And mustered the picked troops by divisions as his lord had ordered him to do: The picked troops means they are “the best troops.” Good News Translation applies “the best” to both groups of soldiers here, but the Greek text does not specifically say this. It is hard to know what to do with the phrase by divisions (also used by Moore). This seems to suggest a military organization that the Greek does not necessarily imply. The text reads literally, “he numbered/counted chosen men for a battle/battle line/formation.” We are being told that Holofernes obeys orders and selects men up to the number required by the king for military purposes. Verse 16 tells us that these troops were drawn up in battle formation. “For a battle” in verse 15 seems to say nothing more. Good News Translation does not seem to represent it; this can be justified since it comes again in verse 16. For some languages it will be helpful to begin the verse with “Just as Nebuchadnezzar had commanded him, he chose…” (similarly Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version). This translates the clause as his lord had ordered him to do.

One hundred and twenty thousand of them, together with twelve thousand archers on horseback: The numbers required are clearer in verse 5 than here, but it is certain that there are 120,000 foot soldiers, as well as 12,000 cavalry troops. The 12,000 are not included within the larger number. The cavalry are given a description here that goes beyond verse 5: they are armed with bows and arrows. They are “mounted archers,” archers on horseback. Contemporary English Version has “twelve thousand cavalry troops who were experts with bows and arrows.”

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.