Genesis 10:9 He was a mighty hunter before the LORD; that is why it is said, "Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before the LORD." Matthew Henry Commentary 10:8-14 Nimrod was a great man in his day; he began to be mighty in the earth, Those before him were content to be upon the same level with their neighbours, and though every man bare rule in his own house, yet no man pretended any further. Nimrod was resolved to lord it over his neighbours. The spirit of the giants before the flood, who became mighty men, and men of renown, Ge 6:4, revived in him. Nimrod was a great hunter. Hunting then was the method of preventing the hurtful increase of wild beasts. This required great courage and address, and thus gave an opportunity for Nimrod to command others, and gradually attached a number of men to one leader. From such a beginning, it is likely, that Nimrod began to rule, and to force others to submit. He invaded his neighbours' rights and properties, and persecuted innocent men; endeavouring to make all his own by force and violence. He carried on his oppressions and violence in defiance of God himself.

Nimrod was a great ruler. Some way or other, by arts or arms, he got into power, and so founded a monarchy, which was the terror of the mighty, and bid fair to rule all the world. Nimrod was a great builder. Observe in Nimrod the nature of ambition. It is boundless; much would have more, and still cries, Give, give. It is restless; Nimrod, when he had four cities under his command, could not be content till he had four more. It is expensive; Nimrod will rather be at the charge of rearing cities, than not have the honour of ruling them. It is daring, and will stick at nothing. Nimrod's name signifies rebellion; tyrants to men are rebels to God. The days are coming, when conquerors will no longer be spoken of with praise, as in man's partial histories, but be branded with infamy, as in the impartial records of the Bible.

Mighty Hunter Before the Lord (Forerunner Commentary) - Bible Tools Genesis 10:8-12 Notice the word “before” in "He was a might hunter before the LORD." The word literally means "face"—that which is in the front and which appears to another, as in “face to face.” Nimrod was a mighty hunter facing the Lord. The word before literally means "that which turns." It has a wide variety of usages. It can be translated “facing,” “before,” “in front of,” or “against.” “Against” is the correct translation here, according to the context. He was a mighty hunter against the Lord. He was a mighty hunter before the Lord in the sense of fighting against Him. You do not turn your back on your enemy. You face him, and he faces you. Nimrod was against God ; he was facing the Lord in battle, in antagonism rather than in submission. That is shown in the context by his conquests. The beginning of his kingdom was Babel. There is more here than meets the eye. He conquered Babel. He conquered Erech, Accad, and Calneh in the land of Shinar.

He was bringing what were probably city-states under his control and forming them into one nation. Nowhere did God give the right to dominion over other men by conquering them, and that was what Nimrod did. The Sperling Translation renders this phrase, "He began to be a despot." He was a despot against God; and he deceived, manipulated, and controlled those he brought under his dominion. Satan and his demons, through Nimrod, conspired against God to bring mankind into one government against God. God does not destroy things that are good. He does not intervene unless something is evil. This was something evil against God and against God's purpose. That is why He stepped in and confused the languages, because this was something directly against God's purpose, against the timeline that God had worked out in His own mind. There we have the first example in the Bible of people under the sway of Satan. They were under the sway because they were his children spiritually and because they were antagonistic to God's purpose. They were not submissive to it or obedient to God. Here we have mankind's first attempt to bring all of mankind under one government.

From the very beginning in the book of beginnings, Genesis, God shows that bringing governments together under man is not a part of His purpose. It is antagonistic to God. John W. Ritenbaugh Who was Nimrod in the Bible? Who was Nimrod in the Bible? Subscribe to our Question of the Week : Question: "Who was Nimrod in the Bible? Why is there so much Nimrod mythology outside of the Bible?" Answer: Nimrod in the Bible was the son of Cush, the great-grandson of Noah through the line of Ham, Noah’s cursed son (Genesis 9:25), and Canaan. Nimrod is described as the first of the “mighty men” to appear on the earth after the great flood. Previous to the flood, there had been giants and mighty men on the earth, and “also afterward” (Genesis 6:4). From examination of the biblical texts and other ancient documents, it is clear that Nimrod was one of these mighty men, and there is also evidence that he was much larger than the average man—a giant, so to speak.

The Bible calls Nimrod “a mighty hunter before the Lord.” Nimrod established a great kingdom that included “Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar” (Genesis 10:9–10). He later extended his kingdom into Assyria, where he built the cities of “Ninevah, Rehoboth Ir, Calah and Resen” (verses 11–12). Nimrod was obviously a skilled man and an ambitious leader. Besides being the founder of the infamous Babel and many other cities, Nimrod was a mighty man with great physical strength and great strength of will. If he was also of giant stature, then that would be another reason why the people of his time would follow him—and why so many legends would spring up around him. There are other instances of giants in Scripture, and they appear to be connected to the line of Ham, through Nimrod. When Moses sent the spies into the land of Canaan, they reported seeing the “ sons of Anak ” there (Numbers 13:28).

