Jeremiah 49:36 kjv
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.
Jeremiah 49:36 nkjv
Against Elam I will bring the four winds From the four quarters of heaven, And scatter them toward all those winds; There shall be no nations where the outcasts of Elam will not go.
Jeremiah 49:36 niv
I will bring against Elam the four winds from the four quarters of heaven; I will scatter them to the four winds, and there will not be a nation where Elam's exiles do not go.
Jeremiah 49:36 esv
And I will bring upon Elam the four winds from the four quarters of heaven. And I will scatter them to all those winds, and there shall be no nation to which those driven out of Elam shall not come.
Jeremiah 49:36 nlt
I will bring enemies from all directions,
and I will scatter the people of Elam to the four winds.
They will be exiled to countries around the world.
Jeremiah 49 36 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jer 49:34 | Thus says the LORD of hosts: Behold, I am breaking the bow of Elam, the chief of their might. | Divine judgment against Elam |
| Jer 49:35 | Behold, I will bring against Elam the four winds from the four corners of the heavens, and scatter them east, west, north, and south. | Judgment involving dispersion |
| Jer 49:37 | For I will cause them to be dismayed before their enemies and before those who seek their life. I will bring upon them my fierce anger, declares the LORD, and I will send after them the sword, until I consume them. | Yahweh's active involvement in judgment |
| Jer 50:9 | For behold, I will stir up and bring against Babylon a company of great nations from the north country. And they shall array themselves against her. From there she shall be captured. Their arrows will be like a skilled warrior’s; none shall return in vain. | Judgment by foreign nations |
| Jer 50:21 | Against the land of Merathaim, against its inhabitants, against the inhabitants of Pekod. Slay and devote to destruction all that belongs to them, declares the LORD, and do not spare them. Annihilates all their army. | Comprehensive destruction |
| Jer 50:41 | Behold, a people is coming from the north; a great nation and many kings will be stirred up from the ends of the earth. | Nations rising for judgment |
| Jer 51:46 | Do not let your heart faint, or be dismayed because of the report in the land, for the report comes in one year, and afterward another report in the next year, and violence is in the land, ruling nation against nation. | Dealing with societal upheaval |
| Isa 22:6 | Elam bore the quiver with chariots and horsemen, and Kir uncovered the shields. | Elam as an archer nation |
| Isa 34:5-6 | For my sword has been given a thorough soaking in the heavens; it will descend upon Edom, upon the people I have utterly condemned to judgment. The sword of the LORD is glutted with blood; it is made thick with fat, with the blood of lambs and goats, with the fat of the kidneys of rams. For the LORD has a sacrifice in Bozrah, a great slaughter in the land of Edom. | Divine sacrifice imagery in judgment |
| Ezk 25:12 | Thus says the Lord GOD: Because Edom acted vengefully against the house of Judah, and incurred grievous guilt by so doing, | Vengeful actions leading to judgment |
| Ezk 35:5 | Because you harbored perpetual enmity, and when the Israelites fell by the calamity of their final hour, you then became their enemies, | Perpetual enmity leading to judgment |
| Acts 2:17 | “And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams | Scattering and prophetic fulfillment |
| 1 Pet 4:17 | For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? | Judgment beginning with believers |
| Rev 18:24 | and in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all who were slain on earth. | Violence found within a nation |
| Ps 7:15-16 | He makes a pit, and digs it out, and falls into the ditch that he has made. His trouble shall return upon his own head, and on his own forehead his violence shall come down. | Violence recoiling on perpetrators |
| Prov 5:22 | The iniquity of the wicked ensnares him, and in the cords of his sin he is held. | Self-entrapment by sin |
| Nahum 3:18 | Your shepherds are asleep, O king of Assyria; your nobles lie slumbering. Your people are scattered on the mountains, and there is no one to gather them. | Scattered people due to judgment |
| Jer 52:25 | and took Jehoiachin from Jerusalem to Babylon, in the seventh year of his reign. | Royal exile |
| Dan 9:13 | Just as it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come upon us; yet we have not entreated the favor of the LORD our God, turning from our iniquities and gaining insight by your truth. | Ignoring disaster leads to increased judgment |
| Zech 10:10 | I will bring them back from the land of Egypt, and gather them from Assyria. And I will bring them into the land of Gilead and to Lebanon, until there is no room for them. | Divine gathering of scattered people |
Jeremiah 49 verses
Jeremiah 49 36 Meaning
The verse declares that Yahweh, the God of Israel, will bring utter destruction upon Elam, scattering its people and appointing a king over them in their dispersion. This judgment is a consequence of Elam's pride and past violence.
Jeremiah 49 36 Context
Jeremiah chapter 49 delivers prophecies of judgment against several surrounding nations, including Elam, Ammon, Edom, Damascus, Kedar, and Hazor. This chapter is part of a larger section in Jeremiah (chapters 46-51) that contains oracles against the nations. These prophecies often served to vindicate God's justice to Israel and Judah, showing that God judged not only His own people for disobedience but also other nations for their wickedness and opposition to His purposes.
