Verses 8-12 are in a different style from the list of names so far given, and enter into a brief narrative report concerning the exploits of Nimrod as an individual hero.
Cush became the father of Nimrod is literally “Cush fathered Nimrod,” and Good News Translation says “Cush had a son named Nimrod.” Because Cush has other sons in verse 7, it may be necessary to say here “Cush also had a son named Nimrod.” The name Nimrod occurs only in these verses, aside from the parallel passage in 1 Chr 1.10, and in Micah 5.6. Nimrod has been linked with the Babylonian god Marduk, with one of the Babylonian kings, with the constellation Orion, with the Babylonian hero Gilgamesh, with the Babylonian god of war and the hunt, and with still others. However, there is no certainty in any of these associations.
He was the first on earth to be a mighty man translates what in the Hebrew is “he began to be a gibbor on earth,” where “began to be” has the sense of being the first one, as Noah was the first to plant a vineyard in 9.20. Gibbor or mighty man may be understood in terms of power, violence, masculinity, but in this context he displays his political or ruling power, and so “great conqueror” (Good News Translation) is appropriate. Speiser translates “potentate,” while Moffatt calls him a “despot,” meaning a cruel ruler who has absolute authority. Examples of how some other translations express this term are “strong chief” and “expert fighter, who with his people defeated other peoples.”
Mighty hunter translates gibbor plus the noun hunter. The sense of gibbor is more general here and can be rendered as “great, mighty, powerful.” Hunter refers to a person who seeks out and kills wild animals for food. The term is also used in 25.27 in reference to Esau. Before the LORD is idiomatic, and the sense is that the LORD cared for Nimrod as a hunter; so Good News Translation has “By the LORD’s help….” Bible en français courant says “in the eyes of the Lord,” and Biblia Dios Habla Hoy “By the will of the Lord.” All of these are suitable models.
Therefore it is said introduces the proverbial saying that follows. Good News Translation makes this introduction active: “and that is why people say….” We may also translate “and so people have the saying” or “therefore people use the proverb that says….”
Like Nimrod a mighty hunter is not the normal form for a proverb in English, and so Good News Translation has expressed it as a wish: “May the LORD make you….” Biblia Dios Habla Hoy says “From there comes the saying, ‘Just like Nimrod, who by the will of the Lord was a great hunter.’ ”
In some languages it will be necessary to indicate what the nature or purpose of the proverbial saying is, as well as to restructure the form of the saying. For instance, one translation says “So when people want to praise others they say, ‘This man is like Nimrod; the LORD made Nimrod strong and he became a great hunter.’ ” Another translation has “That’s why, up to the present day, people say, ‘[My prayer is] the LORD make you a great hunter, as Nimrod was before.’ ”
Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .