The Lord who crushes war: For a comment on this clause, see the note at 9.7.

He has delivered me out of the hands of my pursuers translates the third line in Greek of this verse’s three lines. Good News Translation has “He rescued me from my pursuers.”

And brought me into his camp, in the midst of the people: This second line in Greek presents a textual problem. The Greek as it stands is difficult and there are many variants in the manuscripts. Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation are both attempting to translate the text without changing it. Either represents a fair approach. One variant, however, commends itself very strongly. If one supposes that a single letter—one single letter—dropped out of the text, the second line takes on a new meaning. The single letter that dropped out very closely resembles the following letter in ancient handwriting; it would have been a very simple scribal error. Further, there is manuscript evidence for it. The verse would then read:

• The Lord is a God who crushes war;
he has made his camp among his people;
he has rescued me from my pursuers.

Recent translations have been favoring this emendation (New Jerusalem Bible, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, Revised English Bible). A fair footnote to this would read: “Two ancient translations he has made his camp among his people; Greek because into his camps among his people.”

If the above emendation is accepted, the question is raised as to whether “me” refers to Judith personally, or to Israel collectively. See the note on verse 5 below. Without the textual change, the verse refers to Judith’s personal deliverance. If the change is made, “my pursuers” can then refer to Israel’s foes, and be translated “our [Israel’s] pursuers.”

An alternative translation model for this verse is:

• For the Lord God is the one who destroys the enemy soldiers.
He has set up his tent [or, made his home] among his people;
he has rescued us from those who were pursuing us.

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.