Lexical Summary Elmaye: Elmaye Original Word: עַלְמִי Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Elamite (Aramaic) patrial from a name corresponding to Eylam contracted; an Elamite or inhabitant of Elam -- Elamite. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origin(Aramaic) from a name corresponding to Elam Definition inhab. of Elam NASB Translation Elamites (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs עֵלְמָיֵא name of a people, plural Elamites (compare Biblical Hebrew עֵילָם); — Ezra 4:9. Topical Lexicon Scriptural ContextEzra 4:9 identifies a contingent of “Elamites” among the officials who wrote to King Artaxerxes seeking to halt the rebuilding of the Jerusalem temple: “then wrote Rehum the commander, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their colleagues—the judges and magistrates, the officials and secretaries, the Erechites, the Babylonians, the men of Susa (that is, the Elamites)” (Berean Standard Bible). עַלְמִי marks these people as originating from Elam yet serving within the Persian imperial bureaucracy stationed in Samaria. Historical Background of the Elamites Elam lay east of the Tigris River in what is today southwestern Iran. One of the most ancient Near-Eastern kingdoms, it often contended with Assyria and Babylon before being absorbed into the Medo-Persian Empire. Susa (Shushan) functioned as Elam’s historic capital—later a royal residence of the Persian kings (Esther 1:2; Nehemiah 1:1). Assyrian deportations (for example, by Tiglath-Pileser III and Sargon II) and subsequent Persian resettlement policies scattered Elamites across the empire, placing some in the former Northern Kingdom area where they became administrative agents for Persia. Role in the Post-Exilic Opposition The coalition that petitioned Artaxerxes combined diverse ethnicities resettled in Samaria. Their shared motive was political self-interest: a rebuilt Jerusalem threatened regional power dynamics and tax revenues (Ezra 4:13). By including Elamites, Scripture illustrates the breadth of opposition—stretching from Mesopotamia to Elam—arrayed against the covenant community. Although their letter succeeded temporarily (Ezra 4:23-24), divine purposes prevailed when the temple was completed during the reign of Darius (Ezra 6:14-15), vindicating prophetic promises (Haggai 2:4–9; Zechariah 4:6–9). Prophetic and Redemptive Themes 1. Judgment and Hope for Elam. Jeremiah 49:34-39 foretells both devastation of Elam and a future restoration: “Yet in the latter days I will restore Elam from captivity, declares the LORD” (verse 39). The inclusion of Elamites in Ezra 4 underscores that nations under judgment can still be folded into God’s redemptive plan. Connections to the New Testament Acts 2:9 notes “Parthians, Medes, and Elamites” present in Jerusalem at Pentecost. Although Greek Ἐλαμῖται translates a different term, Luke’s inclusion shows that Elamites eventually heard the gospel in their own tongues. Thus a group once complicit in frustrating temple work later witnesses the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, illustrating the reversal of Babel and the universality of Christ’s mission. Practical and Ministry Reflections • Sovereign Over Opposition: Ezra 4 teaches that governmental edicts and multicultural coalitions cannot thwart God’s covenant purposes. Contemporary ministry facing political or cultural pushback may take courage from the completed Second Temple and the finished work of Christ. Summary עַלְמִי (Elamite) appears once, yet its single mention opens a window onto the ancient kingdom of Elam, its dispersion under Persian policy, and its role in opposing Judah’s restoration. Scripture weaves the Elamites into a larger tapestry of judgment, mercy, and mission—from Jeremiah’s oracle to Pentecost’s multilingual praise—demonstrating that God’s redemptive agenda triumphs over human resistance and embraces every nation, including those once arrayed against His people. Forms and Transliterations עֵלְמָיֵֽא׃ עלמיא׃ ‘ê·lə·mā·yê ‘êləmāyê elemaYeLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Ezra 4:9 HEB: (דֶּהָיֵ֖א ק) עֵלְמָיֵֽא׃ NAS: the men of Susa, that is, the Elamites, KJV: the Dehavites, [and] the Elamites, INT: the men forasmuch is the Elamites 1 Occurrence |
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