For a holy and disciplined spirit will flee from deceit: Again the connector For may be omitted. The sparse grammar of this line in Greek allows several interpretations:

a holy and disciplined spirit (also New Revised Standard Version)
“the holy spirit of discipline” (New American Bible [New American Bible], which is the most literal; similarly Revised English Bible, New English Bible, Reider)
“the holy spirit of instruction” (New Jerusalem Bible [New Jerusalem Bible])
“The holy spirit, that divine tutor” (Winston; similarly Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, Pléiade)
“Everyone who is holy has learned” (Good News Translation)

The Greek word (paideia) for disciplined may be translated as “discipline” or “instruction.” In English “discipline” refers to the effort that a person puts into learning, while “instruction” refers to the content of what is learned as well as to the work of teaching. In this context the Handbook prefers “instruction,” but we must also say that the author uses it in such a way that at times it is almost equivalent to “wisdom.” Compare, for example, disciplined spirit here with “wisdom is a kindly spirit” in verse 6.

Good News Translation takes the word spirit to refer to a person, just as “soul” and “body” do in verse 4. The other approaches identify the spirit not with the person of verse 4, but with wisdom, anticipating the clear identification of the two in verse 6. We believe that this latter interpretation is right: the spirit here is wisdom, as will become clearer in verses 6-7. Deceit here in the first line and foolish thoughts in the next line represent the person. Just as wisdom enters a person in verse 4, wisdom (“the holy spirit of instruction”) keeps out of a person in this verse.

This verse does not speak of the Holy Spirit of Christian theology (although Traduction œcuménique de la Bible capitalizes “Spirit.”). The spirit here is the spirit of discipline or instruction. The claim is made that this instruction is itself holy. Since there is little doubt that the “spirit of instruction” here is to be identified with wisdom’s “kindly spirit” in verse 6, the identification with wisdom may be moved up from verse 6 to this point to make the meaning clearer. Possible models that do this are “The spirit of wisdom is holy [or, pure], and it doesn’t go near deceitful people,” “Wisdom’s pure spirit doesn’t go near deceitful people,” and perhaps “Wisdom’s spirit is too pure to go near….”

The use of the word spirit here will be a problem for some translators, and the matter will arise again. Here the word appears to be used in a casual sense to refer to the real, but unexpressed, meaning or importance of something. In English, people might speak of “a spirit of kindness” or “the spirit of the law.” Translators who find this awkward here may drop the word and say something like “Wisdom is too pure to go near deceitful people.”

And will rise and depart from foolish thoughts: Since instruction is morally pure, and doesn’t go near deceit (that is, deceitful people), it also makes itself conspicuously absent when people are expressing foolish thoughts. Translators may say “When people are thinking foolishly, instruction [or, reliable information] is nowhere to be found” or “When people are thinking foolishly, it is a sign that no one has reliable information.” This involves translating “instruction” as “Wisdom” in the first line and as “reliable information” in the second, but it may be clearer than trying to force one term to be the subject of both clauses.

And will be ashamed at the approach of unrighteousness: The word translated be ashamed may mean “be upset, be rebuked, be made terribly uncomfortable.” Other possible renderings for this clause are “It [Wisdom] is embarrassed at the very thought of injustice” and “And as for injustice—wisdom cannot stand even a hint of it.” This last model has the advantage of making “injustice” a more serious matter than deceit or foolish thoughts, and makes a good contrast with the mention of “justice” at the beginning of the section, in verse 1.

An alternative translation model for this verse is:

• Wisdom is too holy [or, pure] to go near deceitful people. When people are thinking foolishly, wisdom cannot be found. Wisdom is embarrassed at even the thought of injustice.

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.