Discovery BoxNumbers 24:18-20 
Context24:18 Edom will be a possession,
Seir, 1 his enemies, will also be a possession;
but Israel will act valiantly.
24:19 A ruler will be established from Jacob;
he will destroy the remains of the city.’” 2
24:20 Then Balaam 3 looked on Amalek and delivered this oracle: 4
“Amalek was the first 5 of the nations,
but his end will be that he will perish.”
1 sn Seir is the chief mountain range of Edom (Deut 33:2), and so the reference here is to the general area of Edom.
2 tn Or, understanding the Hebrew word for “city” as a place name, “of Ir” (cf. NRSV, NLT).
3 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Balaam) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
4 tn Heb “and he lifted up his oracle and said.” So also in vv. 21, 23.
5 sn This probably means that it held first place, or it thought that it was “the first of the nations.” It was not the first, either in order or greatness.
