King James Version

Numbers 24:20

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.

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Hebrew

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וַיַּרְא֙vayarand seeרָאָהconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and see”, the next action in the storyH7200to see, literally or figuratively (in numerous applications, direct and implied, transitive, intransitive and causative)advise self, appear, approve, behold, [idiom] certainly, consider, discern, (make to) enjoy, have experience, gaze, take heed, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] joyfully, lo, look (on, one another, one on another, one upon another, out, up, upon), m…אֶתetobject markerאֵתparticle, direct object marker — “object marker”H853properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)(as such unrepresented in English).עֲמָלֵ֔קamaleqAmalekעֲמָלֵקnoun, proper name — “Amalek”H6002Amalek, a descendant of Esau; also his posterity and their countryAmalek.וַיִּשָּׂ֥אvayisaand lift upנָשָׂאconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and lift up”, the next action in the storyH5375to lift, in a great variety of applications, literal and figurative, absolute and relativeaccept, advance, arise, (able to, (armor), suffer to) bear(-er, up), bring (forth), burn, carry (away), cast, contain, desire, ease, exact, exalt (self), extol, fetch, forgive, furnish, further, give, go on, help, high, hold up, honorable…מְשָׁל֖וֹmeshalvobywordמָשָׁלnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “byword”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH4912properly, a pithy maxim, usually of metaphorical nature; hence, a simile (as an adage, poem, discourse)byword, like, parable, proverb.וַיֹּאמַ֑רvayomarand sayאָמַרconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and say”, the next action in the storyH559to say (used with great latitude)answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [id…רֵאשִׁ֤יתreshitfirstרֵאשִׁיתnoun, common, feminine, singular, construct — “first”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH7225the first, in place, time, order or rank (specifically, a firstfruit)beginning, chief(-est), first(-fruits, part, time), principal thing.גּוֹיִם֙goyimGentileגּוֹיnoun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “Gentile”, the ordinary formH1471a foreign nation; hence, a Gentile; also (figuratively) a troop of animals, or a flight of locustsGentile, heathen, nation, people.עֲמָלֵ֔קamaleqAmalekעֲמָלֵקnoun, proper name — “Amalek”H6002Amalek, a descendant of Esau; also his posterity and their countryAmalek.וְאַחֲרִית֖וֹveacharitvoand endאַחֲרִיתconjunction, noun, common, feminine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and end”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH319the last or end, hence, the future; also posterity(last, latter) end (time), hinder (utter) -most, length, posterity, remnant, residue, reward.עֲדֵ֥יadeeternityעַדpreposition — “eternity”H5703properly, a (peremptory) terminus, i.e. (by implication) duration, in the sense of advance or perpetuity (substantially as a noun, either with or without a preposition)eternity, ever(-lasting, -more), old, perpetually, [phrase] world without end.אֹבֵֽדovedperishאֹבֵדnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “perish”, the ordinary formH8(concrete) wretched or (abstract) destructionperish.

Jewish translation (JPS 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.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

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.

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.'

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.”

Darby Translation

And he saw Amalek, and took up his parable, and said, Amalek is the first of the nations, but his latter end shall be for destruction.

Douay-Rheims

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

Jewish Publication Society (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.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

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

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ ἰδὼν τὸν Ἀμαλὴκ, καὶ ἀναλαβὼν τὴν παραβολὴν αὐτοῦ, εἶπεν, ἀρχὴ ἐθνῶν Ἀμαλὴκ, καὶ τὸ σπέρμα αὐτῶν ἀπολεῖται.