Genesis 10:9 - Printer Friendly

ESV: He was a mighty hunter before the LORD. Therefore it is said, “Like Nimrod a mighty hunter before the LORD.”

NIV: He was a mighty hunter before the LORD; that is why it is said, 'Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before the LORD.'

NASB: He was a mighty hunter before the Lord; therefore it is said, 'Like Nimrod a mighty hunter before the Lord.'

CSB: He was a powerful hunter in the sight of the Lord. That is why it is said, "Like Nimrod, a powerful hunter in the sight of the Lord."

NLT: Since he was the greatest hunter in the world, his name became proverbial. People would say, 'This man is like Nimrod, the greatest hunter in the world.'

KJV: He was a mighty hunter before the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD.

NKJV: He was a mighty hunter before the Lord; therefore it is said, “Like Nimrod the mighty hunter before the Lord.”

The previous verse began an aside in chapter 10's table of nations. It introduces Nimrod, a famous "mighty man" or "champion." Here, Nimrod is described as a mighty hunter before the Lord. Some scholars suggest that perhaps Nimrod is associated with the kings of Mesopotamia or Assyria, who valued hunting as a greatly honored skill. It's unlikely that the phrase "before the Lord" means that Nimrod was faithful to the true God. It's more likely to mean that Nimrod was famous on the earth, where everything is before the Lord. In fact, some scholars believe that Nimrod's skill in hunting might have led him to skill in battle, and built the basis for his success. His name is similar to the Hebrew word for "rebellion," and traditionally he was considered a dictator and tyrant. The nation-states founded by Nimrod, including Nineveh, Assyria, and Babel, will become some of Israel's chief enemies.

Nimrod was so famous for his hunting skill that being like Nimrod, "a mighty hunter before the Lord," became a common saying in the world. In the modern English-speaking world, the term "nimrod" is used as an insult, mostly to someone's intelligence. This is due to a series of sarcastic references in the 1920s and 1930s, which mocked an inept hunter as "Nimrod," replacing the reputation of that name with almost the exact opposite!

Genesis 10:6–20 details the descendants of Noah's son, Ham. The majority of these tribes settled in the regions south and east of the Promised Land. While Ham's son Canaan was cursed (Genesis 9:24–25), many of Ham's descendants established powerful nations. One of these is Mizraim, also known as Egypt. Though Canaan's sons were destined to fall to the sons of Shem, other sons of Ham would hold Israel captive for more than 400 years. This passage also contains an interesting aside about one particular man: Nimrod.

Genesis 10 is sometimes called the table of nations. It describes, in three sections, the peoples that descended from Noah's sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Japheth's people settled mostly to the north of what would be Israel. Ham's people became great nations in the region of the Middle East, including the people that would settle in the Promised Land before Israel drove them out. Shem's line would lead to Abraham and the Israelites.

Genesis 9 described events that happened between God, Noah, and his three sons after the flood. Genesis 11 will tell the story of the Tower of Babel and the dispersal of the nations. Between them, Genesis 10 is a table of the nations that come from Japheth, Ham, and Shem after God divides and disperses humanity.

The book of Genesis establishes fundamental truths about God. Among these are His role as the Creator, His holiness, His hatred of sin, His love for mankind, and His willingness to provide for our redemption. We learn not only where mankind has come from, but why the world is in its present form. The book also presents the establishment of Israel, God's chosen people. Many of the principles given in other parts of Scripture depend on the basic ideas presented here in the book of Genesis. Within the framework of the Bible, Genesis explains the bare-bones history of the universe leading up to the captivity of Israel in Egypt, setting the stage for the book of Exodus.