The children of the ungodly will not put forth many branches: Branches is a symbol for children. This line comes out well in Good News Translation: “The children of ungodly people will not leave large families.” Compare 41.6-9.

They are unhealthy roots upon sheer rock: Sheer rock refers to a rock cliff where some of the rock has fallen off, leaving steep, almost vertical walls. Trees can take root on these surfaces, but they can never grow very large, since the roots can never find enough nourishment. Good News Translation translates this line well with “they are like plants trying to take root on rock.” Other possible renderings are “they are like plants trying to take root on high rock cliffs” and “… like plants growing on high rock cliffs, but with shallow roots.” Translators in mountainous areas may have appropriate expressions readily available for sheer rock.

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Sirach. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2008. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.