Thy all-powerful word leaped from heaven, from the royal throne: The first clause in Good News Translation, “when suddenly your threats were carried out,” corresponds to nothing in Greek, but is a way of clarifying what the verse is talking about. However, it is difficult to find what exactly “your threats” refers back to in the preceding verses. Good News Translation also adds the phrase “of judgment” to “invincible word” for clarification; all-powerful word may also be rendered “mighty word judging your enemies.” In English “sped” (Good News Translation) works better than leaped, which suggests an animal. The imagery used here should be consistent with that of a soldier, a figure used in the last line of the verse. Translators should feel free to use these devices of Good News Translation if they seem helpful, and they probably will be. Another model for this line is “when suddenly your mighty [or, powerful] word sped down from your royal throne [or, your throne where you rule] in heaven.”

Into the midst of the land that was doomed, a stern warrior: In Greek the line goes “[Your … word], a stern warrior, leaped into the middle of the doomed land.” Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation, and Contemporary English Version have felt the need for connecting the warrior with the next verse, and this is a good idea. A stern warrior is well translated in New English Bible: “a relentless warrior.”

A possible model for the whole verse is:

• when suddenly your invincible [or, mighty/powerful] word of judgment [or, word judging your enemies] sped from your royal throne [or, the throne where you rule] in heaven [straight] down to that doomed land. Your word attacked your enemies like a relentless soldier….

We will suggest a complete model for verses 15-16 at the end of the discussion on verse 16.

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.