What is the significance of Elam in the Bible?

Son of Shem. He settled in a highland district east of Babylonia, which became the seat of a powerful monarchy. The district was also called ELAM. Gen. 10:22; 1 Chr. 1:17. In the days of Abraham Chedorlaomer king of Elam was able to make war as far off as the Dead Sea. Gen. 14:1, 9. It subsequently became subject to the great power of the Chaldeans and Assyrians. When Assyria declined, Elam was conquered by its Persian neighbours, and reigned over by the Achaemenian Dynasty. Cyrus was king of Anshan, or Anzan (Elam) as well as of Persia: hence the close connection, and almost identification of Elam with Persia. In scripture Elam often designates Persia. In Isa. 21:2-10 Elam and Media were to destroy Babylon. It afterwards became a part of the Medo-Persian empire. Daniel was at Shushan, which was in the province of Elam. Under the name of Susiana, Elam is represented by the historians as one of the most ancient regions of the East. There are many prophecies against it. Isa. 11:11; Isa. 21:2; Isa. 22:6; Jer. 25:25; Jer. 49:34-39; Ezek. 32:24; Dan. 8:2.

Last of all we come to Shem's descendants in vers. 21-31, singularly described as father of all the sons of Eber, brother of Japheth the elder. Eber led the way through Peleg in due time to the father of the faithful. If Shem had not the natural priority over Japheth, he pre-eminently had the blessing, as Canaan the curse. Elam is the first named son, progenitor of those east of Persia proper, occupying the province of which Shushan or Susa was capital. It early rose to power, but faded before the energy of Assyria and Babylon, till with Persia and Media it shared the power of the second world-kingdom. Arphaxad will find his developed place in Gen. 11. The Lydians answer to Lud, and Syrians to Aram. Attention is drawn under Peleg to the significant fact of the earth divided in his day. And the list closes with Joktan and his sons who fill Arabia from S.W. to N.E. as the Ishmaelites, Keturahites, and Edomites distinguish the north and west. But of these we have no particulars till later in the book of Genesis, so that we speak here only of the fact in general.

"The sons of Shem, Elam, and Asshur, and Arpachshad, and Lud, and Aram" (ver. 22).

Elam, the first apparently in natural order, gave his name to that part of Khusistan, which the Greeks and Romans called Elymais, which had of old Shushan for its capital, of which we hear so much in the book of Esther (Esther 1:2, 5; Esther 2:3, 5, 8; Esther 3:15; Esther 4:16; Esther 8:14-15; Esther 9:11, 15, 18; as also in Neh. 1:1). There has been no little debate among men of learning on the precise locality, some contending (as Dean Vincent, Anc. Comm. i. 439) for Shuster on the Pasitigris or Kuran, others for Susan a good deal to the east of Shuster. But Mr. Loftus, following Sir W. F. Williams, appears to have set the question at rest in favour of Shush (to the north-west of Shuster), where only an immense mound of ruins remains of the once magnificent fortress and palace of the Persian monarchs, possessed before that by the king of Babylon, as Dan. 8:2 attests. There it was that the prophet saw the vision of the Persian ram, and the Greek or Macedonian he-goat, though some will have it that the prophet was only there in vision. It is known that Nabopolassar, father of Nebuchadnezzar, seized the land of Elam or Susiana, which succumbed afterwards to Cyrus; and Susa or Shushan became the regular residence of the Persian monarch for a part of the year. There is no reason to doubt that the excavations made in our day lay bare the plan, with certain remains of "the palaces," indicating a structure, with its dependent buildings, which occupied a square of 1,000 feet each way, in a massive style of architecture with fluted columns, and those in the outer groups with bases like an inverted lily (which Shushan means).

In the days of Abraham we hear of Chedorlaomer, king of Elam, with his three allies coming 2,000 miles to punish his vassal kings in the vale of Siddim: a plain proof of early power, though signally chastised by the father of the faithful. It seems that subsequently the Hamites, who earlier still rose to power in the east as well as south-west, gave the name of Cissim to this district, as Herodotus (v. 49) and Strabo let us know. They were Cossaei, and Cushites.