Elam, historically an important kingdom to the southeast of Mesopotamia, was known for its military prowess, particularly its archers. Its strategic location and military strength likely led to pride and aggressive actions against its neighbors, including involvement in Babylonian campaigns. The "pride of its power" mentioned in the verse speaks to this arrogance and reliance on human might. The specific historical events leading to this oracle would have been related to Elam's geopolitical role in Jeremiah's time, likely tied to conflicts involving Babylon and its sphere of influence.
Jeremiah 49 36 Word Analysis
- “And I will bring”
- (Hebrew: וְהֵבֵאתִי, vəhēbēṯî) - First-person singular, future tense of the verb bôʾ (to come, bring). Signifies God’s active, intentional involvement in executing judgment.
- “upon Elam”
- (Hebrew: אֶל־עֵילָם, ʾel-ʿĒlām) - Elam is identified as the target of divine wrath. Historically, Elam was a significant ancient civilization east of Babylon.
- “the four winds”
- (Hebrew: אַרְבַּע־רוּח֛וֹת, ʾarbaʿ-rūḥôṯ) - Symbolizes comprehensive and universal dispersion. Winds are often used in Scripture to represent forces of judgment or swift divine action that scatter nations.
- “from the four quarters of the heavens”
- (Hebrew: מִן־אַרְבַּע־רָשִׁי “lū , “min-’arba‘- rəšī-tāyi“). “Quarters” or “corners” of the heavens refers to all directions – north, south, east, and west. This emphasizes the completeness of the scattering, leaving no place of refuge.
- “and scatter them”
- (Hebrew: וּזְרִיתִ֥י (ūzərîṯî) - First-person singular, future tense of zārah (to scatter, disperse). Reinforces the action of dispersion.
- “towards all these”
- (Hebrew: אֶל־כָּל־אֵ‘> , “’el-kôl-’ē“ llōt)- A general statement indicating that the dispersion will be into every direction, towards every nation or place.
- “nations”
- (Hebrew: הַגּוֹיִ֑ם (haggôyim) - Refers to the Gentile nations. The people of Elam will be scattered among all the nations of the earth.
- “and I will appoint”
- (Hebrew: וּנְתַתִּ֥י (ūṉəṯaṯî) - First-person singular, future tense of nāṯan (to give, set, appoint). Indicates God’s direct appointment of rulers over the scattered people.
- “a king over them”
- (Hebrew: מֶלֶךְ (mélēḵ) - King. This likely refers to foreign rulers or military leaders who will subjugate the scattered Elamites, emphasizing their loss of sovereignty.
- “even exiles of disaster.”
- (Hebrew: גְּלָוֹת (gəlôṯ) and אָ‘> , “’āsón”) - “Exiles” implies forced migration and loss of homeland. “Disaster” or “calamity” highlights the severe and destructive nature of the judgment that causes this exile.
Words Group Analysis:
- "bring... from the four corners of the heavens, and scatter them": This is a strong depiction of complete dispersal orchestrated by God. The "four winds" and "four quarters" are hyperbole emphasizing that no aspect of Elam's populace or territory will escape this judgment. It conveys total dismantling of their nation.
- "appoint a king over them, even exiles of disaster": This pairing emphasizes the humiliation and subjugation of Elam. The appointed "king" is not one of their own, but a ruler from the victorious, disaster-bringing nations. The exiles themselves are described as being of disaster, meaning they are the direct product and ongoing reality of God’s judgment.
Jeremiah 49 36 Bonus Section
The concept of "four winds" or "four corners" representing universality is a recurring motif in biblical literature, often employed to denote completeness in judgment or blessing. For instance, the scattering of Israel itself is sometimes described with similar imagery. However, here it is explicitly used to mark the thoroughness of divine judgment on a Gentile nation. The Elamites, who were formidable archers (as mentioned in Isaiah 22:6), found their own power ultimately rendered ineffective against the sovereign power of Yahweh. The appointed "king" could be a reference to the overarching Babylonian empire or subsequent empires that subjugated these peoples, symbolizing their utter loss of self-determination and national identity due to their disobedience and opposition to God's will or His people. The verse underlines that even powerful nations are subject to God’s decree and can be utterly dismantled and dispersed when He chooses to execute judgment.
Jeremiah 49 36 Commentary
Jeremiah 49:36 vividly portrays divine judgment as a comprehensive and absolute scattering. Elam, once a powerful kingdom, is declared to be dispersed in every direction by the "four winds" from the "four quarters of the heavens." This imagery signifies not just military defeat but a total dismantling of their national structure and a loss of homeland.
The verse further emphasizes their subjugation by stating that God will appoint a king over them – not a sovereign leader, but likely foreign oppressors who rule over the exiles. These scattered people are designated as "exiles of disaster," highlighting that their condition is a direct result of God's righteous judgment against their pride and violence. This oracle aligns with the broader prophetic theme of God’s sovereignty over all nations and His equitable judgment upon sin and injustice wherever it is found. It also echoes the scattering of God’s own people when they are unfaithful, but here it is applied to a foreign nation that has likely incurred God's wrath through its actions. The scattering foretold for Elam ultimately finds a broader theological echo in the dispersal of people and nations throughout history as God works out His purposes.