Who was Elam in the Bible?
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). Elam appears in 18 verses across 7 books of the Bible.
The Bible uses the name Elam for 2 different people. All 2 are below, each with its own passages.
Elam in Jeremiah
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.
Definition text: STEPBible · Tyndale House Cambridge. Licensed CC BY 4.0. Lightly edited for length and formatting.
Compiled by Protos: the verse list on this page. Where one name belongs to more than one person or place, each of them gets a separate entry.
Elam in Ezra
Elam is mentioned in Ezr.2.7,31; 8.7; 10.26; and Neh.7.12,34 as the ancestor of a group of Jewish exiles who returned to Jerusalem from Babylon. In Ezr.2.7 and Neh.7.12, the descendants of Elam are listed among the exiles who returned with Zerubbabel. Ezr.8.7 records that some of the descendants of Elam also returned with Ezra. In Ezr.10.2,26, some of the descendants of Elam are mentioned among those who had married foreign women and pledged to put them away. The repeated mentions of Elam's descendants suggest they were a significant family group among the returning exiles.
6 verses: Ezra 2:7, Ezra 2:31, Ezra 8:7, Ezra 10:26, Nehemiah 7:12, Nehemiah 7:34
Definition text: STEPBible · Tyndale House Cambridge. Licensed CC BY 4.0. Lightly edited for length and formatting.
Where does Elam appear in the Bible?
Elam is referenced in 18 verses across 7 books. Every passage below is about this one, not just every verse the word turns up in.
- Daniel 8:2
- Ezekiel 32:24
- Genesis 14:9
- Isaiah 21:2
- Isaiah 22:6
- Jeremiah 25:25
- Jeremiah 49:34
- Jeremiah 49:35
- Jeremiah 49:36
- Jeremiah 49:37
- Jeremiah 49:38
- Jeremiah 49:39
Showing the first 12 of 18.
Open all 18 references in ProtosWhat else appears in these passages?
These turn up in the same passages as Elam.
Common questions
How many people in the Bible are called Elam?
Elam refers to 2 different people in the Bible: Elam in Jeremiah; Elam in Ezra.
How many times does the Bible mention Elam?
Elam appears in 18 verses across 7 books, most often in Jeremiah, which accounts for 7 of them.
Which books of the Bible mention Elam?
Jeremiah, Ezra, Isaiah, Nehemiah, Daniel, Ezekiel, Genesis.
Where can I read every verse about Elam?
This page lists 12 of them. Protos carries all 18, and opens this entry on the verse you are reading rather than in a separate tab.
