Genesis 10:8
New International Version
Cush was the father of Nimrod, who became a mighty warrior on the earth.

New Living Translation
Cush was also the ancestor of Nimrod, who was the first heroic warrior on earth.

English Standard Version
Cush fathered Nimrod; he was the first on earth to be a mighty man.

Berean Standard Bible
Cush was the father of Nimrod, who began to be a mighty one on the earth.

King James Bible
And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth.

New King James Version
Cush begot Nimrod; he began to be a mighty one on the earth.

New American Standard Bible
Now Cush fathered Nimrod; he became a mighty one on the earth.

NASB 1995
Now Cush became the father of Nimrod; he became a mighty one on the earth.

NASB 1977
Now Cush became the father of Nimrod; he became a mighty one on the earth.

Legacy Standard Bible
Now Cush was the father of Nimrod; he began to be a mighty one on the earth.

Amplified Bible
Cush became the father of Nimrod; he became a mighty one on the earth.

Christian Standard Bible
Cush fathered Nimrod, who began to be powerful in the land.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Cush fathered Nimrod, who was the first powerful man on earth.

American Standard Version
And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth.

English Revised Version
And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Cush was the father of Nimrod, the first mighty warrior on the earth.

Good News Translation
Cush had a son named Nimrod, who became the world's first great conqueror.

International Standard Version
Cush fathered Nimrod, who became the first fearless leader throughout the land.

Majority Standard Bible
Cush was the father of Nimrod, who began to be a mighty one on the earth.

NET Bible
Cush was the father of Nimrod; he began to be a valiant warrior on the earth.

New Heart English Bible
Cush became the father of Nimrod. He began to be a mighty one on the earth.

Webster's Bible Translation
And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth.

World English Bible
Cush became the father of Nimrod. He began to be a mighty one in the earth.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And Cush has begotten Nimrod;

Young's Literal Translation
And Cush hath begotten Nimrod;

Smith's Literal Translation
And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be strong in the earth.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Now Chus begot Nemrod: he began to be mighty on earth.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And then Cush conceived Nimrod; he began to be powerful on the earth.

New American Bible
Cush became the father of Nimrod, who was the first to become a mighty warrior on earth.

New Revised Standard Version
Cush became the father of Nimrod; he was the first on earth to become a mighty warrior.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And Cush begot Nimrod; he began to be a mighty one on the earth.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And Cush begot Nemruud; he began to be a champion in the earth.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And Cush begot Nimrod; he began to be a mighty one in the earth.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Chus begot Nebrod: he began to be a giant upon the earth.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Hamites
7The sons of Cush: Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca. And the sons of Raamah: Sheba and Dedan. 8Cush was the father of Nimrod, who began to be a mighty one on the earth. 9He was a mighty hunter before the LORD; so it is said, “Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before the LORD.”…

Cross References
Genesis 11:1-9
Now the whole world had one language and a common form of speech. / And as people journeyed eastward, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. / And they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” So they used brick instead of stone, and tar instead of mortar. ...

Micah 5:6
And they will rule the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod with the blade drawn. So He will deliver us when Assyria invades our land and marches into our borders.

1 Chronicles 1:10
Cush was the father of Nimrod, who began to be a mighty one on the earth.

Isaiah 10:9
“Is not Calno like Carchemish? Is not Hamath like Arpad? Is not Samaria like Damascus?

Isaiah 13:19
And Babylon, the jewel of the kingdoms, the glory of the pride of the Chaldeans, will be overthrown by God like Sodom and Gomorrah.

Jeremiah 50:23
How the hammer of the whole earth lies broken and shattered! What a horror Babylon has become among the nations!

Jeremiah 51:58
This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Babylon’s thick walls will be leveled, and her high gates consumed by fire. So the labor of the people will be for nothing; the nations will exhaust themselves to fuel the flames.”

Nahum 3:1-4
Woe to the city of blood, full of lies, full of plunder, never without prey. / The crack of the whip, the rumble of the wheel, galloping horse and bounding chariot! / Charging horseman, flashing sword, shining spear; heaps of slain, mounds of corpses, dead bodies without end—they stumble over their dead— ...

Zechariah 5:11
“To build a house for it in the land of Shinar,” he told me. “And when it is ready, the basket will be set there on its pedestal.”

Revelation 18:2
And he cried out in a mighty voice: “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a lair for demons and a haunt for every unclean spirit, every unclean bird, and every detestable beast.

Revelation 17:5
And on her forehead a mysterious name was written: BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

Revelation 14:8
Then a second angel followed, saying, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, who has made all the nations drink the wine of the passion of her immorality.”

Revelation 18:10
In fear of her torment, they will stand at a distance and cry out: “Woe, woe to the great city, the mighty city of Babylon! For in a single hour your judgment has come.”

Revelation 18:21
Then a mighty angel picked up a stone the size of a great millstone and cast it into the sea, saying: “With such violence the great city of Babylon will be cast down, never to be seen again.

Matthew 24:37-39
As it was in the days of Noah, so will it be at the coming of the Son of Man. / For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark. / And they were oblivious until the flood came and swept them all away. So will it be at the coming of the Son of Man.


Treasury of Scripture

And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth.

A.

Micah 5:6
And they shall waste the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod in the entrances thereof: thus shall he deliver us from the Assyrian, when he cometh into our land, and when he treadeth within our borders.

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Begat Begot Begotten Cush Earth First Great Grew Mighty Nimrod Warrior
Genesis 10
1. The generations of Noah.
2. Japheth.
6. Ham.
8. Nimrod becomes the first monarch; the descendants of Canaan.
21. The sons of Shem.














