For blessed is the barren woman who is undefiled, who has not entered into a sinful union: Since this verse begins a new section, the connector For may be omitted (see Good News Translation). Who has not entered into a sinful union is literally “who has not known a bed in transgression.” The passage speaks of more than “adultery” (Good News Translation). It includes any union forbidden by Jewish law, including adultery (violation of marriage vows) and fornication (relations outside of marriage), but also marriage between a Jew and a Gentile. This was a special concern in our author’s time (see Ezra 9-10; Neh 13.23); it is probably what the author really means here, rather than adultery. Taken as adultery, what the author says in verses 16-19 and in 4.6 makes no sense. Surely he knew that children who were born of adulterous unions might live quite a long time. But if he is thinking of children of mixed marriages, what he says may make very good sense. The child of a Jewish parent and a Gentile parent, living in such a place as a big city in Egypt, would find that he or she did not really fit into either Jewish society or Gentile society. Their opportunities for marriage and prosperity might well be small. They could well have had a hard life (verse 19). This verse shows a contrast with the wicked woman in verse 12. So translators may begin with “In contrast, God will look with favor even on a woman who has never been able to have a child, if that woman has never had sexual relations forbidden by the Law.”

She will have fruit when God examines souls: This line is actually rather vague. It is not said what kind of fruit the woman will have, but it surely does not mean children. Good News Translation “reward” is probably as suitable as anything. When God examines souls is literally “at the visitation of souls.” This probably refers to the same “visitation” as in verse 7. Good News Translation renders this “On Judgment Day,” which shifts the focus a bit but which is certainly not wrong. We could say “at the final judgment” or “when God finally judges our souls on Judgment Day.”

Jewish tradition thought of being childless as a curse, but this writer denies that this is necessarily so. If a woman is faithful to the Law in her relations to men, she is blessed by that very fact. Even being childless cannot erase that blessedness. There is a contrast between the “accursed” offspring of verse 13a and the blessed woman here.

Here is an alternative translation model:

• In contrast, God will look with favor even on a woman who has never been able to have a child, if that woman has never had sexual relations forbidden by the Law. When God judges [our] souls on Judgment Day, she will be rewarded [or, he will reward her].

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.