The sons of Anak were giants, before whom the spies said they felt “like grasshoppers” (Numbers 13:33). The Canaanites were descended from Canaan, son of Ham, and thus related to Nimrod. Other passages refer to the Rephaim , and, of course, David had to face a giant named Goliath, who had four brothers (2 Samuel 21:15–22). As the leader of the kingdom of Babel, Nimrod is also connected with the Tower of Babel (Genesis 6). According to the historian Josephus, Nimrod “said he would be revenged on God, if he should have a mind to drown the world again; for that he would build a tower too high for the waters to reach. And that he would avenge himself on God for destroying their forefathers” (Antiquities of the Jews, Book 1, Chapter 4). The motive, according to Josephus, for building the Tower of Babel was to protect humanity against another flood. But the reason for the first flood was humanity’s wickedness and rebellion (Genesis 6:5–6), from which humanity refused to repent.

Nimrod was rebellious against God, just like his antediluvian forebears, and, according to Josephus, he “persuaded [his subjects] not to ascribe [their strength] to God, as if it were through his means they were happy, but to believe that it was their own courage which procured that happiness” (op. cit.). Construction of the Tower of Babel ended with a show of God’s power: the Lord confused the languages of the people, making it impossible for them to communicate effectively enough to finish the construction of the tower. So, Nimrod was proved wrong—all of man’s strength and ability, even the strength of the mightiest of men, is a gift from God that He can choose to revoke at any time. Nimrod has lent his name to our vocabulary: today, a “nimrod” is “a hunting expert or devotee.” (And, for a brief time in the 1980s, nimrod was a less-than-heroic slang term for “geek” or “socially awkward person.”) Nimrod appears as a character in the mythology of many ancient cultures; he shows up in Hungarian, Greek, Arabic, Syrian, and Armenian legends.

There is evidence that the Epic of Gilgamesh and the myth of Hercules both find their origins in Nimrod’s life. Nimrod was undoubtedly a powerful, charismatic hero-figure of the ancient world who actually attempted to build a tower to heaven, hoping to thwart the plans of God. It isn’t hard to see why so many myths and legends would spring up in the wake of such a man. In the end, however, Nimrod’s power and glory came to nothing, because God is stronger than even the mightiest of men, and He cannot be thwarted. Nimrod was a mighty hunter before the Lord, but humility before the Lord is the posture of the wise (Proverbs 3:34; 11:2; James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5). Who was Nimrod? Who was Nimrod? Subscribe Nimrod had a monumental role in world developments after the Flood. However, his name is listed in the Bible only four times. Of those four, only three are direct references. The first reference to this man is in 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.” The King James Version of the Bible does not properly reflect the actual context of this scripture. It is vital to fully understand Nimrod’s nature in order to fully comprehend these verses. The word “before” in verse 9 actually should be translated “in defiance of.” Even his name—Nimrod—denotes “one who rebels” or “let us rebel.” Nimrod was a hunter, “a mighty one in the earth,” a hero of the people. With his skills of hunting and war, he protected the people against wild animals, thus causing people to turn to him for protection instead of God.

The Jerusalem Targum (a Hebrew translation into the Aramaic language, which was used in Christ’s day), states, “He [Nimrod] was powerful in hunting and wickedness before the Lord, for he was a hunter of the sons of men, and he said unto them, ‘Depart from the judgment of the Lord, and adhere to the judgment of Nimrod!’ therefore it is said: ‘As Nimrod [is] the strong one, strong in hunting, and in wickedness before the Lord.’” Though we do not endorse every statement, you can read more about Nimrod by referencing an article titled “Nimrod,” in A Dictionary of the Bible, by James Hastings. You can also read more concerning Nimrod in our booklet The True Origin of Christmas . Nimrod is also listed in a genealogy found in I Chronicles 1:10 . His name also appears in Micah 5:6 .

Next Question & Answer: GENESIS 10:9 KJV "He was a mighty hunter before the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD." Click here to view Wesley's Notes for Genesis 10:9 10:9 Nimrod was a mighty hunter - This he began with, and for this became famous to a proverb. Some think he did good with his hunting, served his country by ridding it of wild beasts, and so insinuated himself into the affections of his neighbours, and got to be their prince. And perhaps, under pretence of hunting, he gathered men under his command, to make himself master of the country. Thus he became a mighty hunter, a violent invader of his neighbour's rights and properties. And that, before the Lord - Carrying all before him, and endeavouring to make all his own by force and violence. He thought himself a mighty prince; but before the Lord, that is, in God's account, he was but a mighty hunter. Note, Great conquerers are but great hunters. Alexander and Caesar would not make such a figure in scripture history as they do in common history.

