His life and actions serve as a narrative of earthly power and rebellion against the divine.