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.
Amalek was the first of the nations. There is scriptural evidence that this people had an independent existence in the time of Abraham (Genesis 14:7), and that they had a permanent settlement south of mount Seir, toward Shur (1 Samuel 15:7; 1 Samuel 27:8) - i:e., on the east of Wady Ghurundel. Philo ('Life of Moses') ascribes to them a Phoenician origin, (cf. 1 Chronicles 4:42-43, and 'Herodotus,' b. 7:, ch. 89:) It is called "the first of nations," not certainly as being foremost in their attack upon Israel; but [as gowyim (H1471) means pagan nations] the Amalekites were the first of contemporary pagan people, probably in point of antiquity, certainly of power (cf. Numbers 24:7; Amos 6:1). Since the course of the prophecy is southward, Balaam could not actually 'look upon Amalek,' whose situation was too distant in the Sinaitic peninsula; he could do it only with eyes opened - i:e., mentally.
But his latter end shall be that he perish forever. The Amalekites were at that time in the full enjoyment of national vigour and prosperity; but Balaam foresees their doom. They could not escape the vengeance which their unprovoked attack upon God's chosen people merited; and hence, although they appeared on a certain occasion (Numbers 14:45) to gain a partial victory over Israel, yet their overthrow was commanded, and the Israelites were made the executioners of the divine sentence (see the note at 1 Samuel 15:1).