And Cush
The name "Cush" refers to the son of Ham, who was one of Noah's three sons. In Hebrew, "Cush" (כּוּשׁ) is often associated with the region south of Egypt, known as Ethiopia in modern terms. This connection highlights the spread of Noah's descendants into Africa, emphasizing the fulfillment of God's command to "fill the earth" (Genesis 9:1). The mention of Cush here sets the stage for the introduction of his notable offspring, Nimrod, and underscores the genealogical and geographical expansion of humanity post-Flood.

was the father of Nimrod
The phrase "was the father of" indicates a direct lineage, emphasizing the importance of genealogies in the Bible. Nimrod, whose name in Hebrew (נִמְרוֹד) is often associated with rebellion or valiant, is a significant figure. His introduction here marks the beginning of a narrative about human ambition and the establishment of early civilizations. Nimrod's lineage from Cush, a son of Ham, places him within the context of the post-Flood world, where the descendants of Noah's sons spread out and established various nations and cultures.

who began to be
This phrase suggests the initiation of a new role or status. In the context of Nimrod, it indicates the start of his rise to prominence. The Hebrew root for "began" (הֵחֵל) can imply a commencement of an action or state, highlighting Nimrod's emergence as a significant figure in the ancient world. This beginning marks a shift in the narrative from mere genealogical records to the actions and influence of individuals.

a mighty one
The term "mighty one" (גִּבּוֹר) in Hebrew conveys strength, power, and heroism. Nimrod is described as a "gibbor," which can denote a warrior or a person of great influence and authority. This description sets Nimrod apart as a leader and a figure of considerable impact. In a broader biblical context, "gibbor" is used to describe warriors, heroes, and even God Himself (as in Isaiah 9:6, "Mighty God"). Nimrod's might is thus both physical and political, suggesting his role in shaping early human societies.

on the earth
The phrase "on the earth" situates Nimrod's influence within the broader context of the world. It underscores the geographical and cultural impact of his actions. The Hebrew word for "earth" (אֶרֶץ) can refer to land, territory, or the entire world, emphasizing the extent of Nimrod's reach. This phrase also serves as a reminder of the post-Flood mandate for humanity to spread across the earth, with Nimrod's account illustrating both the fulfillment and the complexities of that divine command.

(8) Cush begat Nimrod.--This does not mean that Nimrod was the son of Cush, but only that Cush was his ancestor. In the days of Nimrod population had become numerous, and whereas each tribe and family had hitherto lived in independence, subject only to the authority of the natural head, he was able, by his personal vigour, to reduce several tribes to obedience, to prevail upon them to build and inhabit cities, and to consolidate them into one body politic.

He began to be a mighty one.--Heb., gibbor= warrior. (See Note on Genesis 6:4.) The LXX. translate giant, whence in fable Nimrod is identified with the Orion of the Greeks, in Hebrew Chesil, and in Arabic Jabbar; but this identification is entirely fanciful, as is probably the idea that he is the Izdubar of the Chaldean legends (Chald. Genesis, p. 321). Following the unscholarlike method of explaining Hamite names by Hebrew roots, commentators interpret Nimrod as meaning rebel; but the Biblical narrative speaks rather in his commendation, and the foolish traditions which blacken his reputation date only from the time of Josephus. Mr. Sayce connects his name with the Accadian town Amarda (Chald. Gen., p. 191).

Verse 8. - And Cush begat - not necessarily as immediate progenitor, any ancestor being in Hebrew styled a father - Nimrod; the rebel, from maradh, to rebel; the name of a person, not of a people; - Namuret in ancient Egyptian. Though not one of the great ethnic heads, he is introduced into the register of nations as the founder of imperialism. Under him society passed from the patriarchal condition, in which each separate clan or tribe owns the sway of its natural head, into that (more abject or more civilized according as it is viewed) in which many different clans or tribes recognize the sway of one who is not their natural head, but has acquired his ascendancy and dominion by conquest. This is the principle of monarchism. Eastern tradition has painted Nimrod as a gigantic oppressor of the people's liberties and an impious rebel-against the Divine authority. Josephus credits him with having instigated the building of the tower of Babel. He has been identified with the Orion of the Greeks. Scripture may seem to convey a bad impression of Nimrod, but it does not sanction the absurdities of Oriental legend. He began to be a mighty one - Gibbor (vide Genesis 6:4); what he had been previously being expressed in ver. 5 - in the earth. Not ἐπι τῆς γῆς (LXX.), as if pointing to his gigantic stature, but either among men generally, with reference to his widespread fame, or perhaps better "in the land where he dwelt, which was not Babel, but Arabia (vide ver. 6).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
And Cush
וְכ֖וּשׁ (wə·ḵūš)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3568: A son of Ham, also his descendants, also a land in the southern Nile Valley

was the father of
יָלַ֣ד (yā·laḏ)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3205: To bear young, to beget, medically, to act as midwife, to show lineage

Nimrod,
נִמְרֹ֑ד (nim·rōḏ)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 5248: Nimrod -- a son of Cush and founder of the Babylonian kingdom

who
ה֣וּא (hū)
Pronoun - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1931: He, self, the same, this, that, as, are

grew
הֵחֵ֔ל (hê·ḥêl)
Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 2490: To bore, to wound, to dissolve, to profane, to break, to begin, to play

to be
לִֽהְי֥וֹת (lih·yō·wṯ)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

a mighty warrior
גִּבֹּ֖ר (gib·bōr)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 1368: Powerful, warrior, tyrant

on the earth.
בָּאָֽרֶץ׃ (bā·’ā·reṣ)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 776: Earth, land


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OT Law: Genesis 10:8 Cush became the father of Nimrod (Gen. Ge Gn)
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