Discovery BoxGenesis 10:9-11 
Context10:9 He was a mighty hunter 1 before the Lord. 2 (That is why it is said, “Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before the Lord.”) 10:10 The primary regions 3 of his kingdom were Babel, 4 Erech, 5 Akkad, 6 and Calneh 7 in the land of Shinar. 8 10:11 From that land he went 9 to Assyria, 10 where he built Nineveh, 11 Rehoboth-Ir, 12 Calah, 13
1 tn The Hebrew word for “hunt” is צַיִד (tsayid), which is used on occasion for hunting men (1 Sam 24:12; Jer 16:16; Lam 3:15).
2 tn Another option is to take the divine name here, לִפְנֵי יִהוָה (lifne yÿhvah, “before the
3 tn Heb “beginning.” E. A. Speiser, Genesis (AB), 67, suggests “mainstays,” citing Jer 49:35 as another text where the Hebrew noun is so used.
4 tn Or “Babylon.”
5 sn Erech (ancient Uruk, modern Warka), one of the most ancient civilizations, was located southeast of Babylon.
6 sn Akkad, or ancient Agade, was associated with Sargon and located north of Babylon.
7 tn No such place is known in Shinar (i.e., Babylonia). Therefore some have translated the Hebrew term כַלְנֵה (khalneh) as “all of them,” referring to the three previous names (cf. NRSV).
8 sn Shinar is another name for Babylonia.
9 tn The subject of the verb translated “went” is probably still Nimrod. However, it has also been interpreted that “Ashur went,” referring to a derivative power.
10 tn Heb “Asshur.”
11 sn Nineveh was an ancient Assyrian city situated on the Tigris River.
12 sn The name Rehoboth-Ir means “and broad streets of a city,” perhaps referring to a suburb of Nineveh.
13 sn Calah (modern Nimrud) was located twenty miles north of Nineveh.
