Elam, an ancient nation east of Babylon, at times an ally and at times an enemy of Israel.
Also known as for ever · Elamite
Elam was an ancient kingdom located east of Babylonia in what is now southwestern Iran. The Elamites were descendants of Shem, son of Noah (Genesis 10:22). Chedorlaomer, king of Elam, was an ally of other Mesopotamian kings who fought against Sodom and Gomorrah and took Lot captive before being defeated by Abraham (Genesis 14:1-16).
The Elamites were skilled archers (Isaiah 22:6) and were sometimes allies of Israel's enemies. Elamite kings are mentioned in Assyrian records of campaigns against Judah. The prophets Isaiah (11:11, 21:2, 22:6) and Jeremiah (25:25, 49:34-39) foretold Elam's conquest by the Babylonians and Medes as part of God's judgment.
However, Jeremiah also prophesied Elam's restoration in the latter days (49:39). Some Elamites were present in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost (Act.2.9). Nehemiah's opponents included a man named Tobiah the Ammonite official and Geshem the Arab (Nehemiah 2:19, 6:1), possibly indicating alliances between Elam and Israel's neighbors. The references to Elam in Dan.8.2 suggest the province maintained some importance during the Persian period.
Approximate location: 32.189, 48.258 · view on a map · on the Bible atlas
E'LAM, a country peopled by the descendants of Shem, and called, after his son, Elam. Gen 10:22. It lay south of Assyria and west of Persia proper, and reached to the Persian Gulf. Herodotus called it Cissia. It was a province of Persia, of which Susa was capital. Ezr 4:9; Dan 3:2. History.-Elam was a strong power in Abram's time. Gen 14:9. Its people aided in the destruction of Babylon, Isa 21:2; invaded Israel, Isa 22:6. Its destruction was foretold. Jer 49:34-39; Jer 25:25; Eze 32:24-25. A remarkable statement illustrating the truth of the Scriptures in respect to Elam has lately been deciphered from Assyrian cylinders in the British Museum. Assur-banipal records, b.c. 668-626, "In my fifth expedition, to Elam I directed the march. ... I overwhelmed Elam through its extent. I cut off the head of Te-umman, their wicked king, who devised evil. Beyond number I slew his soldiers. . . . For a month and a day Elam to its utmost extent I swept." There are other records equally remarkable, but there is not space to quote them.
E'LAM, a country peopled by the descendants of Shem, and called, after his son, Elam. Gen 10:22. It lay south of Assyria and west of Persia proper, and reached to the Persian Gulf. Herodotus called it Cissia. It was a province of Persia, of which Susa was capital. Ezr 4:9; Dan 3:2. History.-Elam was a strong power in Abram's time. Gen 14:9. Its people aided in the destruction of Babylon, Isa 21:2; invaded Israel, Isa 22:6. Its destruction was foretold. Jer 49:34-39; Jer 25:25; Eze 32:24-25. A remarkable statement illustrating the truth of the Scriptures in respect to Elam has lately been deciphered from Assyrian cylinders in the British Museum. Assur-banipal records, b.c. 668-626, "In my fifth expedition, to Elam I directed the march. ... I overwhelmed Elam through its extent. I cut off the head of Te-umman, their wicked king, who devised evil. Beyond number I slew his soldiers. . . . For a month and a day Elam to its utmost extent I swept." There are other records equally remarkable, but there is not space to quote them.
Easton (1897), Smith (1863), Hitchcock (1869), Hastings (1898) and Schaff are in the public domain. Parsed text: neuu-org/bible-dictionary-dataset (CC BY 4.0). Headwords and whitespace normalised for this site.
16 verses in 7 books · English text: BSB (change it from the menu at the top) · Strong’s H5867
In those days Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim
against Chedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of Goiim, Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar—four kings against five.
From Rehum the commander, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their associates—the judges and officials over Tripolis, Persia, Erech and Babylon, the Elamites of Susa,
On that day the Lord will extend His hand a second time to recover the remnant of His people from Assyria, from Egypt, from Pathros, from Cush, from Elam, from Shinar, from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.
A dire vision is declared to me: “The traitor still betrays, and the destroyer still destroys. Go up, O Elam! Lay siege, O Media! I will put an end to all her groaning.”
Elam takes up a quiver, with chariots and horsemen, and Kir uncovers the shield.
all the kings of Zimri, Elam, and Media;
This is the word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning Elam at the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah.
This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Behold, I will shatter Elamʼs bow, the mainstay of their might.
I will bring the four winds against Elam from the four corners of the heavens, and I will scatter them to all these winds. There will not be a nation to which Elamʼs exiles will not go.
So I will shatter Elam before their foes, before those who seek their lives. I will bring disaster upon them, even My fierce anger,” declares the LORD. “I will send out the sword after them until I finish them off.
I will set My throne in Elam, and destroy its king and officials,” declares the LORD.
“Yet in the last days, I will restore Elam from captivity,” declares the LORD.
Elam is there with all her multitudes around her grave. All of them are slain, fallen by the sword— those who went down uncircumcised to the earth below, who once spread their terror in the land of the living. They bear their disgrace with those who descend to the Pit.
And in the vision I saw myself in the citadel of Susa, in the province of Elam. I saw in the vision that I was beside the Ulai Canal.
Parthians, Medes, and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,
Names, family links and references: STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). Short descriptions were drafted with AI assistance by STEPBible. Family links follow STEPBible’s scholarly decisions where genealogies are ambiguous.