Jeremiah 49:34

34 God's Message to the prophet Jeremiah on Elam at the outset of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah.

Jeremiah 49:34 Meaning and Commentary

Jeremiah 49:34

The word of the Lord that came unto Jeremiah the prophet
against Elam
The Persians, as it is commonly understood, who descended from Elam the son of Shem, ( Genesis 10:22 ) ; according to Josephus {w}; but rather the country of Elymais is here designed; which, though in the times of Cyrus, was added to, and made a part of, the Persian empire, yet was a country distinct both from Persia and Media; and as such is spoken of by Pliny F24; though as near unto Persia, and bordering on Media; according to Stephanus F25, the Elymaites were a country that belonged to the Assyrians; and so Strabo F1 places the Elymaeans in Aturia or Assyria; and it seems very manifest that Elam served under Sennacherib, king of Assyria, when he besieged Jerusalem, ( Isaiah 22:6 ) ; and afterwards fell into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and became subject to him, which is the calamity here threatened them; for certain it is, that, in Belshazzar's time, Shushan in Elam was the royal seat of the kings of Babylon, ( Daniel 8:2 ) ; now this prophecy against Elam was delivered out in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah;
perhaps in the first year of his reign, ten or eleven years before the destruction of Jerusalem; how long before it had its accomplishment is not certain: saying:
as follows:


FOOTNOTES:

F23 Antiqu. l. 1. c. 6. sect. 4.
F24 Nat. Hist. l. 6. c. 25, 26, 27.
F25 De urbibus apud Cocceium in loc.
F1 Geograph. l. 16. in principio, 507.

Jeremiah 49:34 In-Context

32 Their camels are there for the taking, their herds and flocks, easy picking. I'll scatter them to the four winds, these defenseless nomads on the fringes of the desert. I'll bring terror from every direction. They won't know what hit them." God's Decree.
33 "Jackals will take over the camps of Hazor, camps abandoned to wind and sand. No one will live there, no mortal soul move in there." The Winds Will Blow Away Elam
34 God's Message to the prophet Jeremiah on Elam at the outset of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah.
35 This is what God-of-the-Angel-Armies says: "Watch this! I'll break Elam's bow, her weapon of choice, across my knee.
36 Then I'll let four winds loose on Elam, winds from the four corners of earth. I'll blow them away in all directions, landing homeless Elamites in every country on earth.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.