The former is represented in prophecy but as a he - goat pushing, #Dan 8:5|. Nimrod was a mighty hunter against the Lord, so the seventy; that is, he set up idolatry, as Jeroboam did, for the confirming of his usurped dominion; that he might set up a new government, he set up a new religion upon the ruin of the primitive constitution of both. Discussion for Genesis 10 Nimrod and Antichrist Nimrod and Antichrist ï¿½And 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 and the mighty hunter before the Lord. And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel ï¿½ ï¿½ (Gen.10:8-10).

ï¿½And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornicationï¿½ If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his handï¿½ ï¿½ (Rev.14:8,9). ï¿½ï¿½ In Godï¿½s list of the sons of Ham, He stops and gives Nimrod importance, so that we would take special note of it. Here in the beginning of history in the book of Genesis we see a great truth that ends at the end of history in the book of Revelation. God wrote these three verses 5000 years ago for the purpose of casting light upon the Antichrist soon to come. ï¿½ï¿½ Nimrodï¿½s name means ï¿½rebelï¿½ and is evidently meant to designate the nature and character of the man. Rebel means ï¿½ (Disobedient ï¿½ a taking up of arms against a ruler and authority).

His rebellion lay in his disobeying the authority of God who rules over the kingdoms of men as another king of Babylon named Nebuchadnezzar found out the hard way ï¿½ (Dan.4). As the rebel, he stands before us as the great adversary, the King that does ï¿½ ï¿½According to his willï¿½ ï¿½ (Dan.11:36). The Antichrist, who is the devilï¿½s seed standing in opposition to Christ who is Godï¿½s seed. He is of his father the devil, the willful father of all the rebellious children of men who say ï¿½ ï¿½not Godï¿½s will but mineï¿½ ï¿½ (Is.14:13,14). All the unsaved rebels of the world will follow Antichrist, the rebel. ï¿½ï¿½ Nimrod came from Hamï¿½s son Cush who was the father of the Africans and Ethiopians etc. All the black races are Hamitic.

The Bible depicts the Cushites as being black and tall ï¿½ (Jer.13:23 ï¿½ Is.45:14). ï¿½Can the Ethiopian ï¿½changeï¿½ his skin, or the leopard his spotsï¿½ï¿½ ï¿½ (Jer.13:23). And we know that the Antichrist looks mostly like a leopard ï¿½ (Rev.13:2). Most pictures of Nimrod show him as a black man clothed in a leopard skin. I believe it points to the black Antichrist whose key word is ï¿½change.ï¿½ But Antichrist and political change cannot change the basic rebellious, sinful nature of man ï¿½ only Christ can. ï¿½ï¿½ Nimrod was a great man, a mighty hunter. ï¿½Mightyï¿½ in the Bible mostly speaks of warlike greatness as in ï¿½mighty menï¿½ or ï¿½mighty warriorï¿½ or ï¿½mighty men of valour.ï¿½ He was known as the mighty hunter as his skill in hunting animals first had play.

As a great hunter he was known far and wide. And his leadership and skill in hunting animals soon led to generalship in the dangers of the battlefield. The mighty hunter of the forest is soon the mighty soldier of the plain. Weapons to kill animals soon led to killing men. The subduer of the savage beast is soon the conqueror of his fellow men. Such also will be the ambition of Antichrist as emperor over the world ï¿½ ï¿½Who is like unto the beast? Who is able to make war with himï¿½ ï¿½ (Rev.13:4). Nimrod was a skilled hunter-warrior who became a powerful king much like General Grant became our president after our civil war of rebellion. ï¿½ï¿½ The hunting of humans with armies in the deadliest ï¿½gameï¿½ of all and the U.S.A. is the deadliest hunter of all. And you cannot ï¿½murderï¿½ a beast, only a man. Our country is using its army to murder the soldiers and civilians of Iraq because we attacked them, not in self-defense, but in selfish offense. Godï¿½s judgment will soon fall upon U.S.

ï¿½ï¿½ From being the general of his army of hunters, he becomes a king, the first king in the Bible. And it wasnï¿½t enough to be king over one city, he became king over several cities. Ambitious of power, he enlarged his kingdom, circle after circle, himself the ï¿½mighty oneï¿½ in the midst of his empire and his towering city of Babel . Building towers are monuments of manï¿½s pride and thatï¿½s what we see in Babylon-USA with our towering cities and especially with the twin towers and 9/11. Will the black Antichrist be president of the U.S. ? Will he then not also be ruler of Babylon-Iraq whom we just conquered with our imperial army? Soon we will change totally from a republic to an empire and we will elect our first king, the Antichrist, ruler of Babylon-USA. ï¿½ï¿½ And in Nebuchadnezzar, Nimrodï¿½s successor and Antichristï¿½s precursor, we have another instance of the same far-reaching ambition and pride.

