It will be manifest to all … that they are not gods but the work of men’s hands: The restructuring of New Jerusalem Bible is interesting here. It reads “it will be obvious to everyone, to nations as to kings, that they are not gods but the work of human hands.” But we may also say “The people of all nations and their kings will clearly see that they are not gods, but that human beings have made them.”

The work of men’s hands may be rendered “were made by human hands” (Contemporary English Version) or “human beings made them.” Compare Deut 4.28; Psa 115.4; 135.15; Wis 13.10.

And that there is no work of God in them: Revised Standard Version understands the text here to mean “God has no part in them” or “they are not part of God’s creation.” But many other translations assume that the text is simply saying that idols are not gods (so Good News Translation). Good News Translation renders this as “They do not have the power of a god,” and makes it part of the sentence in verse 52. However, the Greek certainly indicates a closer connection with the first part of this verse. It is a short statement, and can be made quite effective by standing alone as a separate sentence: “They do not have the power of a god.”

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.