For wisdom is a kindly spirit: The connector For is better rendered as “Although” (Contemporary English Version). The word translated kindly is more literally translated by Good News Translation “friendly to people.” See Pro 8.17, which speaks of Wisdom “loving” people. If it is difficult to express the idea of Wisdom as a spirit, nothing essential is omitted by leaving the word untranslated: “Wisdom is friendly to people.”

And will not free a blasphemer from the guilt of his words: Commentators have often noticed that the first line of this verse appears out of context. There is no easy explanation for this, but the best way for translators to deal with the problem is to begin this second line with “but” (Good News Translation, New Revised Standard Version) rather than and. A blasphemer is someone “who speaks against God” (Good News Translation), “speak[s] evil of God” (Contemporary English Version), or “who says bad things [or, words] against God.” Will not free … from the guilt is expressed in Good News Translation by “will not forgive” and in Contemporary English Version by “will still hold you guilty.” The meaning of words is included in the verb “speaks” in Good News Translation.

In this line Wisdom acts as a person by not forgiving the blasphemer. For this reason Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version refer back to Wisdom as “she.” This is the first time in the book that this problem arises. Here it may be possible to avoid it, and there is something to be said for doing so, since there is little in the context to prepare the reader for this figure of speech. In 6.12-9.18 it will be impossible to avoid the problem, for there Wisdom is consistently personified in a long passage.

The meaning in the first two lines appears to be that even though Wisdom is kindly disposed toward human beings and works toward the good of humanity, there is no such thing as being wise enough to avoid guilt for blasphemy. The text does not actually say, as Good News Translation does, that Wisdom will not forgive. Alternative models for these lines are:

• Wisdom is helpful [or, beneficial] to humanity, but no one can have enough wisdom to avoid guilt [or, punishment] if he speaks against God.

• Although Wisdom is helpful [or, beneficial] to humanity, she [or, it] will still hold you guilty if you speak against God.

Because God is witness of his inmost feelings, and a true observer of his heart, and a hearer of his tongue: Witness here does not say that God sees feelings, but rather that he can testify about them; that is, God is aware of our feelings. Inmost feelings is literally “kidneys,” which is thought of as the bodily source of emotions. Good News Translation simply has “feelings”; this is sufficient, although a modifier such as inmost is acceptable. Observer is roughly equivalent to witness, although it implies not only watching our actions but inspecting them for flaws; Good News Translation combines both into “knows” (so also Contemporary English Version with “are known”). In Hebrew thought, the heart is usually seen as the bodily source of thought, so Good News Translation translates “thoughts” (also Contemporary English Version). Good News Translation translates hearer by a separate word, “hears,” which is fine, but this too could be combined with witness and observer: “God knows how we really feel about things, what we think, and every word we speak.” Or one could go in the opposite direction and say “God is well aware of how we really feel about things; he judges our thoughts and hears every word we speak.”

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.