Verse (Click for Chapter) 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. Contemporary English Version "And I saw this vision about the Amalekites: Their nation is now great, but it will someday disappear forever. 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." Majority Standard Bible Then Balaam saw Amalek and lifted up an oracle, saying: “Amalek was first among the nations, but his end is destruction.” 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 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.” Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionAnd he sees Amalek, and takes up his allegory, and says: “Amalek [is] first [among] nations, "" But his latter end—destruction forever.” 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.' Smith's Literal Translation And he will see Amalek, and he will take up his parable, and say, Amalek the beginning of the nations, and his latter state he perished forever. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleAnd when he saw Amalec, he took up his parable, and said: Amalec the beginning of nations, whose latter ends shall be destroyed. Catholic Public Domain Version And when he saw Amalek, taking up his parable, he said: “Amalek, first among the Gentiles, whose very end shall be perdition.” New American Bible Upon seeing Amalek, Balaam recited his poem: First of the nations is Amalek, but their end is to perish forever. 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.” Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleAnd when he looked on Amalek, he took up his parable and said, Amalek is the chief of the nations; but in the end he shall perish for ever. Peshitta Holy Bible Translated 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.” OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917And 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. 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. Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context Balaam's Final Three Oracles20Then 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 Exodus 17:14 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Write this on a scroll as a reminder and recite it to Joshua, because I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.” Deuteronomy 25:17-19 Remember what the Amalekites did to you along your way from Egypt, / how they met you on your journey when you were tired and weary, and they attacked all your stragglers; they had no fear of God. / When the LORD your God gives you rest from the enemies around you in the land that He is giving you to possess as an inheritance, you are to blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven. Do not forget! 1 Samuel 15:2-3 This is what the LORD of Hosts says: ‘I witnessed what the Amalekites did to the Israelites when they opposed them on their way up from Egypt. / 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.’” 1 Samuel 15:7-9 Then Saul struck down the Amalekites all the way from Havilah to Shur, which is east of Egypt. / He captured Agag king of Amalek alive, but devoted all the others to destruction with the sword. / Saul and his troops spared Agag, along with the best of the sheep and cattle, the fat calves and lambs, and the best of everything else. They were unwilling to devote them to destruction, but they devoted to destruction all that was despised and worthless. 1 Samuel 30:1-2 On the third day David and his men arrived in Ziklag, and the Amalekites had raided the Negev, attacked Ziklag, and burned it down. / They had taken captive the women and all who were there, both young and old. They had not killed anyone, but had carried them off as they went on their way. 1 Samuel 30:17-18 And David struck them down from twilight until the evening of the next day. Not a man escaped, except four hundred young men who fled, riding off on camels. / So David recovered everything the Amalekites had taken, including his two wives. 2 Samuel 8:12 from Edom and Moab, from the Ammonites and Philistines and Amalekites, and from the spoil of Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah. 1 Chronicles 4:43 and struck down the remnant of the Amalekites who had escaped. And they have lived there to this day. Esther 3:1 After these events, King Xerxes honored Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, elevating him to a position above all the princes who were with him. Esther 9:24-25 For Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to destroy them and had cast the Pur (that is, the lot) to crush and destroy them. / But when it came before the king, he commanded by letter that the wicked scheme which Haman had devised against the Jews should come back upon his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows. Psalm 83:4-7 saying, “Come, let us erase them as a nation; may the name of Israel be remembered no more.” / For with one mind they plot together; they form an alliance against You— / the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites, of Moab and the Hagrites, ... Isaiah 34:5-6 When My sword has drunk its fill in the heavens, then it will come down upon Edom, upon the people I have devoted to destruction. / The sword of the LORD is bathed in blood. It drips with fat—with the blood of lambs and goats, with the fat of the kidneys of rams. For the LORD has a sacrifice in Bozrah, a great slaughter in the land of Edom. Isaiah 63:1-6 Who is this coming from Edom, from Bozrah with crimson-stained garments? Who is this robed in splendor, marching in the greatness of His strength? “It is I, proclaiming vindication, mighty to save.” / Why are Your clothes red, and Your garments like one who treads the winepress? / “I have trodden the winepress alone, and no one from the nations was with Me. I trampled them in My anger and trod them down in My fury; their blood spattered My garments, and all My clothes were stained. ... Jeremiah 49:7-8 Concerning Edom, this is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Is there no longer wisdom in Teman? Has counsel perished from the prudent? Has their wisdom decayed? / Turn and run! Lie low, O dwellers of Dedan, for I will bring disaster on Esau at the time I punish him. Ezekiel 25:12-14 This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Because Edom acted vengefully against the house of Judah, and in so doing incurred grievous guilt, / therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: I will stretch out My hand against Edom and cut off from it both man and beast. I will make it a wasteland, and from Teman to Dedan they will fall by the sword. / I will take My vengeance on Edom by the hand of My people Israel, and they will deal with Edom according to My anger and wrath. Then they will know My vengeance, declares the Lord GOD.’ 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. Jump to Previous Amalek Am'alek Balaam Beginning Destruction Discourse End Eyes Latter Nations Oracle Parable Part Perish Perisheth Ruin Simile Story Turning UtteredJump to Next Amalek Am'alek Balaam Beginning Destruction Discourse End Eyes Latter Nations Oracle Parable Part Perish Perisheth Ruin Simile Story Turning UtteredNumbers 24 1. Balaam, leaving divinations, prophesies the happiness of Israel10. Balak, in anger, dismisses him 15. He prophesies of the Star of Jacob, and the destruction of some nations Then Balaam saw Amalek The phrase begins with "Then Balaam saw Amalek," indicating a moment of divine revelation. Balaam, a non-Israelite prophet, is granted a vision concerning Amalek. The Hebrew root for "saw" is "ra'ah," which implies not just physical sight but a deeper, spiritual insight. This suggests that Balaam's vision is divinely inspired, offering a glimpse into God's sovereign plan. Amalek, a perennial enemy of Israel, is highlighted here, reminding us of the historical enmity that began when the Amalekites attacked the Israelites shortly after the Exodus (Exodus 17:8-16). and lifted up an oracle saying 'Amalek was first among the nations but his end shall be destruction 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 sawוַיַּרְא֙ (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 Links Numbers 24:20 NIVNumbers 24:20 NLT Numbers 24:20 ESV Numbers 24:20 NASB Numbers 24:20 KJV Numbers 24:20 BibleApps.com Numbers 24:20 Biblia Paralela Numbers 24:20 Chinese Bible Numbers 24:20 French Bible Numbers 24:20 Catholic Bible OT Law: Numbers 24:20 He looked at Amalek and took up (Nu Num.) |
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