John Gill 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 unto Jeremiah the prophet
against Elam
The Persians, as it is commonly understood, who descended from Elam the son of Shem, (Genesis 10:22) ; according to Josephus {w};

but rather the country of Elymais is here designed; which, though in the times of Cyrus, was added to, and made a part of, the Persian empire, yet was a country distinct both from Persia and Media; and as such is spoken of by Pliny ^F24 ; though as near unto Persia, and bordering on Media; according to Stephanus ^F25 , the Elymaites were a country that belonged to the Assyrians; and so Strabo ^F1 places the Elymaeans in Aturia or Assyria; and it seems very manifest that Elam served under Sennacherib, king of Assyria, when he besieged Jerusalem, (Isaiah 22:6) ;

and afterwards fell into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and became subject to him, which is the calamity here threatened them; for certain it is, that, in Belshazzar's time, Shushan in Elam was the royal seat of the kings of Babylon, (Daniel 8:2) ;

now this prophecy against Elam was delivered out in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah ; perhaps in the first year of his reign, ten or eleven years before the destruction of Jerusalem; how long before it had its accomplishment is not certain: saying : as follows:

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FOOTNOTES:

• F24: Nat. Hist. l. 6. c. 25, 26, 27.
• F25: De urbibus apud Cocceium in loc.
• F1: Geograph. l. 16. in principio, 507.