They are just like a beam of the temple: The introductory phrase They are is literally “It is” (see Revised Standard Version footnote), and the whole clause is “It is the case with these gods as it is with a [wooden] beam of the temple.” This can be reduced as in Revised Standard Version. Contemporary English Version has a helpful rendering with “These idols are nothing but wood, just like the beams in the temple.”

But men say their hearts have melted: The Greek is confusing here, and unfortunately this is reflected in some translations like Revised Standard Version. We can be misled here at several points. The connector but expresses a contrast between the fact that the idols are nothing more than pieces of wood, and the fact that their Babylonian worshipers (men) treat them as if they had human body parts. Hearts refers here simply to the interior of a piece of wood, whether a beam in the temple or an idol. There are no emotional overtones to it. The Greek verb translated melted is better translated “eaten away” (Good News Translation), that is, by the termites or whatever.

When worms from the earth devour them: Worms from the earth is literally “crawling creatures from the earth.” But creatures that come out of the dirt and devour wood are “termites” (Good News Translation). The author could hardly be referring to anything else. Describing the beam as “wooden beams” (Good News Translation) helps complete the picture for the reader.

Good News Translation makes the verse easier to follow by putting the first clause (They are just like …) after the next two clauses (but men say … when worms …). The restructuring in Good News Translation is quite good, but if translators want to carry through with the irony in the use of the term heart, it could be approached in this way: “Their hearts—as if they had any—are eaten away by termites, just like the wooden beams of the temple.” This would get the effect of men say across.

The Greek word for robes refers to whatever “clothing” has been put on the idol. The word does not indicate any particular type of garment.

They do not notice: This clause can be taken with the previous clause (the idols are not aware that they are being eaten) or with the following one (the idols are not aware they are getting covered with soot). Revised Standard Version and Contemporary English Version take it with what follows (also New Revised Standard Version, New English Bible, Moore). Good News Translation takes it with the previous clause (also New American Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible). It is simply the translator’s choice. The meaning of the Greek verb here is that the idols do not sense whatever is going on; they do not perceive, through any of the senses, what is happening to them. They are unaware.

An alternative translation model for this verse is:

• These idols are only wood, just like the beams of the temple. So their hearts—as if they had any—are eaten away by termites. Their clothing is also eaten. They don’t even realize it.

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on The Shorter Books of the Deuterocanon. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2006. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.