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 49:36KJV
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Jeremiah 49:36 (KJV)

What does Jeremiah 49:36 mean?

Jeremiah 49:36 says that God will send powerful forces (“the four winds from the four quarters of heaven”) against Elam, scattering its people so widely that there will be no nation where Elam’s outcasts do not end up. This verse describes a total and unstoppable dispersal of the people of Elam across the world.

In this passage, the prophet Jeremiah is delivering a message from God about judgment on Elam, an ancient kingdom east of Babylon. The “four winds” image means forces coming from every direction, showing that no part of Elam will be safe. The scattering is so complete that Elam’s refugees will be found among every nation, highlighting the severity of their coming disaster.

The Hebrew behind Jeremiah 49:36

  • “Winds” (רוּחֹות, ruḥot): This word can mean wind, breath, or spirit. Here, it points to powerful, invisible forces used by God to scatter Elam, not just literal wind.
  • “Scatter” (זָרָה, zarah): This verb means to disperse or scatter widely. It emphasizes that the people will be driven far from their homeland, not just moved or relocated.
  • “Outcasts” (נָדַח, nadach): This word refers to those who are driven away or exiled. It highlights the forced nature of Elam’s dispersion—they are not leaving by choice.

Why Jeremiah 49:36 matters

  • The verse clarifies that Elam’s scattering is not random or accidental, but a direct act of God’s judgment, using the “four winds” as a symbol of total dispersion.
  • It connects to a larger theme in Jeremiah, where God judges nations for their actions, showing that no nation is beyond His reach or authority.
  • The verse helps explain why references to Elamite communities appear in far-off places in later history, as their scattering was foretold to be worldwide and thorough.

Where else these words appear

“Elam” Hebrew H5867 · used in 27 verses

  • Genesis 10:22 The children of Shem; Elam, and Asshur, and Arphaxad, and Lud, and Aram.
  • Ezra 8:7 And of the sons of Elam; Jeshaiah the son of Athaliah, and with him seventy males.
  • Isaiah 22:6 And Elam bare the quiver with chariots of men and horsemen, and Kir uncovered the shield.

“quarters” Hebrew H7098 · used in 30 verses

  • Exodus 25:18 And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat.
  • Exodus 36:11 And he made loops of blue on the edge of one curtain from the selvedge in the coupling: likewise he made in the uttermost side of another curtain, in the coupling of the second.
  • 1 Kings 12:31 And he made an house of high places, and made priests of the lowest of the people, which were not of the sons of Levi.

“scatter” Hebrew H2219 · used in 38 verses

  • Exodus 32:20 And he took the calf which they had made, and burnt it in the fire, and ground it to powder, and strawed it upon the water, and made the children of Israel drink of it.
  • Proverbs 20:26 A wise king scattereth the wicked, and bringeth the wheel over them.
  • Ezekiel 6:5 And I will lay the dead carcases of the children of Israel before their idols; and I will scatter your bones round about your altars.

“outcasts” Hebrew H5080 · used in 51 verses

  • Deuteronomy 4:19 And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven, shouldest be driven to worship them, and serve them, which the LORD thy God hath divided unto all nations under the whole heaven.
  • Nehemiah 1:9 But if ye turn unto me, and keep my commandments, and do them; though there were of you cast out unto the uttermost part of the heaven, yet will I gather them from thence, and will bring them unto the place that I have chosen to set my name there.
  • Jeremiah 27:15 For I have not sent them, saith the LORD, yet they prophesy a lie in my name; that I might drive you out, and that ye might perish, ye, and the prophets that prophesy unto you.