Why will the Lord break the bow of Elam, scatter its people to the four corners, send the sword after them, and set up his throne in Elam?  

In language that is typical of military invasion, the Lord describes how he will destroy Elam’s military might, as he brings enemies from all directions and scatters the people of Elam in all directions. He will terrify Elam, bring disaster on them, and send the sword to destroy them. Ultimately, the Lord says, I will set my throne in Elam and destroy their king and officials.

The Lord’s judgment of Elam is decisive and emphatic. The language, however, is general. There is no detailed description of Elam’s culture or resources. There are no specific reasons given for the Lord’s judgment of Elam. Significantly, the Lord refers to himself as the Lord of hosts. Throughout Jeremiah, this title indicates the Lord’s sovereign, universal power over creation. Elam’s remote location seems to represent the end of the earth as far as the prophet and his contemporaries are concerned. In other words, the main reason the oracle against Elam is included is to emphasize the fact that the Lord’s rule extends as far as anyone could imagine.¹ This sovereign rule is made clear by the fact that the Lord establishes his throne in Elam.

In the other oracles, the human agents the Lord uses (the Babylonians) are made more obvious. This oracle is different. From beginning to end the only actor is the LORD, although the LORD was envisioned using and commanding the winds of heaven and attacking enemies.² This emphasizes the sovereignty of the Lord as he carries out his plans and purposes.