The giants were born there, who were famous of old: Giants refers to the beings mentioned in Genesis 6.1-4. Though little is said about them there, later tradition pictured them as arrogant men who misused their great strength (see Wis 14.6; Sir 16.7; 3 Macc 2.4). The Greek says they were born there; Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version have them born “here,” since we inhabit the same universe. There is no statement here that there is more than one universe. Contemporary English Version has “Long ago, the famous giants were born here.” If a language does not have a term for giants, they may be described as “huge [or, enormous] people.”

Great in stature, expert in war: Great in stature refers to the giants being very tall or big. Good News Translation calls them “a mighty race,” but this could be interpreted in a favorable sense, which cannot be allowed here. New American Bible refers to them as “stalwarts,” but this presents the same problem, perhaps even more so. An alternative model for the whole line is “They were tall and powerful and skillful in fighting.”

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.