And they marveled at her beauty: It is clear in Good News Translation that “They” at the beginning of the verse refers to the “many Assyrian soldiers” of verse 18 who were standing around her outside the tent. Revised Standard Version‘s initial they is not clear at all; in the last sentence “they” referred to some unspecified men who were telling Holofernes about Judith.

Admired the Israelites, judging them by her: Good News Translation‘s “wondered what kind of people the Israelites were” may convey the wrong idea. The Assyrians are not pictured as mystified, but as mightily impressed. The clause judging them by her should be kept, so one may translate the whole expression as “They marveled at what kind of people the Israelites must be with beautiful women like this” or “They thought, ‘The Israelites must be a special kind of people having such beautiful women.’ ”

Every one said to his neighbor: Good News Translation‘s moving “they asked one another” to within the quotation is effective. It puts the narrative statement of Assyrian amazement and their quoted question together with no interruption.

Who can despise these people is a rhetorical question that functions as a strong statement, so one may translate “We cannot have contempt [or, look down on] these people.”

Surely not a man of them had better be left alive: Good News Translation has “We had better kill all the men,” and Contemporary English Version “We need to be sure to kill all the Israelite men.”

They will be able to ensnare the whole world: Ensnare is a poor choice of words. This is the same Greek word used in 5.11, when Achior tells Holofernes how the king of Egypt “took advantage of” the Hebrews. Good News Translation‘s “charm” is much better. New Revised Standard Version has changed the verb to “beguile.”

There is more irony here as the Assyrian soldiers talk about killing the Israelite men to keep them from outwitting or charming the whole world, when the real danger is coming from that one woman whom a hundred of them escorted to their general. The Israelite audience for this book must have enjoyed this verse immensely.

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.