When they told him of her: The pronoun they refers to Holofernes’ servants, so one may translate “When Holofernes’ servants told him that Judith had arrived.”

He came forward to the front of the tent is literally “he came out into the fore-tent.” He had been under the mosquito netting, but now comes out. The tent probably was sectioned off into several “rooms,” and here Holofernes comes into what would be the entrance hall. See the references to this arrangement in 13.1-3 and 14.14-15, and compare the description of such a tent in Isa 54.2.

With silver lamps carried before him: The lamps are needed for light since all this takes place at night (8.33), but the silver lamps accent the luxury of the general’s surroundings. Lamps were ordinarily made of clay, and could be held in one hand. Olive oil was burned as the fuel (see Tob 8.13). Both Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation use the passive verb carried. The Greek actually says “silver lamps going before him.” If one wishes to avoid the passive, but not have lamps as the subject of a verb of motion, one could say “Silver lamps lit the way.” Or one could use a passive verb with the lamps as agents: “with his way lit by silver lamps.” However, in languages that do not have the passive voice, Contemporary English Version‘s model will be useful: “with servants carrying silver lamps in front of him.”

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Judith. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.