Numbers 24:20

WEB

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."

KJV

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.

Commentary

And when he looked on Amalek,.... The country of Amalek, which lay to the south of the land of Canaan, Num 13:29 and which Balaam had a view of from the mountain of Peor, where he now was: and he took up his parable, and said; the parable of his prophecy, as the Targum of Jonathan, and pronounced it aloud: Amalek was the first of the nations; not the first nation in the world, nor the chief and principal for numbers, riches, or strength, but the first that made war with Israel, as all the three Targums paraphrase it, as they did, see Exo 17:8 , but his latter end shall be that he perish for ever; this was threatened to them by the Lord upon that battle, and is confirmed by this prophecy of Balaam: and after this, orders were given to Israel to blot out their remembrance, Deu 25:19 , and which, in a good measure, though not completely, was done in the times of Saul, Sa1 15:8 and after that they were distressed by David, Sa1 27:9 and the rest of them were smitten by the sons of Simeon, in the days of Hezekiah, Ch1 4:41 , after which we hear of them no more: Amalek may be considered as a type of antichrist, the son of perdition, who shall go into it, shall come to his end, and there shall be none to help him; which will be true of all the antichristian party, the enemies of Christ, who will be destroyed by him, and perish eternally; see Dan 11:45 .