Home › Glossary › Letter N

Nimrod

Biblical
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

Want to hear it? Click the Listen button to hear the browser speak the word using text-to-speech!

The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Biblical figure described as a mighty hunter and city-builder, traditionally linked to Babel and Assyrian imperial foundations (Genesis 10).

Detailed Definition
Nimrod, grandson of Ham, established kingdoms in Mesopotamia and is linked to the Tower of Babel (Genesis 10:8–12). In poetry, Nimrod embodies human ambition against divine order, the archetype of the tyrant-builder, and the tension between civilization and rebellion in early history.
Example
Example in poetry:
In Genesis 10:8–9, Nimrod is “a mighty hunter before the Lord”—a phrase inspiring allegorical poetry about ambition; Dante places Nimrod in “Inferno” (Canto XXXI) as giant of Babel, symbolizing linguistic chaos; Milton references Nimrod in “Paradise Lost” as founder of rebellious cities; Contemporary verse uses Nimrod to explore hubris of empire-building; In apocalyptic poetry, Babel’s tower echoes Nimrod’s defiance; Educational poems cite Nimrod to teach about human pride and divine judgment.
Additional Notes
Nimrod, described in Genesis 10 as “a mighty hunter before the Lord,” is traditionally associated with founding Babel and opposing God; later Jewish and Christian traditions cast him as a tyrant; his ambiguous portrayal invites poetic exploration of power, rebellion, and the origins of human ambition.
Also Known As
Nimrod the Mighty Hunter Nimrod king of Shinar
Skip to main content