Because as servants of his kingdom you did not rule rightly: This verse begins a long sentence that will be concluded in verse 5. All power and authority come from God, and earthly rulers serve as his agents (servants). The Greek word for servants refers to people who do actual physical labor; those who rule on earth are God’s laborers. Solomon tells the rulers here that they have failed in that duty. They did not exercise their rule in the right manner. We do not recommend following Good News Translation in introducing “if” clauses here. It is better to express you did not rule rightly and the next two lines as accusations about the rulers’ past actions. Rule rightly is literally “judge rightly.” So translators may say “You yourselves are only workers in God’s kingdom, but you have not made the right decisions [or, you have ruled unjustly].”

Nor keep the law: There is no way of knowing for certain, but most scholars agree that the law here does not refer to the Torah, the Law of Moses, but to natural standards of justice. However, in the author’s day some Jewish thinkers believed that the Torah was an expression of natural law. See Rom 2.14. Rulers keep the law by being its champion, by abiding by it. Translators could say “You have not upheld [or, defended] God’s law.”

Nor walk according to the purpose of God: This means “you do not live according to God’s will” (Good News Translation), but the reference is not merely to personal morality; this line also refers to ruling rightly. Here translators could say “You have not ruled according to God’s will.”

For an alternative model of this verse, refer to the model at the end of the discussion on verse 6.

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on The Wisdom of Solomon. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2004. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.