Elam

Biblical Text

Elam appears several times in the Old Testament and once in the New Testament.

• Genesis 10:22: Elam is listed first among the sons of Shem (also 1 Chronicles 1:17).
• Genesis 14:1-17: Chedorlaomer king of Elam joined with several other kings to attack Sodom and Gomorrah and other cities. In this episode Abraham rescued Lot, who had been taken captive.
• Isaiah 11:11: Elam is among the places from which God will recover the remnant of His scattered people. Elam is also mentioned in Isaiah 21:2 and 22:6.
• Jeremiah 49:34-39: A prophecy concerning Elam given at the beginning of Zedekiah's reign. God declares that He will break "the bow of Elam, the chief of their might" and scatter its people, yet He also promises that "in the latter days" He will "bring again the captivity of Elam" (49:39).
• Ezekiel 32:24: Elam is among the nations that have been slain by the sword and gone down to the netherworld.
• Daniel 8:2: When Daniel saw the vision of the ram and the he-goat, he was "at Shushan in the palace, which is in the province of Elam," "by the river of Ulai."
• Ezra 4:9: Elamites are among the groups named in the letter of accusation written to halt the rebuilding of Jerusalem.
• Acts 2:9: "Elamites" are among those who heard the apostles speak in their own languages at Pentecost.

The "children of Elam" in Ezra 2:7, Nehemiah 7:12, and elsewhere are understood to refer to a person or family bearing the name rather than to the place.

Background

Elam was a region extending from the eastern edge of the Mesopotamian plain into the Zagros Mountains, with Shushan (Susa) and Anshan as its principal cities. The Elamite language is not Semitic, and it is generally regarded as having no established relationship to any other known language. Elam contended with the various Mesopotamian powers for centuries until it declined sharply after the Assyrian king Ashurbanipal captured Susa in the mid-seventh century BC. The region was later absorbed into Persia, and Susa became one of the royal capitals of the Persian kings (Nehemiah 1:1). Elamite continued to be used in administrative documents and inscriptions during the Persian period. The Elamites are said to have been renowned archers, and the language of Isaiah 22:6 and Jeremiah 49:35 is often explained in light of this reputation.

Significance in Scripture as a Whole

In the Old Testament, Elam is portrayed as a powerful nation far to the east of Israel, one of the nations subject to God's judgment and sovereignty. In Isaiah 21:2 it is summoned, together with Media, to go up against Babylon. At the same time, Isaiah 11:11 and Jeremiah 49:39 extend the promise of restoration and return to Elam as well. The Elamites of Acts 2:9 are understood to be Jews of the Dispersion living in that region, along with converts to Judaism (Acts 2:5, 10). The scene is read as showing that at the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost the gospel reached even people who had come from distant eastern lands.

Interpretive Issues

• Descent from Shem and language: Although Elamite is not a Semitic language, Genesis 10 lists Elam among the descendants of Shem. Some interpreters take this to mean that the Table of Nations in Genesis 10 reflects geographical and political relationships rather than linguistic descent. Others hold that it reflects an early period when Semitic peoples lived in the Elamite region.
• Chedorlaomer: Scholars have noted that the name resembles known Elamite names. However, this king cannot be identified in extrabiblical records, and scholars are divided over the historicity and dating of the account.
• The "latter days" of Jeremiah 49:39: Interpretations fall into three main lines. A historical interpretation sees the fulfillment in the renewed prominence of the land of Elam within the Persian Empire; another sees it in the Elamites of Acts 2:9; and a third regards it as an eschatological event not yet fulfilled. Some popular preaching and writing directly identifies Elam with modern Iran and applies the prophecy to current events, but the text itself makes no such claim.
• Daniel's location: Some read Daniel 8:2 as meaning that Daniel was physically present in Susa, while others take it to mean that he was there only in the vision.