Let us condemn him to a shameful death: The question here is whether condemn is to be taken literally of a judicial sentence to death, or more broadly, of seeing to it that the righteous are so afflicted that they die in disgrace. We should probably favor the former, on the grounds that the writer is putting words in the mouths of people who are in positions of power, and can use their position or their influence to cause the death of poor people. A shameful death would point in this direction also. Although a good person might die painfully, normally he would die with dignity and be surrounded by family and friends. A criminal sentenced to death would be deprived of this comfort, knowing the community looked on his death as a sign of disgrace and shame. Good News Translation keeps the word “condemn,” whereas Contemporary English Version has “We will sentence them to….” The meaning is the same.

For, according to what he says, he will be protected: For is rendered “After all” in Good News Translation. This is a possible alternative. He will be protected is literally “there will be a visitation [or, divine intervention] for him.” While the sense of the preposition translated according to is not really clear here, the meaning for this line is almost surely “they say that God will protect them” if they are in danger. Perhaps the idea of God’s “visitation” (see Gen 50.24-25) can be expressed here more vividly, and with appropriate irony: “Let’s condemn them to die in shame, like criminals. After all, they seem to think that God will come and save them.”

This is the end of the long quotation beginning in verse 1.

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.