Bible Dictionaries
Massa

Holman Bible Dictionary

(mass' ssuh) Hebrew term meaning “burden.” 1. Seventh son of Ishmael (Genesis 25:14; 1 Chronicles 1:30 ). 2 . Arab tribe perhaps descended from 1. The Masa are listed among the peoples who paid tribute to king Tiglath-pileser III (745-727 B.C.) of Assyria. The use of Massa in the titles of collections of proverbs (Proverbs 30:1; Proverbs 31:1 ) probably refers to the nationality of the original compiler. 3. The Hebrew term is used in the special sense of oracle, especially at the beginning of prophecies of judgment (for example, Isaiah 13:1; Nahum 1:1; Habakkuk 1:1 ).