no strength

In Gbaya, the notion of being weak and having no strength is emphasized in the referenced verses with gbɛlɛsuwɛɛ, an ideophone that designates something that has no strength, like a tree leaf that has become limp.

Ideophones are a class of sound symbolic words expressing human sensation that are used as literary devices in many African languages. (Source: Philip Noss)

Translation commentary on Wisdom 17:15

And now were driven by monstrous specters, and now were paralyzed by their souls’ surrender, for sudden and unexpected fear overwhelmed them: And now … and now … seems to describe a dreamlike state in which a person is pursued by something fearsome, but is unable to move in order to escape. This verse further describes “the same sleep,” that is, the sleep of Hades mentioned in verse 14. We suggest connecting it to verse 14 as follows:

• As they slept, they were chased by hideous [or, horrible] forms. But they were unable to move, since this sudden fear of things they were not expecting took complete control of them.

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.