⁸Cush was the father^c of Nimrod,^x who became a mighty warrior on the earth. ⁹He was a mighty^y hunter^z before the Lord; that is why it is said, “Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before the Lord.” ¹⁰The first centers of his kingdom were Babylon,^a Uruk,^b Akkad and Kalneh,^c in^d Shinar.^e^d ¹¹From that land he went to Assyria,^e where he built Nineveh,^f Rehoboth Ir,^f Calah ¹²and Resen, which is between Nineveh and Calah—which is the great city.

Read in Logos

Footnotes

cFather may mean ancestor or predecessor or founder; also in verses 13, 15, 24 and 26.
dOr Uruk and Akkad—all of them in
eThat is, Babylonia
fOr Nineveh with its city squares

Cross references

p 2 Ki 19:9; 2 Ch 12:3; 16:8; Isa 11:11; 18:1; 20:3; 43:3; Jer 46:9; Eze 30:4, 9; 38:5; Na 3:9; Zep 2:12; 3:10
q Eze 27:10; 38:5
rSee Ge 9:18
s Isa 43:3
tSee Ge 2:11
u Eze 27:22
v Ge 25:3; 1 Ki 10:1; 2 Ch 9:1; Job 1:15; 6:19; 16:11; Ps 72:10, 15; Isa 60:6; Jer 6:20; Eze 27:22; 38:13; Joel 3:8
w 1 Ch 1:32; Isa 21:13; Jer 25:23–24; 49:8; Eze 27:15, 20; 38:13
x Mic 5:6
y 2 Ch 14:9; 16:8; Isa 18:2
z Ge 25:27; 27:3
a Ge 11:9; 2 Ch 36:17; Isa 13:1; 47:1; Jer 21:2; 25:12; 50:1
b Ezr 4:9
c Isa 10:9; Am 6:2
d Ge 11:2; 14:1; Zec 5:11
e Ps 83:8; Mic 5:6
f 2 Ki 19:36; Isa 37:37; Jnh 1:2; 3:2, 3; 4:11; Na 1:1; Zep 2:13

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

The sons of Ham: Cush, Egypt, Put, and Canaan. The sons of Cush: Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca. The sons of Raamah: Sheba and Dedan. Cush fathered Nimrod; he was the first on earth to be a mighty man. He was a mighty hunter before the Lord. Therefore it is said, “Like Nimrod a mighty hunter before the Lord.” The beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. From that land he went into Assyria and built Nineveh, Rehoboth-Ir, Calah, and Resen between Nineveh and Calah; that is the great city.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

Ham’s sons: Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan. Cush’s sons: Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca. And Raamah’s sons: Sheba and Dedan.

Cush fathered Nimrod, who began to be powerful in the land. 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.” His kingdom started with Babylon, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. From that land he went to Assyria and built Nineveh, Rehoboth-ir, Calah, and Resen, between Nineveh and the great city Calah.

NLTNew Living Translation

The descendants of Ham were Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan.

The descendants of Cush were Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca. The descendants of Raamah were Sheba and Dedan.

Cush was also the ancestor of Nimrod, who was the first heroic warrior on earth. 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.” He built his kingdom in the land of Babylonia, with the cities of Babylon, Erech, Akkad, and Calneh. From there he expanded his territory to Assyria, building the cities of Nineveh, Rehoboth-ir, Calah, and Resen (the great city located between Nineveh and Calah).

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

And the sons of Ham: Cush, Egypt, Put, and Canaan. And the sons of Cush: Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca. The sons of Raamah: Sheba and Dedan. And Cush fathered Nimrod. He was the first on earth to be a mighty warrior. He was a mighty hunter before Yahweh. Therefore it was said, “Like Nimrod a mighty hunter before Yahweh.” Now, the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Akkad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. From that land he went out to Assyria, and he built Nineveh, Rehoboth-Ir, Calah, Resen between Nineveh and Calah; that is the great city.

KJV 1900King James Version

And the sons of Ham; Cush, and Mizraim, and Phut, and Canaan. And the sons of Cush; Seba, and Havilah, and Sabtah, and Raamah, and Sabtecha: and the sons of Raamah; Sheba, and Dedan. 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. And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. Out of that land went forth Asshur, and builded Nineveh, and the city Rehoboth, and Calah, And Resen between Nineveh and Calah: the same is a great city.

Public Domain