Why Amraphel Is Nimrod and the Days of Distress in Scripture

Amraphel — this is Nimrod. And why was his name called Amraphel? Because he said (amar) and cast down (hippil) Abraham into the fiery furnace. Another interpretation: because he had a dark saying. "And it came to pass in the days of Amraphel" — wherever it is said "and it came to pass in the days of," it is nothing but an expression of distress. "And it came to pass in the days of Amraphel" — they made war. "And it came to pass in the days when the judges judged" (Ruth 1:1) — there was a famine. "And it came to pass in the days of Ahaz" (Isaiah 7:1) — Rezin king of Aram came up. "And it came to pass in the days of Ahasuerus" (Esther 1:1) — Satan came among them and killed Vashti. "And it came to pass in the days of Jehoiakim" (Jeremiah 1:3) — he burned the scroll, "and there were added to it many like words."