1 Now these are the records of the generations of Shem, Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah; and sons were born to them after the flood.
2 The sons of Japheth were Gomer and Magog and Madai and Javan and Tubal and Meshech and Tiras. 3 The sons of Gomer were Ashkenaz and Riphath and Togarmah. 4 The sons of Javan were Elishah and Tarshish, Kittim and Dodanim. 5 From these the coastlands of the nations were separated into their lands, every one according to his language, according to their families, into their nations.
6 The sons of Ham were Cush and Mizraim and Put and Canaan. 7 The sons of Cush were Seba and Havilah and Sabtah and Raamah and Sabteca; and the sons of Raamah were Sheba and Dedan. 8 Now Cush became the father of Nimrod; he became a mighty one on the earth. 9 He was a mighty hunter before the LORD; therefore it is said, “Like Nimrod a mighty hunter before the LORD.” 10 The beginning of his kingdom was 1Babel and Erech and Accad and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. 11 From that land he went forth into Assyria, and built Nineveh and Rehoboth-Ir and Calah, 12 and Resen between Nineveh and Calah; that is the great city. 13 Mizraim became the father of Ludim and Anamim and Lehabim and Naphtuhim 14 and Pathrusim and Casluhim (from which came the Philistines) and Caphtorim.
Of course, Nimrod is the one who stands out here. He is said to be a mighty hunter, and then it adds ‘before the Lord’. I always had thought it meant that in a good way, but after a little bit of research, it is said to imply ‘in the face of the Lord’, or ‘in defiance of the Lord’. Being a powerful man, Nimrod became obsessed with power, and started the first kingdom, and built many cities. It is thought that he was the one who started the building of the tower of Babel. There are various other evils attached to his name by other sources. This seems a little surprising, since he was the great-grandson of Noah. One would think there would be a little more fear of God in him. Instead, he urged people to cast off that fear, and worship Nimrod the King instead. It becomes plainer, then, why we call a foolish person a ‘nimrod’. Don’t be a nimrod, obsessed with power and fame. Worship God, and He’ll take care of the rest.