מַשָּׂא

Summary

מַשָּׂא (massa', "oracle, prophetic burden") identifies King Lemuel's mother in Proverbs 31:1 as functioning in a prophetic capacity — her words are a divinely inspired oracle, not casual maternal advice. That a woman delivers this massa' undermines any claim that women were universally excluded from authoritative prophetic speech in the OT.

It appears in formulaic introductions to prophetic speech (e.g., "the oracle concerning Babylon," Isa 13:1; "the oracle concerning Moab," Isa 15:1). In Proverbs 31:1, Lemuel's mother delivers a massa' — a prophetic oracle — to her son the king. This identifies her as functioning in a prophetic capacity: the words that follow are her divinely inspired instruction. The term carries the weight of divine authority: a massa' is not casual advice but a burden from God. That a woman delivers this burden undermines any claim that women were universally excluded from authoritative prophetic speech in the OT.