Because of Nebuchadnezzarï¿½s pride God ï¿½changedï¿½ his heart into the heart of a beast and so Antichrist is also called a Beast ï¿½ a cruel ferocious beastly man who murders more people than any man ever. He and his army strut across the earth preying upon weaker nations like a beast of prey ï¿½ (Dan.7). Antichrist the mighty hunter indeed. He claims not only the worldï¿½s submission but their worship also. ï¿½Let his heart be ï¿½changedï¿½ from manï¿½s, and let a beastï¿½s heart be given unto himï¿½ï¿½ ï¿½ (Dan.4:16) ï¿½Changeï¿½ is a key word in Antichristï¿½s mouth. ï¿½ï¿½ Nimrod was the one who attempted to bring together the human race after the flood in an effort to get them ï¿½unitedï¿½ into a nation of which he could become the great world ruler. He was the rebel, the founder of Babel and its tower and the hunter of men.

He was the shadow and type of the last world emperor, the Antichrist who is soon to appear. ï¿½ï¿½ And as Babel and the first emperor was the beginning so Babylon the great and the last emperor, Antichrist, will be the end. Babylon the golden city of man will fall and will be replaced by the golden city of God , New Jerusalem ï¿½ (Is.14:4-Rev.21). Antichrist is set before us as the great rebel, the Nimrod, the mighty one of the end time tribulation, the man that ï¿½exalts himselfï¿½ and becomes like God and seizes the dominion of the whole earth, and compels everyone to worship him and receive his mark-666 in order to buy and sell anything. ï¿½ï¿½ Nimrod took the sword of the magistrate, entrusted to Noah and his descendants, and converted it into the bloody sword of the conqueror. He became the worldï¿½s first imperialist and empire builder.

He foreshadowed Nebuchadnezzar and finally Antichrist of whom it is written ï¿½ ï¿½ï¿½and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering and to conquerï¿½ ï¿½ (Rev.6:2). A mighty hunter of men indeed. Antichrist will fill out the picture typically outlined by Nimrod and Nebuchadnezzar. ï¿½ï¿½ Satan is the avowed and age-long enemy of God and all through history he has been opposing God and seeking to rule the earth. He is an imitator and he counterfeits the ways and things of God. Godï¿½s purposes on this earth are to be realized and consummated in a man ï¿½the man Christ Jesusï¿½ who will reign over the Godï¿½s earth as King of Kings and Lord of Lordï¿½s forever. Satanï¿½s designs will also head up in a man, ï¿½The man of sinï¿½ who will for a short season reign over the earth as emperor. He will be energized by Satan himself.

Most of the characters in O.T. history are types of one of two men ï¿½ Christ or Antichrist. ï¿½ï¿½ Babel was Nimrodï¿½s capital city of his empire and his center of unity and his headquarters. So he built a tower in Babel so they said ï¿½ ï¿½Let U.S. make U.S. a nameï¿½ ï¿½ (Gen.11:4). It was an inordinate desire for fame ï¿½ ï¿½look at me, ainï¿½t I somebody.ï¿½ The tower was a symbol of human pride and rebellion just as our towering skyscrapers in N.Y. overlooking the only Babylon , N.Y. Look for another key word of Antichrist - ï¿½unityï¿½ ï¿½ unity and change ï¿½ amen. ï¿½ï¿½ The building of Babel and its tower was intended to promote and signify the ï¿½unityï¿½ of the race. There was to be ï¿½one worldï¿½ with Nimrod as the ruler.

The worldï¿½s first federation of nations, it epitomized the last, for human history begins and ends at Babylon ï¿½ (Rev.17-18). As there was a great rebel behind the first Babel , so there will be a great rebel behind the last one. As the first United Nations organization centered everything in a cultural, political unity, so will the last. We can certainly see Babylon-USA and our towering city of N.Y. and the U.N. building there and our soon coming President-Antichrist. ï¿½ï¿½ They were to have a political unity, symbolized by the city and they were to have a religious unity, symbolized by the tower. The tower was a ziggurat or temple tower just as our cities have towering churches and steeples. King Nimrod had a dream of empire like King Nebuchadnezzar also had in (Dan.2). Nimrod built his city and tower out of clay bricks and Nebuchadnezzarï¿½s image dream of empires had clay feet mixed with iron which is the final empire of Antichrist. It points to U.S.

and our modern-day towers built out of iron beams and clay bricks. Nimrod and Nebuchadnezzar look ahead to the last world empire, which will bear the same hallmarks. The Beast will make great use of his one world government and one world religion which ends in the worship of himself as God. ï¿½ï¿½ When the people of Babel started their building program they all were united with one language and so God stopped their proud building by confounding them by them speaking different languages. Their different tongues divided them and they were scattered abroad and formed different nations each speaking their own language. A language barrier is a wall higher and more effective in separating people and stronger than any national border and any ocean. Here in AZ we see this plainly as the U.S. is building a wall on their border between U.S. and Mexico . But the greatest wall and barrier is the different languages which prevents people from working together and divides them. ï¿½ï¿½ There was another great tongues movement by God at Pentecost that was the reversal of Babel .

