A paragraph break would be helpful at this point. The author is about to give two different examples of how idolatry may have had its origin.

For a father, consumed with grief at an untimely bereavement: The author is speculating here; he is not telling a story about someone, as Good News Translation seems to indicate. The reader deserves help here to understand that the text is not talking about a particular person. This can be done by rendering the connector For in such a way as to indicate this; for example, this line may be rendered “Let us suppose that a father was overwhelmed with grief when his child suddenly died” or “Suppose, for instance, that a father….”

Made an image of his child, who had been suddenly taken from him: The image in question here could be a painting on a flat surface or a sculpture. The child is thought of as a boy later in the verse. We could continue from the model above by saying “and made an image of that child who had been suddenly taken from him” or “… whom he had suddenly lost.”

The first two lines are somewhat repetitious, but the intended effect may be to increase sympathy with the plight of the bereaved father by emphasizing it. Some translators may wish to consider combining the lines as follows: “Suppose, for instance, that a child suddenly died, and the father, overwhelmed with grief at this untimely [or, unexpected] loss, made an image of him [or, made a statue to look like him].”

And he now honored as a god what was once a dead human being, and handed on to his dependents secret rites and initiations: Good News Translation renders his dependents as “those who were under his authority.” Dependents is probably better, since it surely refers to his family in time to come, his descendants. For rites see 12.4, and for initiations refer to 8.4. For this line translators might say “He now honored this dead person as a god, and handed down secret rituals and ceremonies to his descendants.”

Possible alternative models for this verse are:

• Suppose, for instance, that a father was overwhelmed with grief when his child suddenly died, and made an image of that child whom he had suddenly lost. He now honored his dead child as a god, and handed down secret rituals and ceremonies to his descendants.

• Suppose, for instance, that a child suddenly dies, and the father is so overwhelmed by grief at this untimely [or, unexpected] loss, that he makes an image of the child [or, an object to look like the child]. He now honors his dead child….

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.