Numbers 17:9

17:9 So Moses brought out all the staffs from before the Lord to all the Israelites. They looked at them, ¹  and each man took his staff.

Numbers 24:20-21

Balaam’s Final Prophecies

24:20 Then Balaam ²  looked on Amalek and delivered this oracle: ³ 

“Amalek was the first ⁴  of the nations,

but his end will be that he will perish.”

24:21 Then he looked on the Kenites and uttered this oracle:

“Your dwelling place seems strong,

and your nest ⁵  is set on a rocky cliff.

[17:9]  ¹ tn The words “at them” are not in the Hebrew text, but they have been added in the translation for clarity.

[24:20]  ² tn Heb “he”; the referent (Balaam) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[24:20]  ³ tn Heb “and he lifted up his oracle and said.” So also in vv. 21, 23.

[24:20]  ⁴ 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.

[24:21]  ³ sn A pun is made on the name Kenite by using the word “your nest” (קִנֶּךָ, qinnekha); the location may be the rocky cliffs overlooking Petra.