All the people gathered together in Jerusalem for the feast of Pentecost spoke different languages and so God gave them the gift of other tongues so each could hear the other speak in their own language. God was saying to mankind ï¿½I have a gospel of salvation for you, and Iï¿½m coming to you with the gospel in your own language.ï¿½ This didnï¿½t unite worldly people but it was a unity of the spirit in the children of God. And so it is written of Christ ï¿½ ï¿½For thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nationï¿½ ï¿½ (Rev.5:9). ï¿½ï¿½ Have you received the gospel of salvation in Christ? Are you born again of the Holy Spirit and saved from your sins and hell? Born again describes what happens to you when youï¿½re truly saved. If not, repent of your sins and believe on the Lord Jesus in your heart for forgiveness of sins and youï¿½ll become a new born again creature in Christ.

God will give you a new language and instead of cursing Christ and His Father, youï¿½ll praise them. Instead of singing the worldï¿½s songs, you will ï¿½speak to yourselves in Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lordï¿½ ï¿½ (Eph.5:19). Genesis 10:9, King James Version (KJV) He was a mighty hunter before the Lord: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the Lord. Traditional | Alphabetic 9He was a mighty hunter before the Lord: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the Lord. Ancient Days :: Who Was Nimrod? :: by David Livingston Who Was Nimrod? by Dr. David Livingston "Cush was the father of Nimrod, who grew to be a mighty warrior on the earth. He was a might hunter before the LORD; that is why it is said, "Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before the LORD. " The centers of his kingdom were Babylon, Erech, Akkad and Calneh in Shinar.

(Genesis 10:8-10) Many consider this to be a positive, complimentary testimony about Nimrod. It is just the opposite! First, a little background study is necessary. Cultural Connections in the Ancient Near East Found at Khorsabad, this eighth century BC stone relief is identified as Gilgamesh. The best-known of ancient Mesopotamian heroes, Gilgamesh was king of Uruk in southern Mesopotamia. His story is known in the poetic Gilgamesh Epic, but there is no historical evidence for his exploits in the story. He is described as part god and part man, a great builder and warrior, and a wise man in the story. Not mentioned in the Bible, the author suggests Gilgamesh is to be identified with Biblical Nimrod in Genesis 10:8-12. Besides the stories of the Creation and Flood in the Bible, there ought to be similar stories on clay tablets found in the cultures near and around the true believers. These tablets may have a reaction, or twisted version, in their accounts of the Creation and Flood.

In the post-Flood genealogical records of Genesis 10, we note that the sons of Ham were: Cush, Mizraim, Put and Canaan. Mizraim became the Egyptians. No one is sure where Put went to live. And it is obvious who the Canaanites were. Cush lived in the "land of Shinar," which most scholars consider to be Sumer. There they developed the first civilization after the Flood. The sons of Shem -- the Semites -- were also mixed, to some extent, with the Sumerians. We suggest that Sumerian Kish, the first city established in Mesopotamia after the Flood, took its name from the man known in the Bible as Cush . The first kingdom established after the Flood was Kish, and the name "Kish" appears often on clay tablets. The early post-Flood Sumerian king lists (not found in the Bible) say that "kingship descended from heaven to Kish" after the Flood.

(The Hebrew name "Cush" was much later moved to present-day Ethiopia as migrations took place from Mesopotamia to other places.) The Sumerians, very early, developed a religio-politico state which was extremely binding on all who lived in it (except for the rulers, who were a law unto themselves). This system was to influence the Ancient Near East for over 3000 years. Other cultures which followed the Sumerian system were Accad, Babylon, Assyria, and Persia, which became the basis of Greece and Rome's system of rule. Founded by Cush, the Sumerians were very important historically and Biblically. Was "Nimrod" Godly or Evil? Nimrod started his kingdom at Babylon (Genesis 10:10). Babylon later reached its zenith under Nebuchadnezzar (sixth century BC). Pictured are mudbrick ruins of Nebuchadnezzar's city along with ancient wall lines and canals. First, what does the name Nimrod mean?

It comes from the Hebrew verb marad, meaning "rebel." Adding an "n" before the "m" it becomes an infinitive construct, "Nimrod." (see Kautzsch 1910: 137 2b; also BDB 1962: 597). The meaning then is "The Rebel." Thus "Nimrod" may not be the character's name at all. It is more likely a derisive term of a type, a representative, of a system that is epitomized in rebellion against the Creator, the one true God. Rebellion began soon after the Flood as civilizations were restored. At that time this person became very prominent. In Genesis 10:8-11 we learn that "Nimrod" established a kingdom. Therefore, one would expect to find also, in the literature of the ancient Near East, a person who was a type, or example, for other people to follow. And there was. It is a well-known tale, common in Sumerian literature, of a man who fits the description.

In addition to the Sumerians, the Babylonians wrote about this person; the Assyrians likewise; and the Hittites. Even in Palestine, tablets have been found with this man's name on them. He was obviously the most popular hero in the Ancient Near East. Part of Nimrod's kingdom (Genesis 10:11), Nineveh along the Tigris River continued to be a major city in ancient Assyria. Today adjacent to modern Mosul, the ruins of ancient Nineveh are centered on two mounds, the acropolis at Kuyunjik and Nebi Yunis (Arabic "Prophet Jonah"). Pictured is Sennacherib's "Palace without a rival" on Kuyunjik, constructed at the end of the seventh century BC and excavated by Henry Layard in the early 20th century. The Gilgamesh Epic The Babylonian Flood Story is told on the 11th tablet of the Gilgamesh Epic, almost 200 lines of poetry on 12 clay tablets inscribed in cuneiform script. A number of different versions of the Gilgamesh Epic have been found around the ancient Near East, most dating to the seventh century BC.

The most complete version came from the library of Ashurbanipal at Nineveh. Commentators agree that the story comes from a much earlier period, not too long after the Flood as described in the story. The person we are referring to, found in extra-Biblical literature, was Gilgamesh. The first clay tablets naming him were found among the ruins of the temple library of the god Nabu (Biblical Nebo) and the palace library of Ashurbanipal in Nineveh. Many others have been found since in a number of excavations. The author of the best treatise on the Gilgamesh Epic says, The date of the composition of the Gilgamesh Epic can therefore be fixed at about 2000 BC. But the material contained on these tablets is undoubtedly much older, as we can infer from the mere fact that the epic consists of numerous originally independent episodes, which, of course, did not spring into existence at the time of the composition of our poem but must have been current long before they were compiled and woven together to form our epic (Heidel 1963: 15).

Yet his arrogance, ruthlessness and depravity were a subject of grave concern for the citizens of Uruk (his kingdom). They complained to the great god Anu, and Anu instructed the goddess Aruru to create another wild ox, a double of Gilgamesh, who would challenge him and distract his mind from the warrior's daughter and the noblemen's spouse , whom it appears he would not leave in peace (Roux 1966: 114). The Epic of Gilgamesh has some very indecent sections. Alexander Heidel, first translator of the epic, had the decency to translate the vilest parts into Latin. Spieser, however, gave it to us "straight" ( Pritchard 1955: 72). With this kind of literature in the palace, who needs pornography? Gilgamesh was a vile, filthy, man. Yet the myth says of him that he was "2/3 god and 1/3 man." Gilgamesh is Nimrod Model of ancient ziggurat. How does Gilgamesh compare with "Nimrod?" Josephus says of Nimrod, Now it was Nimrod who excited them to such an affront and contempt of God.

He was the grandson of Ham, the son of Noah -- a bold man, and of great strength of hand. He persuaded them not to ascribe it to God, as if it were through his means they were happy, but to believe that it was their own courage which procured that happiness. He also gradually changed the government into tyranny -- seeing no other way of turning men from the fear of God, but to bring them into a constant dependence upon his own power. He also said he would be revenged on God, if he should have a mind to drown the world again; for that he would build a tower too high for the waters to be able to reach! and that he would avenge himself on God for destroying their forefathers (Ant. 1: iv: 2) What Josephus says here is precisely what is found in the Gilgamesh epics. Gilgamesh set up tyranny, he opposed YHVH and did his utmost to get people to forsake Him.

Two of the premiere commentators on the Bible in Hebrew has this to say about Genesis 10:9, Nimrod was mighty in hunting, and that in opposition to YHVH; not "before YHVH" in the sense of according to the will and purpose of YHVH, still less, . . . in a simply superlative sense . . . The name itself, "Nimrod" from marad, "we will revolt," points to some violent resistance to God . . . Nimrod as a mighty hunter founded a powerful kingdom; and the founding of this kingdom is shown by the verb with vav consecutive, to have been the consequence or result of his strength in hunting, so that hunting was intimately connected with the establishing of the kingdom. Hence, if the expression "a mighty hunter" relates primarily to hunting in the literal sense, we must add to the literal meaning the figurative signification of a "hunter of men" (a trapper of men by stratagem and force); Nimrod the hunter became a tyrant , a powerful hunter of men (Keil and Delitzsch 1975: 165).

