Charles Ellicott Commentary Jeremiah 49:34

"The word of Jehovah that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning Elam, in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, saying," — Jeremiah 49:34 (ASV)

The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet against Elam ... — It is noticeable that this is the only prophecy in Jeremiah 48 and 49 with a date attached to it. Assuming the date is correctly given, it indicates a time later than that of those that precede it, which probably belong to the group of predictions connected with Jeremiah 25:0.

However, many critics have maintained that the absence of Nebuchadnezzar's name (so prominent in Jeremiah’s predictions after the deportation of Jehoiachin) indicates an earlier rather than a later date. They further argue that the compiler of the prophecies was mistaken in thus fixing the time of its delivery. This inference is somewhat precarious, however, as this same fact is common to the prophecies against the Philistines, Moabites, Ammonites, and others that precede this one.

Elam, though commonly identified with Persia (Isaiah 21:2; Isaiah 22:6), appears to be used with a somewhat wider connotation for the tribes beyond the Tigris (Jeremiah 25:25). The tone of the prophecy seems to imply that Elam had been prominent among the enemies of the people of Jehovah , and this has led to the inference that they had taken part in the attack on Judah, as auxiliaries in the army of Nebuchadnezzar.

It is significant that the thought that Elam was to be the instrument of Jehovah for the destruction of Babylon (Isaiah 21:2)—and that out of Elam was to come the appointed deliverer of Israel—does not seem to have been present to the prophet’s mind. His horizon was, as it were, bounded for the time by the more immediate future.