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MASSA.—A son of Ishmael (Gen_25:14 = 1Ch_1:39), representing a North Arabian tribe. Its exact location is unknown, but it seems to be mentioned in an inscription containing a report to king Ashurbanipal of Assyria (b.c. 668–626) of an attack made by the Massorites upon the people of Nebaioth (wh. see). The tribe of Massa would therefore seem to have lived not very far east of Palestine. This view is confirmed by the fact that Pro_31:1-10 is addressed to ‘Lemuel, king of Massa’ (see RVm [Note: Revised Version margin.] ), since Pro_30:1-33; Pro_31:1-31 belong to the border-land wisdom of Israel. It is probably not to be read in Pro_30:1, where the word ‘Massa’ (RVm [Note: Revised Version margin.] ) is presumably a gloss. Cf. Mesha, p. 607a.
J. F. M‘Curdy.