Thank you for the question on Nimrod, “Did the Bible say Nimrod worship Satan?”
As one reads it says this, “8 Cush was the father of Nimrod, who became a mighty warrior on the earth. 9 He was a mighty hunter before the LORD; that is why it is said, “Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before the LORD.” 10 The first centers of his kingdom were Babylon, Uruk, Akkad and Kalneh, in Shinar. 11 From that land he went to Assyria, where he built Nineveh, Rehoboth, Ir, Calah12 and Resen, which is between Nineveh and Calah—which is the great city” (A searchable online Bible in over 150 versions and 50 languages).
There is a tendency to associate Nimrod as an idolatry for he and his ancestors were associated with Babylon, Nineveh and Assyria. The other Biblical passages like Jonah Isaiah, Ezekiel and even Daniel refers to those nations as arrogant and idolatrous cities and nations. This is true of Nimrod’s ancestor, but was Nimrod himself an idol worshiper or a worship of Satan? Given him the benefit of doubt, I would like to suggest that it is unlikely that he was an idol worshiper or worshiper of Satan.
Here are my observations of the text:
A. Nimrod’s saw and met his great grandfather: Noah, his grandfather Ham, his father Cush as well as all his uncles and grand/great uncles (Gen. 10:10:1–8).
B. Nimrod heard the testimony of Noah and Cush of God’s judgment on the earth. Nimrod as as well as all his cousins and uncles heard the account of the Flood around the camp fire.
C. Nimrod saw evidence of the world flood as there weren’t other people in all the lands that he traveled. There weren’t cities with population but vast uninhabited lands. He had unrestricted access to the land before him.
D. Nimrod is known as the warrior among his family. He is called, gibbor” or skilled warrior. The text does not state that he led his family to conquer his relatives. He was able to overcome the challenges that came before as he and his children moved eastward in establishing cities. He is called a mighty warrior of the LORD. The term, of the LORD, is used twice in his description of him. It would infer that the LORD God recognized him as a mighty man who went forward to fill the earth.
As he moved eastward, his children heard less and less of the testimony of their grand parents of the Flood and the verbal recounting of it gradually became distorted. Nimrod heard from his parents and grandparents but his grandchildren may have questioned it or recounted it in their version. Nimrod became the legendary hunter of the family. What did he hunted is uncertain but it appears that he tamed the land that he wanted to build his city. It was his children and their descendants who began to idolized their father and his exploits.
Did Nimrod worship Satan? The biblical text is silent on that specific point. It is clear from history that his descendants worship idols. Would the worship of idols have anything to do with the worship of Satan? Indirectly it does for Satan seeks the allegiance and worship of man. Satan tempted Jesus to worship him so it is reasonable to say that Satan would want any person directly or indirectly to worship him over God.
SUMMARY: It is unlikely that Nimrod worship Satan since he had first hand testimony of the living Creator God from his parents to great grand parents.
-Kingston