Numbers 24:20
New International Version
Then Balaam saw Amalek and spoke his message: “Amalek was first among the nations, but their end will be utter destruction.”

New Living Translation
Then Balaam looked over toward the people of Amalek and delivered this message: “Amalek was the greatest of nations, but its destiny is destruction!”

English Standard Version
Then he looked on Amalek and took up his discourse and said, “Amalek was the first among the nations, but its end is utter destruction.”

Berean Standard Bible
Then Balaam saw Amalek and lifted up an oracle, saying: “Amalek was first among the nations, but his end is destruction.”

King James Bible
And when he looked on Amalek, he took up his parable, and said, Amalek was the first of the nations; but his latter end shall be that he perish for ever.

New King James Version
Then he looked on Amalek, and he took up his oracle and said: “Amalek was first among the nations, But shall be last until he perishes.”

New American Standard Bible
And he looked at Amalek and took up his discourse and said, “Amalek was the first of the nations, But his end shall be destruction.”

NASB 1995
And he looked at Amalek and took up his discourse and said, “Amalek was the first of the nations, But his end shall be destruction.”

NASB 1977
And he looked at Amalek and took up his discourse and said, “Amalek was the first of the nations, But his end shall be destruction.”

Legacy Standard Bible
Then he looked at Amalek and took up his discourse and said, “Amalek was the first of the nations, But his end shall be destruction.”

Amplified Bible
Balaam looked at Amalek and took up his [fifth] discourse (oracle) and said: “Amalek was the first of the [neighboring] nations [to oppose the Israelites after they left Egypt], But his end shall be destruction.”

Christian Standard Bible
Then Balaam saw Amalek and proclaimed his poem: Amalek was first among the nations, but his future is destruction.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Then Balaam saw Amalek and proclaimed his poem: Amalek was first among the nations, but his future is destruction.

American Standard Version
And he looked on Amalek, and took up his parable, and said, Amalek was the first of the nations; But his latter end shall come to destruction.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And he saw Amaliq and he lifted up his proverb and said: “The Head of the nations, Amaliq, and his end will be destroyed for eternities.”

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And having seen Amalec, he took up his parable and said, Amalec is the first of the nations; yet his seed shall perish.

Contemporary English Version
"And I saw this vision about the Amalekites: Their nation is now great, but it will someday disappear forever.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And when he saw Amalec, he took up his parable, and said: Amalec the beginning of nations, whose latter ends shall be destroyed.

English Revised Version
And he looked on Amalek, and took up his parable, and said, Amalek was the first of the nations; But his latter end shall come to destruction.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Then Balaam saw the Amalekites and delivered this message: "Amalek was first among the nations, but in the end it will be destroyed."

Good News Translation
Then in his vision Balaam saw the Amalekites and uttered this prophecy: "Amalek was the most powerful nation of all, But at the end it will perish forever."

International Standard Version
Next, Balaam looked directly at Amalek and then uttered this prophetic statement: "Even though Amalek is an international leader, his future is permanent destruction."

JPS Tanakh 1917
And he looked on Amalek, and took up his parable, and said: Amalek was the first of the nations; But his end shall come to destruction.

Literal Standard Version
And he sees Amalek, and takes up his allegory, and says: “Amalek [is] first [among] nations, | But his latter end—destruction forever.”

Majority Standard Bible
Then Balaam saw Amalek and lifted up an oracle, saying: “Amalek was first among the nations, but his end is destruction.”

New American Bible
Upon seeing Amalek, Balaam recited his poem: First of the nations is Amalek, but their end is to perish forever.

NET Bible
Then Balaam looked on Amalek and delivered this oracle: "Amalek was the first of the nations, but his end will be that he will perish."

New Revised Standard Version
Then he looked on Amalek, and uttered his oracle, saying: “First among the nations was Amalek, but its end is to perish forever.”

New Heart English Bible
He looked at Amalek, and took up his parable, and said, "Amalek was the first of the nations, But his latter end shall come to destruction."

Webster's Bible Translation
And when he looked on Amalek, he took up his parable, and said, Amalek was the first of the nations, but his latter end shall be that he shall perish for ever.

World English Bible
He looked at Amalek, and took up his parable, and said, “Amalek was the first of the nations, but his latter end shall come to destruction.”

Young's Literal Translation
And he seeth Amalek, and taketh up his simile, and saith: 'A beginning of the Goyim is Amalek; And his latter end -- for ever he perisheth.'

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Balaam's Final Three Oracles
20Then Balaam saw Amalek and lifted up an oracle, saying: “Amalek was first among the nations, but his end is destruction.” 21Next he saw the Kenites and lifted up an oracle, saying: “Your dwelling place is secure, and your nest is set in a cliff.…

Cross References
Genesis 36:12
Additionally, Timna, a concubine of Esau's son Eliphaz, gave birth to Amalek. These are the grandsons of Esau's wife Adah.

