Therefore there will be a visitation also upon the heathen idols: For visitation see the notes on 2.20; 3.7; and 3.13b, where God’s punishment is referred to. Presumably the only way idols can be punished is by destruction; compare Jer 10.15. Heathen refers to non-Jewish nations, but since any idol is by definition not used in Jewish worship, this may be left understood. For this line Good News Translation may be followed, but another possible approach is “And so God will punish those pagan idols” or, even better, “And so God will come and destroy the idols people worship.”

Because, though part of what God created, they became an abomination: Part of what God created refers to the idols being made of a natural material created for good by God. For abomination see the note on 12.23.

And became traps for the souls of men and a snare to the feet of the foolish: These two lines have essentially the same meaning. Good News Translation provides a good model for these lines, but we may also restructure the verse as follows:

• Even though people make idols from something God has created, they become a trap for the souls of foolish people. So God will destroy those horrible [or, disgusting] idols that godless [or, pagan] people worship.

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.