It is thy will that the works of thy wisdom should not be without effect: What the author means here is not exactly clear. Most take it to refer to God’s wisdom in creating seas and wood and giving humans the ability to put them to use in seafaring. Others take it to mean that God wants the good things of his creation distributed, and sees to it that seafaring men do this in commerce. The first interpretation seems more likely to us. As alternative models we suggest “It is your will [or, You have decided] that things you have made with your wisdom should be put to use” and “… that people use the things you have made with your wisdom.”

Therefore men trust their lives even to the smallest piece of wood: By the smallest piece of wood, the author is apparently referring to the thickness (or thinness) of the planks from which the boat is made. There are a number of Greek sources that refer to the fact that only the thickness of a single plank separates those in the boat from death (Winston). Translators will probably have to find another way to say this in order to make it clear for their readers; for example, “That is why people trust their lives to something made of thin wooden planks.”

And passing through the billows on a raft they come safely to land may be rendered “They can travel by water even on a raft and come safely to land.” A raft is a construction of logs or timbers fastened together in such a way as to provide people with a flat surface on which to position themselves so as to float on the water.

Good News Translation reverses the last two lines of this verse, but this is not necessary, given our interpretation here.

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.