"in the face of YHVH can only mean "in defiance of YHVH," as Josephus and the Targums understand it (op. cit.: 166). And the proverb must have arisen when other daring and rebellious men followed in Nimrod's footsteps and must have originated with those who saw in such conduct an act of rebellion against the God of salvation, in other words, with the possessors of the divine promise of grace (loc. cit.). Often attributed to Nimrod, the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1-9) was not a Jack and the Beanstalk type of construction, where people were trying to build a structure to get into heaven. Instead, it is best understood as an ancient ziggurat (Assyrian "mountaintop"), as the one pictured here from ancient Ur of the Chaldees, Abraham's hometown (Genesis 11:31). A ziggurat was a man-made structure with a temple at its top, built to worship the host of heaven . After the Flood there was, at some point, a breakaway from YHVH. Only eight people descended from the Ark. Those people worshipped YHVH.

But at some point an influential person became opposed to YHVH and gathered others to his side. I suggest that Nimrod is the one who did it. Cain had done similarly before the Flood, founding a new city and religious system. Our English translation of the Hebrew of Genesis 10:8-10 is weak. The author of this passage of Scripture will not call Gilgamesh by his name and honor him, but is going to call him by a derisive name, what he really is -- a rebel. Therefore we should translate Genesis 10:8-10 to read, Cush begat Nimrod; he began to be a tyrant in the earth. He was a tyrannical hunter in opposition to the Lord. Thus it is said, "Nimrod the tyrannical opponent of YHVH." Likewise, Gilgamesh was a man who took control by his own strength. In Genesis 10 Nimrod is presented as a type of him. Nimrod's descendants were the ones who began building the tower in Babel where the tongues were changed. Gilgamesh is a type of early city founders.

(Page numbers below are from Heidel 1963) He is a "shepherd" .................. page 18 From Uruk ............................. page 17 (Kramer 1959: 31 calls Uruk, Erech.) A giant ................................... page 17 (11 cubits) Builds cities ............................ page 17 Vile man "takes women" ......... page 18 Mighty hunter ......................... page 18 Gilgamesh Confronts YHVH! The name of YHVH rarely appears in extra-Biblical literature in the Ancient Near East. Therefore we would not expect to find it in the Gilgamesh epic. But why should the God of the Jews rarely be mentioned? The Hebrew Bible is replete with the names of other gods. On the other hand, the nations surely knew of Him even though they had no respect for Him. If so, how might His Name appear in their literature, if at all? The name of YHVH, in a culture which is in rebellion against His rule, would most likely be in a derisive form, not in its true form. Likewise, the writers of Scripture would deride the rebels.

Putting the Bible and the Gilgamesh Epic Together The Gilgamesh Epic describes the first "God is Dead" movement. In the Epic, the hero is a vile, filthy, perverted person, yet he is presented as the greatest, strongest, hero that ever lived. (Heidel 1963: 18). So that the one who sent the Flood will not trouble them anymore, Gilgamesh sets out to kill the perpetrator. He takes with him a friend who is a monstrous half-man, half-animal -- Enkidu. Together they go on a long journey to the Cedar Mountain to find and destroy the monster who sent the Flood. Gilgamesh finds him and finally succeeds in cutting off the head of the creature whose name is "Huwawa" ("Humbaba" in the Assyrian version; see Heidel 1963: 34ff). Is there a connection with the Gilgamesh epic and Genesis 10? Note what Gilgamesh says to Enkidu, the half-man, half-beast, who accompanied him on his journey, found in Tablet 111, lines 147 - 150.

"If I fall," Gilgamesh says, "I will establish a name for myself. 'Gilgamesh is fallen,' they will say, 'in combat with terrible Huwawa.'" But the next five lines are missing from all tablets found so far! Can we speculate on what they say? Let's try . . . We suggest that those five lines include, "But if I win,.. they will say, Gilgamesh, the mighty vanquisher of Huwawa!" Why do we say that? Because Genesis 10:9 gives us the portion missing from the Gilgamesh tablets. Those lines include... "it is said, Nimrod (or Gilgamesh) the mighty vanquisher of YHVH." This has to be what is missing from all the clay tablets of the Gilgamesh story. The Gilgamesh Epic calls him Huwawa; the Bible calls Him YHVH. This face supposedly represents Huwawa who, according to the Gilgamesh's Epic, sent the Flood on the earth. According to the story, Huwawa (Humbaba in the Assyrian version) was killed by Gilgamesh and his half-man/half-beast friend, Enkidu.

