“On that day,
Yahweh will extend his hand
Yet a second time.
He wanted to recover
The remnant that is left
Of his people,
From Assyria,
From Egypt,
From Pathros,
From Ethiopia,
From Elam,
From Shinar,
From Hamath,
And from the coastlands of the sea.”
In this ideal time, all the scattered Israelites would return from their Exile. Yahweh was going to extend his hand for a second time. The first time was the Exodus from Egypt. This time it is a call to recover the remnant from all over the place. Some of these places are easy to figure out. Assyria (present day Iraq), Egypt, and Ethiopia are easy to understand. Pathros was in upper Egypt. Elam is where current day Iran is. Shinar was in Babylon. Hamath was in Syria. The coastlands may have been the Aegean islands around present day Greece. Obviously, this was during the Exile or after it. It is interesting to note how many different places the Israelites were in Diaspora, so early in their history.
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 