Jeremiah 49:34

34 The word of the Lord that was made to Jeremy, the prophet, against Elam, in the beginning of the realm of Zedekiah, king of Judah, and said, (The word of the Lord that was made to the prophet Jeremiah, about Elam, at the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah, the king of Judah, and said,)

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:

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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 And the camels of them shall be into ravishing, and the multitude of their beasts into prey; and I shall scatter them into each wind, (they) that be beclipped on the long hair, and by each coast of them I shall bring perishing on them, saith the Lord. (And their camels shall be for robbing, and the multitude of their beasts for prey; and I shall scatter them into each wind, they who have clipped their long hair, and I shall bring perishing upon them on each of their coasts, saith the Lord.)

33 And Hazor shall be into a dwelling place of dragons; it shall be forsaken till into without end; a man shall not dwell there, neither the son of (a) man shall inhabit it. (And Hazor shall be a dwelling place for dragons, or for jackals; it shall be deserted forever; no one shall live there, and no one shall inhabit it.)

34 The word of the Lord that was made to Jeremy, the prophet, against Elam, in the beginning of the realm of Zedekiah, king of Judah, and said, (The word of the Lord that was made to the prophet Jeremiah, about Elam, at the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah, the king of Judah, and said,)

35 The Lord of hosts, God of Israel, saith these things, Lo! I shall break the bow of Elam, and I shall take the strength of them (and I shall take away their strength).

36 And I shall bring on Elam four winds, from [the] four coasts of heaven, and I shall winnow them into all these winds, and no folk shall be, to whom the fleers of Elam shall not come. (And I shall bring on Elam the four winds, from the four corners of the heavens, and I shall winnow them into all of these winds, and there shall be no nation, to whom the fleers from Elam shall not come.)