Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation begin the verse with the second of the three terms in the first line. Ziegler’s Greek text and some translations begin the verse with the third of the terms. Others begin with the first word. This is what we recommend.

Irresistible, beneficent, humane: Irresistible says that Wisdom is not only “sharp” and “piercing,” but when it pierces it cannot be stopped. Good News Translation connects this with the previous word: “sharp and unconquerable.” Translators may begin this verse with “unconquerable” or “victorious.” Beneficent says that Wisdom not only loves what is good; it does what is good. Good News Translation has “kind.” For humane Good News Translation is more literal with “a friend of humanity.” A possible alternative for this line is “victorious [or, unconquerable], does what is good, and is a friend of humanity.”

Steadfast, sure, free from anxiety: Steadfast means that Wisdom is securely established, firmly based. This is not contradictory to “mobile,” but translators should beware of the danger of using contradictory terms for these two items. Good News Translation says “dependable,” or we might say “strong” or “sturdy.” Sure is similar in meaning to steadfast. It has the sense of “unerring, always successful, never failing.” Free from anxiety means that because Wisdom is sturdy and never failing, it has no reason to be afraid of anything or worry about anything. This of course personifies Wisdom, but the sense intended is that a person who has Wisdom is free of cares. “She never worries” (Contemporary English Version) is a good model.

All-powerful, overseeing all: With these two terms the author comes close to identifying Wisdom with God. The word all-powerful is used in 11.17 (of God’s hand) and 18.15 (of God’s word). Its sense is “has power over everything” (Good News Translation). Overseeing all means that Wisdom looks out over everything and sees all that happens.

And penetrating through all spirits that are intelligent and pure and most subtle: This is the last of the 21 descriptions of Wisdom, the only one consisting of more than one word in Greek. These last two lines repeat two of the same words used in the lines above (intelligent, subtle), and the idea in the term pure is close to that of “unpolluted.” Here, however, those qualities apply to spirits other than Wisdom. We are told here that no matter how intelligent, pure, or subtle any other spirit may be, Wisdom is so much more so that it penetrates or permeates them. Wisdom penetrates these spirits like water penetrates a sponge. Just as water actually fills the spaces in a sponge, the author thinks of Wisdom filling the spaces in these spirits. In his thinking the spirits have material substance; it is just that it is exceptionally thin. The problem for translators is that the whole meaning depends on ancient ideas about the physical world from Greek philosophy. Perhaps they could say “Wherever there is anything intelligent, pure, or highly subtle, Wisdom is there.”

An alternative model for this verse is:

• victorious [or, unconquerable], does what is good, and is a friend of humanity [or, all humans beings]. She [Wisdom] has power over everything, and sees everything that happens. Wherever there is anything intelligent, she penetrates it, no matter how delicate [or, thin] it may be.

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.