Turn, O Jacob, and take her: Jacob here, as in Bar 3.36, refers to the people of Israel, who are being addressed. (Recall that in the broadest context, this poem on Wisdom is part of an admonition to the Jews as part of Baruch’s book; see Bar 1.1.) The idea of Turn is “looking for guidance to” or “seeking help from.” Take her may be expressed as “take hold of her” (Good News Translation), but Contemporary English Version has “keep her with you always.” Another way to translate this first line is “People of Israel, you must seek guidance from Wisdom and always follow her advice.”

Walk toward the shining of her light: Good News Translation “Make your way” (also New Jerusalem Bible) captures the sense of the Greek verb here better than walk. Walk toward the shining of her light is literally “make your way toward splendor in the face of her light.” Good News Translation “Make your way toward the splendor of her light” is a legitimate interpretation of the clause, but so is New American Bible “walk by her light toward splendor.” Much more likely, however, “the splendor” we are to move toward is the light that Wisdom gives. So Contemporary English Version has “Her light shines brightly, so walk toward it.”

An alternative model for this verse is:

• People of Israel, you must seek guidance from the wisdom expressed in God’s Law and always follow its advice. Its light shines brightly, so walk toward it.

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on The Shorter Books of the Deuterocanon. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2006. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.