Nimrod is the son of Cush, the son of Ham. Since Cush and Canaan are brothers, this means Nimrod is Canaan’s nephew.
The biblical text tells us little about Nimrod. What we do know is he’s a “mighty hunter before the Lord” (Genesis 10:8–9).
Though this is curious wording, we can understand “before the Lord” to mean “in God’s sight” or that God noticed Nimrod’s hunting prowess. What’s unclear is if this is a result of God’s blessing on Nimrod or not.
Regardless, Nimrod establishes a kingdom, first in Babylon and then in Assyria, where he builds the city of Nineveh.
Do these three locations sound familiar? Babylon appears 299 times in the Bible, Assyria 132 times, and Nineveh, twenty-six times. These mentions are as the enemy of God’s chosen people, sometimes representing evil.
Parallel to the offspring of his Uncle Canaan, Babylon and Assyria also oppose God’s promised people and the nations of Israel and Judah.
Assyria will later conquer the nation of Israel and deport its people. In this way, Assyria serves as God’s instrument of judgment against his rebellious children.
Not learning from this example, Judah will later suffer much the same consequence. Babylon conquers Judah and deports its people too.
Unlike Israel, however, some people from Judah will return to the promised land seventy years later and get a second chance. The people of Israel and Judah tested God’s patience and eventually received the punishment they deserved.
In what ways do we test God’s patience like the nations of Israel and Judah did?
How do we react when God gives us a second chance?
[Read about Nimrod in Genesis 10:8–12. Discover more in 2 Kings 25:1–26.]
Learn about 100 more biblical characters in More Old Testament Sinners and Saints, available in e-book, paperback, and hardcover. Get your copy today.
More Old Testament Sinners and Saints is part of the Bible Character Sketches series.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
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