But it is of importance to mention that Elam joined the Medes to overthrow Babylon, as we see predicted in Isa. 21:2, the latter a Japhetic race, as the former was of Shem. In Jerusalem's day yet to come Elam will figure with its confederates against Jerusalem. For the mysterious succession here, as in Isa. 14, not applying to the past, looks on to the future, when the last Shebna shall give way to the anti-typical Eliakim, (Whom God has appointed). Yet we know also from the assured word of prophecy, that however ravaged in the past (Ezek. 32:24-25, and Jer. 49:34-38), Elam will have its captivity brought again in the latter days according to Jer. 49:39.

But the chapter closes with another. "The word of Jehovah that came to Jeremiah the prophet against Elam in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, saying, Thus says Jehovah of hosts; Behold, I will break the bow of Elam, the chief of their might. And upon Elam will I bring the four winds from the four quarters of heaven, and will scatter them toward all those winds; and there shall be no nation whither the outcasts of Elam shall not come. For I will cause Elam to be dismayed before their enemies, and before them that seek their life: and I will bring evil upon them, even my fierce anger, says Jehovah; and I will send the sword after them, till I have consumed them; and I will set my throne in Elam, and will destroy from thence the king and the princes, says Jehovah. But it shall come to pass in the latter days, that I will bring again the captivity of Elam, says Jehovah." (Ver. 34-39.) Here mercy rejoices at length against judgment. The portion of Elam did not interfere, like Philistia, Damascus or Hazor, with the due development reserved for Israel in the latter day; and God will show His goodness in behalf of Elam when the kingdom comes. To refer its fulfilment to Acts 2:9, as Calvin and others do, is only to show how little such men enter into either the old or the new.

The final prediction is as to Elam. Elam was east of South Babylonia and the lower Tigris, later known as Susians. This prophecy was given at the beginning of Zedekiah's reign. Elam became an ally of the Persian kingdom. Here her overthrow is foretold as well as her restoration "in the latter days."

In the rest of the chapter (vv. 23 to 39) we have pictured for us the judgment of DAMASCUS which is seized with fear and waxes feeble, also the overthrow of KEDAR by the king of Babylon, likewise the deliberated destruction of HAZOR, finally the smiting and scattering of ELAM. A special word was given to the prophet concerning Elam early in the reign of Zedekiah (v. 34). The first word to the nations is dated in the reign of Jehoiakim (Jer. 46:2). No reason is given for the smiting and scattering of Elam, but it is done in justice and judgment, for the Lord of hosts sets His throne there (v. 38). In the last verse is added a similar word to that which was said of Egypt, Moab, and Ammon, but not of the others: “In the latter days, I will bring again the captivity of Elam, says the Lord.” When Israel turns to the Lord and is delivered and established in her proper pre-eminence among the nations with our Lord Jesus Christ as her glorious King, then shall these broken nations be delivered also; reappearing according to God’s gracious promises they will form the national garden of Eden again, of which Ezekiel speaks, the paradise of administrative beauty and excellence of which Christ will be the honoured Centre. Babylon, the disputant of all this, must first be judged. Two whole chapters now follow regarding this very important competitor.

In Jeremiah 46 we have the denunciation of Egypt where these foolish Jews had fled for security, and the further denunciation of Philistia in Jeremiah 47. Then again of Moab (Jer.48): because all these countries were places to which the Jews looked for security. In Jeremiah 49 the judgment of the Ammonites is given with Damascus and others, even Elam. Elam differs from the rest in being at a considerable distance from Jerusalem, while the others were comparatively near.

These nations were all to fall under the power of Nebuchadnezzar; but some of them are to be restored in the latter day. Among these nations will be Elam, Egypt, Moab and Ammon, but not Philistia, not Damascus, not Hazor, and above all not Babylon, whose destruction is brought before us in chapters 1 and 51 in great detail.

King of Elam in the time of Abram. Gen. 14:1-17. In punishing some of his tributaries he carried away Lot, but was pursued by Abram and was apparently killed. The name of KHUDUR-LAGAMAR king of Elam, has been met with in the inscriptions, which is supposed to be the same as Chedorlaomer. He had subdued the five kings near the Dead Sea, some 700 miles across the desert, or 1000 by the Euphrates and traversing the land of Canaan. He returned by this latter route, for he was near Damascus when Abram overtook him.

Inhabitants of Elam, some of whom were located in Palestine. Ezra 4:9. Some of the same name, 550 years after, were present at Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost, but these were doubtless Jews from Elam. Acts 2:9.