Nimrod was the son of Cush, grandson of Ham, and the first kingdom-builder in Scripture, described as a mighty hunter before the LORD.
Genesis 10 names Nimrod in the post-flood genealogy of Noah's sons, making him a descendant of Ham. The Bible says the beginning of his kingdom was Babel in the land of Shinar. Les Feldick goes further and teaches that Nimrod was not a hunter of animals but a hunter of men and a totalitarian despot who led the rebellion at the Tower of Babel.
Genesis 10:8-10 — These verses directly identify Nimrod, his father Cush, his title as a mighty hunter before the LORD, and the beginning of his kingdom at Babel.
Genesis 10 places Nimrod in the family line that came through Noah's son Ham. Verse 6 lists the sons of Ham: "And the sons of Ham; Cush, and Mizraim, and Phut, and Canaan." Verse 8 then says, "And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth." So Nimrod was Cush's son, making him a great-grandson of Noah. Verse 9 gives his memorable description: "He was a mighty hunter before the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD." Verse 10 describes the beginning of his kingdom: "And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar." The Bible does not, in this passage, explain his motives or call him a tyrant; those terms come from Les Feldick's teaching. The name Babel is later connected to the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11:9, where "the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth," although that chapter does not mention Nimrod by name.
Les Feldick picks up the short biblical notice of Nimrod and expands on it. He points to Genesis 10:8 to show that Cush, a son of Ham, was the father of Nimrod (Clip 0). In Les's teaching, Nimrod is the one man under whom humanity gathered at the Tower of Babel in "total rebellion against what God had instructed to scatter and to repopulate the planet" (Clips 1, 2, 4). Les says Nimrod "was not just the hunter of animals, he was the hunter of men" and calls him "the first world's totalitarian despot" (Clip 5). He also teaches that the Tower of Babel was not an actual attempt to build a tower to heaven but "a place of religion whereby they could literally usurp the throne of God religiously" (Clip 1), and that all idolatry, paganism, mythology, and occultic religion have their roots at Babel under Nimrod (Clips 2, 3, 4). These are Les's interpretations; the biblical text itself does not use those words.
In the KJV, Genesis 10:9 calls Nimrod "a mighty hunter before the LORD," but it does not specify what he hunted. Les Feldick addresses this directly: Nimrod "was not just the hunter of animals, he was the hunter of men" (Clip 5). Les describes him as the first world's totalitarian despot who brought people together under his control at Babel. So the Bible records the title "mighty hunter"; Les interprets that hunting as the pursuit and domination of people rather than wildlife.
Scripture says, "And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel... in the land of Shinar" (Genesis 10:10). Les places this at the Tower of Babel in the plain of Shinar, in Mesopotamia on the Euphrates (Clips 2, 3). Instead of scattering as God instructed, the people stayed together "under Nimrod" at Babel (Clips 1, 4). Thus Nimrod's kingdom and the Tower of Babel are connected in Les's teaching, and Babel is the beginning of Nimrod's rule in the biblical text.
The Bible does not name Nimrod as the builder of the Tower of Babel; Genesis 11 simply says "they" built a tower and a city, and God scattered them from Babel (Genesis 11:1-9). Les Feldick, however, specifically says the people "gather at the tower of Babel under one man called Nimrod" and that he was setting up a religion there (Clips 1, 5). So the direct biblical record does not say Nimrod built it, but Les identifies him as the central human figure behind the Babel rebellion.
Les teaches that at the Tower of Babel under Nimrod, "all idolatry, all paganism" has its roots, and all Eastern religions, idolatry, and mythology began there (Clips 2, 4). He says the tower was "a place of religion whereby they could literally usurp the throne of God religiously" (Clip 1) and that Satan, the god of this world, instituted all pagan and mythological religions under Nimrod (Clip 3). This is Les's teaching; the Genesis text itself does not make those statements about Nimrod.
Nimrod's Place in Ham's Line
Les identifies Nimrod from Genesis 10:8 as the son of Cush, who was a son of Ham, so readers can place Nimrod in the post-flood genealogy.
Nimrod and the Rebellion at Babel
Les teaches that the people gathered at the Tower of Babel under Nimrod in total rebellion against God, and that the tower represented a religious attempt to usurp God's throne.
Babel as the Beginning of Pagan Religion
Les says that under Nimrod at the Tower of Babel, all pagan and idolatrous religions had their beginning; the people refused to scatter as God had commanded.
Satan's Work Through Nimrod
Les says that under Nimrod, Satan instituted all pagan and mythological religions at the Tower of Babel, within the interval between Noah and Abraham.
Humanity Unified Under Nimrod
Les says that instead of scattering, the people were united under Nimrod at the Tower of Babel, and there all idolatry and occultic religion have their roots.
Nimrod as Hunter of Men and Despot
Les explicitly clarifies that Nimrod was not a hunter of animals but "the hunter of men" and the first world's totalitarian despot, who established a religious system at Babel.
The Lost Ten Tribes of Israel — What the Bible Really Says
Finally, he said, after losing all those servants, well, maybe if I send my son, they'll listen to him. And so he sent his son. And what did the keepers of the vineyard do to his son? They killed him. Now, of course, what was the parable talking about? God dealing with Israel. And so when he sent the prophets into Israel, what'd they do with them? They killed them. Finally, he sent his son.
Why God Destroyed the Earth with a Flood (Genesis 6 Explained)
And so here again, even though the human race, for the most part, has totally turned against God, they have put Him out of their life, yet we've got this man, Noah, to whom God could extend His grace. Then verse 9, "...these are the generations of Noah." Remember, Noah comes out of the line of Shem, and Seth, I'm sorry, out of Seth and then later Shem. These are the generations of Noah.
Genesis 10:6: And the sons of Ham; Cush, and Mizraim, and Phut, and Canaan.
This lists Cush among Ham's sons, making Cush Nimrod's father and Ham his grandfather.
Genesis 10:8: And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth.
This is the first time Nimrod is named; it identifies him as Cush's son and calls him a mighty one.
Genesis 10:9: He was a mighty hunter before the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD.
This is the famous description of Nimrod as a mighty hunter before the LORD; Les reinterprets this as hunting men.
Genesis 10:10: And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.
This verse names Babel as the beginning of Nimrod's kingdom, the same location associated with the Tower of Babel.
Genesis 11:9: Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.
This verse describes God confounding the language at Babel; it does not mention Nimrod, but Les associates the tower with him.
The Bible only calls him "a mighty hunter before the LORD" (Genesis 10:9); it does not say what he hunted. Les Feldick teaches that Nimrod was not a hunter of animals but a hunter of men.
The Bible says the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh in the land of Shinar. Les places this at the Tower of Babel in Mesopotamia, where the people had gathered in rebellion instead of scattering.
The Bible does not explicitly say Nimrod built the Tower of Babel. Les Feldick teaches that the people gathered at the tower under Nimrod, and that Nimrod was setting up a religious system there.
Watch the Teaching: Understanding the Tower of Babel: Genesis 9-11 Explained