Tim Collinson Supporter Tim Collinson

The word before is not, in favour of or, on behalf of. The unfortunate translation does not help,but from what I remember it was "in defiance" or rebellion against the Lord. Another way to look at it is Nimrod "faced up" against the Lord, or provoked in the way he behaved. 

it was he(Nimrod) who founded the ancient city of Babel (later to be called Babylon). This was the first act of apostasy i.e. man saying that he was not going to trust God and would do it his (self) way; that is live independently of the Lord. (I am just being short in my answer).

February 12 2014 • 1 response • Vote Up • Share • Report

Leslie Coutinho Supporter

Genesis 10:8-9: And Cush begat Nimrod; he began to be a mighty one in the earth. He was a mighty hunter before the Lord, wherefore it is said, "Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the Lord."

When men began to multiply on the face of the earth from the time of Adam to La’-mech, who bore sons and daughters, the sons of God saw the daughters of men and took them, and giants were born. Noah, the son of La’-mech, was a perfect and just man who walked with God the Father. Noah was then told to build an ark and to bring his wife, his sons Shem, Ham, Japheth, and his sons’ wives with him, along with every living thing of the flesh of fowls, male and female. (Gen 5:5,27/6:2,4,9,18-20) After the storm with a flood that came over the earth, it was destroyed, and Noah and his sons, with their children, were saved. Noah’s children then knew why the flood was brought upon the land, as their father was a just man who walked with God, having a clean heart. As Noah’s children begat children, his sons of Ham, Cush, who begat Nimrod, who began to be a mighty man on earth. (Gen 10:2,6,8) 

This mighty man, whose forefathers were the sons of God who slept with the daughters of men, then gathered together and built the Tower of Babel in Shinar (Babylon, Iraq) to reach heaven. (Gen 11:4,9) When the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, knowing nothing would restrain them from doing what they imagined too do, the Lord then scattered them. These mighty hunters, who were scattered, for in their days was the earth then divided, and their language was confounded. (Gen 10:25/11:6-8) The land of Ham and his son Canaan was then the land of Egypt. This was the land, “Hebron, built in Egypt,” having the children of A’-nak, the giants there. (Psa 78:51,105:23/Num 13:22) Son of Japheth, Madai, who then migrated to the land that was then named after him, that is, the Medes, today, Media, which is in Persia. These mighty hunters were the ones who built the “Ancient Structures,” bearing the spirit of the fallen angels of God who took the daughters of man to ascend back to heaven. (1 Chr 1:5)

Today, as the scriptures reveal to us the mighty hunters, who are the sons of the giant (2 Sam 21:16-22), who were scattered (Gen 11:8), the evil of these mighty hunters shall break upon the inhabitants of the land from the north. "These kingdoms of the north," saith the Lord, "they shall come, and they shall set everyone his throne at the entering of the gates of Jerusalem, led by Gog, the land of Ma’-gog." (Jer 1:14-15/Eze 38:1-7). Today, these mighty hunters, sons of the giant, shall be weakened by Lu’-ci-fer, who shall then weaken the nations. (Isa 14:12) At the appointed time, the end shall come, the ram having two horns, that is, the king of Me’-di-a and Persia, having the rough goat, the king of Gre’-ci-a. (Dan 8:20-21) The sons of Shem dwelling were from Me’-sha to Se’-phar to the mount of the east, the Arabian peninsula, for then She’-ba and De’-dan and the merchants of Tar’-shish shall raise their voice against them. (Gen 10:30/Eze 38:13) 

Isaiah 14:12-14: How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lu’-ci-fer, son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, "I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most high."

10 days ago • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

John Appelt Supporter

In Genesis 10:9 it says, “Nimrod was a mighty hunter before the Lord.” In context, verse 8 says “he began to be a mighty one on the earth,” as 1 Chronicles 1:10 also states. Genesis 10:10 elaborates, “And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel…” It lists the kingdoms in the land of Shinar he built. Then in verses 11-12, it tells of him going to Assyria, which according to Micah 5:6 is called the “land of Nimrod.” He built kingdoms there including the famed city of Nineveh.

The idea is that Nimrod was the first powerful post-flood king who controlled the Mesopotamia region by building city states that would eventually become powerful empires of history.

He probably began by hunting wild beasts that were a danger to the population. Later Assyrian and Babylonian art had hunting scenes to boast of their exploits and power. Nimrod became the hero who protected the people and emerged as a mighty military leader. He established kingdoms beginning with Babel. He probably set up princes to rule his different kingdoms, becoming the head ruler over them all.

Nothing in these verses describes his character or motive for building kingdoms. There is no suggestion that he was a tyrannical ruler who was defiant against God or opposing Him. He was not the instigator of rebellion at Babel which came much later. Not even the name “Nimrod” means “rebel,” as claimed. The meaning and origin are unknown.

“Mighty one” (Hebrew “gibbor”) is used for anyone who is strong and mighty, used of God, warriors, kings, heroes, those with strong ability or great wealth. 

Some surmise that the phrase “before the Lord,” means opposition but it does not. The word “before” means surface, presence, face, in the sight of, as Genesis 18:22, 19:13. In the phrase “before the Lord,” the use of the name “Lord” or “God” is used as a strong superlative of greatness, whether good or evil, as in Genesis 23:6, where “a great prince” is literally “a prince of God,” and in Jonah 3:3, where “an exceeding great city” is literally “a city great unto God.” In this sense, “a mighty hunter before the Lord” means “a very great hunter.” 

So, the passage concerning Nimrod is silent about the type of person he was, whether good or evil.

Some believe Nimrod was Gilgamesh, the god-like hero of the Gilgamesh Epic, an embellished story of a Mesopotamia ruler, a tyrant who stole other men’s wives and warred against Huwawa which sounds like Yahweh. But the Gilgamesh Epic was a legend of a different ancestor, some later king in Sumeria. Nothing links Nimrod to Gilgamesh or any other ruler.

An unsubstantiated interpretation is forced on the person of Nimrod. Instead of believing what the Bible states which is true, a number of Bible scholars have followed speculative stories about what kind of person Nimrod was. All the Bible says is that Nimrod was a very great and mighty hunter, a builder of cities and kingdoms.

13 days ago • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report