He was joined by: There are two serious ambiguities in the Greek text here. First, it is not clear who is meant by He. Is it Nebuchadnezzar (as seems most likely) or Arphaxad? Second, the Greek verb used here (literally, “they met him”) can refer to joining forces with him or to opposing him in battle. Most translations assume that the peoples named in verse 6 are allying themselves with Nebuchadnezzar against Arphaxad. Good News Translation and New English Bible assume the opposite. To make matters worse, the end of the verse is also ambiguous. The phrase translated joined the forces can mean “opposed the forces.” A noun form of this verb is used in 2.6, where it clearly indicates a hostile encounter. The most conservative course here is that Revised Standard Version, New Revised Standard Version, and Contemporary English Version are correct in assuming that the peoples mentioned here are joining Nebuchadnezzar against Arphaxad, and that the last clause is a summary statement, with Chaldeans representing Nebuchadnezzar’s forces. Contemporary English Version has a good introductory statement: “Many other nations sent their armies to help Nebuchadnezzar fight against Arphaxad, including….”

All the people of the hill country: The hill country probably refers to the Zagros Mountains of Iran, a high plateau situated midway between the city of Hamadan (ancient Ecbatana) to the northeast and Baghdad to the southwest. Both Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version refer to hill country as “in/from the mountains.” One may therefore translate “all the people who were living in the mountains.”

All those who lived along the Euphrates and the Tigris and the Hydaspes: The Tigris and Euphrates are of course the principal rivers of Iraq. It is helpful to the reader to identify these as rivers (so Good News Translation). The Hydaspes is also a river, but it flows through India and Pakistan. Because of this, and because of different readings in the manuscripts at this point, some scholars believe the author intended a reference to the Choaspes River (modern name Karkheh), a tributary of the Tigris.

Arioch ruled the Elymaeans: King Arioch is otherwise unknown. The Elymaeans are presumably the people of “Elam,” a kingdom on the northeast shore of the Persian Gulf, in what is now southwestern Iran.

Forces of the Chaldeans: Good News Translation‘s “Chelodite alliance” reflects the Greek “sons of Cheleoud.” Such a name is otherwise unknown, and it probably refers to the Chaldeans, that is, the Babylonians, but here meaning the Assyrians. Nebuchadnezzar was in fact king of Babylonia, not Assyria; see the note on 1.1-5 above.

An alternative translation model for this verse is:

• Many nations sent their soldiers to help King Nebuchadnezzar fight King Arphaxad, including people who lived in the mountains, those living along the Tigris, Euphrates, and Hydaspes rivers, as well as those who lived in the plain where King Arioch of Elam ruled. All these soldiers went with Nebuchadnezzar and his Chaldeans [or, Assyrians].

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.