Charles Ellicott Commentary Genesis 10:8

"And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth." — Genesis 10:8 (ASV)

Cush begat Nimrod. —This does not mean that Nimrod was the son of Cush, but only that Cush was his ancestor. In the days of Nimrod, the population had become numerous. While each tribe and family had until then lived in independence, subject only to the authority of its natural head, he was able, by his personal vigor, to reduce several tribes to obedience, prevail upon them to build and inhabit cities, and consolidate them into one body politic.

He began to be a mighty one. —Hebrew, gibbor= warrior. (See Note on Genesis 6:4). The Septuagint translates it as giant. From this, in fable, Nimrod is identified with Orion of the Greeks (in Hebrew, Chesil, and in Arabic, Jabbar). However, this identification is entirely fanciful, as is probably the idea that he is the Izdubar of the Chaldean legends (Chald. Genesis, p. 321).

Following an unscholarly method of explaining Hamite names by Hebrew roots, commentators interpret Nimrod as meaning rebel. However, the biblical narrative speaks rather in his commendation, and the foolish traditions that blacken his reputation date only from the time of Josephus. Mr. Sayce connects his name with the Accadian town Amarda (Chald. Gen., p. 191).