Exodus 17:8
After this, the Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim.

Numbers 24:7
Water will flow from his buckets, and his seed will have abundant water. His king will be greater than Agag, and his kingdom will be exalted.

Numbers 24:19
A ruler will come from Jacob and destroy the survivors of the city."

Numbers 24:24
Ships will come from the coasts of Cyprus; they will subdue Asshur and Eber, but they too will perish forever."

1 Samuel 15:2
This is what the LORD of Hosts says: 'I witnessed what the Amalekites did to the Israelites when they ambushed them on their way up from Egypt.

1 Samuel 15:3
Now go and attack the Amalekites and devote to destruction all that belongs to them. Do not spare them, but put to death men and women, children and infants, oxen and sheep, camels and donkeys.'"


Treasury of Scripture

And when he looked on Amalek, he took up his parable, and said, Amalek was the first of the nations; but his latter end shall be that he perish for ever.

the Kenites

Genesis 15:19
The Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites,

Judges 1:16
And the children of the Kenite, Moses' father in law, went up out of the city of palm trees with the children of Judah into the wilderness of Judah, which lieth in the south of Arad; and they went and dwelt among the people.

Job 29:18
Then I said, I shall die in my nest, and I shall multiply my days as the sand.

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Amalek Am'alek Balaam Beginning Destruction Discourse End Eyes Latter Nations Oracle Parable Part Perish Perisheth Ruin Simile Story Turning Uttered
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Amalek Am'alek Balaam Beginning Destruction Discourse End Eyes Latter Nations Oracle Parable Part Perish Perisheth Ruin Simile Story Turning Uttered
Numbers 24
1. Balaam, leaving divinations, prophesies the happiness of Israel
10. Balak, in anger, dismisses him
15. He prophesies of the Star of Jacob, and the destruction of some nations














(20) And when he looked on Amalek . . . --From the. mountain of Peor, on which Balaam then stood, he had a view of the country of the Amalekites, which lay to the south of the land of Canaan (Numbers 13:29; Genesis 36:12).

Amalek was the first of the nations.--The ancestor of the Amalekites was Eliphaz, the son of Esau (Genesis 36:12). It has been supposed that the Amalekites separated themselves at a very early period from the rest of the Edomites. The word reshith, which is here rendered "first," may denote priority in rank, but more frequently denotes priority in time. The corresponding word in the second clause of the verse, aharith (latter end), may be thought to denote that the reference is to time, not to rank. On the other hand, the reference in Numbers 24:7 to the kings of the Amalekites may be urged in favour of the reference to rank. Some understand the allusion to be to the fact that the Amalekites were the first nation which attacked Israel when they had come out of Egypt (Exodus 17:8). It is possible, however, that there may be a reference both to time and to rank. (Comp. Amos 6:1.) . . .

Verse 20. - He looked on Amalek. This looking must have been an inward vision, because the haunts of the Amalekites were far away (see on Genesis 36:12; Exodus 17:8; Numbers 14:25, 45). The first of the nations. Amalek was in no sense a leading nation, nor was it a very ancient nation. It was indeed the very first of the nations to attack Israel, but it is a most arbitrary treatment of the words to understand them in that sense. The prophet Amos (Amos 6:1) uses the same expression of the Jewish aristocracy of his day. As it was in no better position than Amalek to claim it in any true sense, we can but suppose that in either case there is a reference to the vainglorious vauntings of the people threatened; it would be quite in keeping with the Bedawin character if Amalek gave himself out be "the first of nations."

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Then Balaam saw
וַיַּרְא֙ (way·yar)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7200: To see

Amalek
עֲמָלֵ֔ק (‘ă·mā·lêq)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 6002: Amalek -- a descendant of Esau, also his posterity

and lifted up
וַיִּשָּׂ֥א (way·yiś·śā)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5375: To lift, carry, take

an oracle,
מְשָׁל֖וֹ (mə·šā·lōw)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 4912: A pithy maxim, a simile

saying:
וַיֹּאמַ֑ר (way·yō·mar)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“Amalek
עֲמָלֵ֔ק (‘ă·mā·lêq)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 6002: Amalek -- a descendant of Esau, also his posterity

was first
רֵאשִׁ֤ית (rê·šîṯ)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 7225: The first, in place, time, order, rank

among the nations,
גּוֹיִם֙ (gō·w·yim)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 1471: A foreign nation, a Gentile, a troop of animals, a flight of locusts

but his end
וְאַחֲרִית֖וֹ (wə·’a·ḥă·rî·ṯōw)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 319: The last, end, the future, posterity

[shall be] destruction.”
אֹבֵֽד׃ (’ō·ḇêḏ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 8: Wretched, destruction


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OT Law: Numbers 24:20 He looked at Amalek and took up (Nu Num.)
Numbers 24:19
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