What Does Proverbs 30:1 Mean in the King James?

The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, even the prophecy: the man spake unto Ithiel, even unto Ithiel and Ucal,

Proverbs 30:1 · KJV

The analysis reads the King James wording.

King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.

THE KEY

The “prophecy” is ⁨מַשָּׂא⁩ (massa, a carried burden), spoken to ⁨אִיתִיאֵל⁩ (Ithiel, “God is with me”).

THE MEANING

Here, speech arrives with weight and is addressed to hearers rather than left as a private thought. Ithiel’s repeated name, ⁨אִיתִיאֵל⁩ (Ithiel, “God is with me”), makes the address itself part of the utterance.

THE ROOT

מַשָּׂא

massa

GROWS FROM

נשא

nasa

to lift, carry, or bear

The verse’s word for prophecy also means a burden or load, from a root of carrying. The utterance is presented as something borne into speech, with weight attached to it.

ALSO GROWS

nasa: to lift, carry, bear

נָשָׂא

This verb is the root action beneath the verse’s image of a burden carried into speech.

massa: burden, load; also an oracle

מַשָּׂא

This is the verse’s own word: an oracle is named as something borne.

דִּבְרֵי

divrei

GROWS FROM

דבר

word, matter; the related verb means to speak

⁨דִּבְרֵי⁩ (divrei, words) belongs to the same word-family as ⁨דָּבָר⁩ (davar, word or matter) and the verb for speaking. Hebrew holds the spoken words and the matter being spoken within one root-family.

ALSO GROWS

davar: word, matter

דָּבָר

The opening words are not merely sounds; the root also names the matter carried in speech.

dibber: spoke, declared

דִּבֵּר

This verb form shows the same root moving from the words themselves into the act of speaking.

THE PATTERN

Speech with weight travels through a human voice to named hearers.

I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.

Deuteronomy 18:18 · KJVThe speaker carries words placed in his mouth and speaks them to hearers, as the utterance here is addressed to named people.

Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth.

Jeremiah 1:9 · KJVWords enter a human mouth before they become speech, showing an utterance as something carried.

For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

2 Peter 1:21 · KJVProphecy is spoken through human voices under divine movement, widening the picture of a message carried into speech.

THE THREAD

So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

Isaiah 55:11 · KJV

Proverbs begins with ⁨דִּבְרֵי⁩ (divrei, words), from the same root ⁨דבר⁩ (d-b-r; davar, word or matter) as Isaiah’s “my word.” Isaiah follows that word as it goes forth and accomplishes its purpose, opening the utterance here into a word that carries its matter forward.

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