Jeremiah 49:36
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.
Original Language Analysis
יָב֥וֹא
shall not come
H935
יָב֥וֹא
shall not come
Strong's:
H935
Word #:
1 of 21
to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)
עֵולָֽם׃
And upon Elam
H5867
עֵולָֽם׃
And upon Elam
Strong's:
H5867
Word #:
3 of 21
elam, a son of shem and his descendants, with their country; also of six israelites
הָרֻח֣וֹת
them toward all those winds
H7307
הָרֻח֣וֹת
them toward all those winds
Strong's:
H7307
Word #:
5 of 21
wind; by resemblance breath, i.e., a sensible (or even violent) exhalation; figuratively, life, anger, unsubstantiality; by extension, a region of the
הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם
of heaven
H8064
הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם
of heaven
Strong's:
H8064
Word #:
8 of 21
the sky (as aloft; the dual perhaps alluding to the visible arch in which the clouds move, as well as to the higher ether where the celestial bodies r
וְזֵ֣רִתִ֔ים
and will scatter
H2219
וְזֵ֣רִתִ֔ים
and will scatter
Strong's:
H2219
Word #:
9 of 21
to toss about; by implication, to diffuse, winnow
לְכֹ֖ל
H3605
לְכֹ֖ל
Strong's:
H3605
Word #:
10 of 21
properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
הָרֻח֣וֹת
them toward all those winds
H7307
הָרֻח֣וֹת
them toward all those winds
Strong's:
H7307
Word #:
11 of 21
wind; by resemblance breath, i.e., a sensible (or even violent) exhalation; figuratively, life, anger, unsubstantiality; by extension, a region of the
וְלֹֽא
H3808
וְלֹֽא
Strong's:
H3808
Word #:
13 of 21
not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles
יִהְיֶ֣ה
H1961
יִהְיֶ֣ה
Strong's:
H1961
Word #:
14 of 21
to exist, i.e., be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)
הַגּ֔וֹי
and there shall be no nation
H1471
הַגּ֔וֹי
and there shall be no nation
Strong's:
H1471
Word #:
15 of 21
a foreign nation; hence, a gentile; also (figuratively) a troop of animals, or a flight of locusts
אֲשֶׁ֛ר
H834
אֲשֶׁ֛ר
Strong's:
H834
Word #:
16 of 21
who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc
לֹֽא
H3808
לֹֽא
Strong's:
H3808
Word #:
17 of 21
not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles
יָב֥וֹא
shall not come
H935
יָב֥וֹא
shall not come
Strong's:
H935
Word #:
18 of 21
to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)
שָׁ֖ם
H8033
Cross References
Jeremiah 49:32And their camels shall be a booty, and the multitude of their cattle a spoil: and I will scatter into all winds them that are in the utmost corners; and I will bring their calamity from all sides thereof, saith the LORD.Revelation 7:1And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.Jeremiah 30:17For I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds, saith the LORD; because they called thee an Outcast, saying, This is Zion, whom no man seeketh after.Amos 9:9For, lo, I will command, and I will sift the house of Israel among all nations, like as corn is sifted in a sieve, yet shall not the least grain fall upon the earth.Ezekiel 5:10Therefore the fathers shall eat the sons in the midst of thee, and the sons shall eat their fathers; and I will execute judgments in thee, and the whole remnant of thee will I scatter into all the winds.Daniel 8:8Therefore the he goat waxed very great: and when he was strong, the great horn was broken; and for it came up four notable ones toward the four winds of heaven.
Historical Context
Elamites appear scattered throughout Persian and Hellenistic periods. Acts 2:9 mentions Elamites among the Pentecost crowd, confirming Jewish-era diaspora. While Elam never regained political independence, Elamite language and people persisted in various regions, fulfilling this global scattering prophecy.
Questions for Reflection
- What does the 'four winds' imagery teach about the comprehensiveness and inescapability of God's judgments?
- How does Elam's scattering parallel Israel's exile, and what does this reveal about universal accountability to God?
- In what sense do even Gentile nations break 'covenant' and face covenant curses?
Related Resources
Explore related topics, people, and study resources to deepen your understanding of this passage.
Analysis & Commentary
And upon Elam will I bring the four winds from the four quarters of heaven (וְהֵבֵאתִי אֶל־עֵילָם אַרְבַּע רוּחוֹת מֵאַרְבַּע קְצוֹת הַשָּׁמַיִם, v'heveti el-Elam arba ruchot me'arba q'tsot hashamayim)—The four winds symbolize comprehensive, omnidirectional judgment from all compass points. God weaponizes cosmic forces against Elam. And will scatter them toward all those winds (וְזֵרִתִים לְכָל־הָרֻחוֹת, v'zeritim l'khol-haruchot)—dispersal to match the fourfold assault.
And there shall be no nation whither the outcasts of Elam shall not come (וְלֹא־יִהְיֶה הַגּוֹי אֲשֶׁר לֹא־יָבוֹא שָׁם נִדְּחֵי עֵילָם, v'lo-yihyeh haggoy asher lo-yavo sham niddechei Elam)—Elamite refugees will be globally dispersed, present in every nation. This scattering recalls Israel's diaspora (Deuteronomy 28:64) but applied to a Gentile nation, demonstrating that exile is God's universal judgment tool for covenant breakers—and Elam, like all nations, was accountable to creation covenant (Genesis 9).