The author suggests Huwawa is the ancient pagan perspective of Yahweh (YHVH), the God of the Bible. About 3 inches (7.5 cm), this mask is dated to around the sixth century BC. Of an unknown provenance, it is now in the British Museum. Heidel, speaking of the incident as it is found on Tablet V says, All we can conclude from them (the lost lines) is that Gilgarnesh and Enkidu cut off the head of Humbaba (or Huwawa) and that the expedition had a successful issue (ending) (1963: 47). The missing lines from the Epic are right there in the Bible! Because of the parallels between Gilgamesh and Nimrod, many scholars agree that Gilgamesh is Nimrod. Continuing with Gilgamesh's fable, he did win, he did vanquish Huwawa and took his head. Therefore he could come back to Uruk and other cities and tell the people "not to worry about YHVH anymore, he is dead. I killed him over in the Lebanon mountains.

So just live however you like, I will be your king and take care of you." There are still other parallels between the Bible and the Gilgamesh epic: "YaHVeH" has a somewhat similar sound to "Huwawa." Gilgamesh did just as the "sons of god" in Genesis 6 did. The "sons of god" forcibly took men's wives. The Epic says that is precisely what Gilgamesh did. The Bible calls Nimrod a tyrant, and Gilgamesh was a tyrant. There was a Flood in the Bible, there is a flood in the Epic. Cush is mentioned in the Bible, Kish in the Epic. Erech is mentioned in Scripture, Uruk was Gilgamesh's city. Gilgamesh made a trip to see the survivor of the Flood. This was more likely Ham than Noah, since "Nimrod" was Ham's grandson! Historically, Gilgamesh was of the first dynasty of Uruk. As Jacobsen points out (1939: 157), kings before Gilgamesh may be fictional, but not likely.

The fact that the Gilgamesh Epic also contains the Deluge story would indicate a close link with events immediately following the Flood. S.N. Kramer says, A few years ago one would have strongly doubted his (historical) existence . . . we now have the certitude that the time of Gilgamesh corresponds to the earliest period of Mesopotamian history. (Kramer 1959: 117) Originally established by Nimrod (Genesis 10:11), and today known as Nimrud, Calah became an important city in Iraq. This is an artist's reconstruction of the interior of Tiglath-pileser III's palace (late seventh century BC). What a contrast Psalm 2 is compared with the Gilgamesh Epic! Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the LORD and against his Anointed One. "Let us break their chains," they say, "and throw off their fetters." The One enthroned in heaven laughs, the Lord scoffs at them.

Then he rebukes them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath, saying, "I have installed my King on Zion, my holy hill." I will proclaim the decree of the LORD: He said to me, "you are my Son, today I have become your Father, Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession. You will rule them with an iron scepter; you will dash them to pieces like pottery." Therefore, you kings, be wise; he warned, you rulers of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry and you be destroyed in your way, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in him. (Psalm 2) Bibliography Brown, F., Driver, S.R., and Briggs, C.A.(abbreviated to BDB) 1962 A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament. Oxford: Clarendon Press. Cassuto, U. 1964 A Commentary on the Book of Genesis. 2 Vols., Jerusalem: Magnes. Frankfort, R.

1948 Kingship and the Gods. Chicago: University Press. Heidel, A. 1963 The Gilgamesh Epic and Old Testament Parallels. Chicago: University Press. Jacobsen, T. 1939 The Sumerian Kinglist. Chicago: University Press. Josephus 1998 Jewish Antiquities. Books I-III, Loeb Classics, Cambridge MA: Harvard University Press. Kautzsch, E., ed. 1910 Genesius' Hebrew Grammar. Oxford: Clarendon. Kramer, S. N., ed. 1959 History Begins at Sumer. Garden City NY: Doubleday. Keil, C. F., and Delitzsch, P. 1975 Commentary on the Old Testament., Vol. I, Grand Rapids: Eerdmans. Pritchard, J. 1969 Ancient Near Eastern Texts and the Old Testament. 3rd ed., Princeton: University Press. Roux, G. 1992 Ancient Iraq. 3rd ed., Harmondsworth, Middlesex, UK: Penguin. Thomas, D.W.

Genesis 10:8-12, King James Version (KJV) 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... Traditional | Alphabetic 8And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth. 9He was a mighty hunter before the Lord: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the Lord. 10And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.#Babel: Gr. Babylon 11Out of that land went forth Asshur, and builded Nineveh, and the city Rehoboth, and Calah,#went…: or, he went out into Assyria#the city…: or, the streets of the city 12And Resen between Nineveh and Calah: the same is a great city.

Question: In the Bible, who was described as "mighty hunter before the lord" ?
Answer: NIMROD