This verse reflects the ideas in 6.12-21, where a person seeks Wisdom, but at the same time Wisdom seeks the person. Here Solomon prays for Wisdom, but Wisdom finds him.

Therefore I prayed, and understanding was given me: The introductory clause in Good News Translation, “Realizing that I was only human,” corresponds to the word Therefore. It is a helpful addition, particularly at the beginning of a new section. The idea is that Solomon prays for Wisdom because he recognizes his human weaknesses.

I called upon God, and the spirit of wisdom came to me: The phrase upon God does not appear in Greek, but is clearly implied from I prayed in the first line. Good News Translation has combined I prayed and I called upon God, although it does not include the word God. The spirit of wisdom here is equivalent to wisdom itself, as in 1.6. If “The spirit of Wisdom came to me” (Good News Translation) is difficult, translators may simply say “Wisdom came to me” or “he [God] gave me Wisdom.”

An alternative model for this verse is:

• Realizing that I was human, I prayed to [or, asked] God to give me Wisdom, and he answered my prayer.

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.