For God created man for incorruption: The translation of Good News Translation raises unnecessary problems. The author is certainly not denying the reality of physical death, as Good News Translation could be interpreted to mean. New Jerusalem Bible reads “For God created human beings to be immortal,” which is a good translation. This could produce the following model: “When God created us, he made us immortal [or, able to live forever].” The use of the first person plural is certainly not necessary, but it may be helpful.

And made him in the image of his own eternity: There is a textual problem here. While most manuscripts read eternity (thus making the two lines synonymous), some read “nature,” making a reference to Gen 1.26-27. However, immortality is the aspect of God’s nature that is meant here, and it would not be an evasion of the textual problem to translate “When God created us, he made us immortal; he made our human nature like his own.” No footnote would be required.

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.