I loved her and sought her from my youth: Here again, Wisdom is personified as a female figure, presented as a bride whom Solomon sought and won. I loved her is translated effectively by Good News Translation in the short sentence “Wisdom has been my love,” but it might be better rendered as “Wisdom has always been my love” or “I have always loved Wisdom.” Good News Translation makes the marriage imagery of the verse clearer by translating sought her as “courted her.” We may also restructure this line as follows: “Since the time I was young, I have loved and searched for [or, courted] Wisdom.”

And I desired to take her for my bride may be rendered “and I wanted to make her my wife” or even “… to take her as my wife.”

And I became enamored of her beauty: To become enamored is to fall in love with someone or something, so this line may be translated “I fell in love with her beauty” (Good News Translation) or “I was charmed by her beauty” (Contemporary English Version).

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.