As a comparison of the Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation texts shows, the translation of this verse is quite difficult. Other versions also give a variety of translations, and there are footnotes such as “The Hebrew of this verse is obscure” (Revised Standard Version).

“The words of Agur son of Jakeh of Massa”: This is straightforward except for the last word in Hebrew, massaʾ (which also occurs in 31.1). Revised Standard Version takes this as a proper name, as do New Jerusalem Bible, Revised English Bible, Scott, and others; as the footnote in New Jerusalem Bible says, this name refers to a place “in northern Arabia.” However, the Hebrew word has the meaning of “burden” or “oracle,” and it is quite commonly used for prophetic utterances. So New Revised Standard Version and New International Version render it as “an oracle.” Hebrew Old Testament Text Project also recommends the translation “oracle” (with a “B” rating). Good News Translation combines this word with “words” from the beginning of the line, and with the first word of the next line, to get “These are the solemn words. . .”; Contemporary English Version does the same thing and translates, “These are the sayings and the message. . ..” The Handbook recommends translating the Hebrew word, following one of these models, rather than transliterating it as a proper name.

“The man says to Ithiel, to Ithiel and Ucal”: Here again we find a difference between versions that transliterate words from the Hebrew as proper names and those that attempt to find meaning in the Hebrew terms. In this case Revised Standard Version reflects the Hebrew text as we have it, which Hebrew Old Testament Text Project recommends (with a “C” rating). New Jerusalem Bible makes this approach to the text more meaningful by including this line with the first line as a title: “The sayings of Agur . . . Prophecy of this man for Ithiel, for Ithiel and for Ucal.” In this rendering, “this man” refers back to Agur; Ithiel and Ucal are two other people (perhaps ancient wise men we otherwise know nothing about).

As Scott notes, neither the Septuagint nor the Latin Vulgate recognize proper names in this line. Versions that attempt a meaningful translation divide the Hebrew text into words differently and may also change the vowels from those that are traditionally used. The most common rendering of this type is something like “Thus says the man: I am weary, O God, I am weary, O God. How can I prevail?” (New Revised Standard Version). Contemporary English Version follows this approach and says, “Someone cries out to God, ‘I am completely worn out! How can I last?'” In both of these cases “The man” is someone who is not named. Good News Translation follows a different way of reconstructing the Hebrew: “God is not with me, God is not with me, and I am helpless.” This translation apparently takes “The man” as a reference to Agur, and it is therefore not translated. All of these renderings describe the feelings (and possibly the situation) of the speaker and lead well into the text of the next verse; they actually begin the direct speech that continues to the end of verse 4 (in Contemporary English Version to the end of verse 3, in Good News Translation to the end of verse 6).

Since the Hebrew text is so difficult, it is not possible to give a firm recommendation about translation here. Translators may follow either of the approaches referred to above; but whichever approach is taken, it should be made clear who is the speaker of the words in verses 1b-4 (or 2-4).

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Proverbs. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .