There are two simultaneous scenes in this verse. Judith, in her own tent, dresses herself and prepares for the dinner while her maid (see the note on 8.10) goes to Holofernes’ tent to prepare for Judith’s arrival. Judith does not enter Holofernes’ tent until the next verse. Compare New American Bible “Meanwhile her maid went ahead…” or Good News Translation “Her slave woman went ahead of her….”

Arrayed herself in all her woman’s finery: “Prettiest clothes” (Good News Translation) is not quite the focus of the Greek, but it is only a slight shift of focus. Not only “clothes” are included, but also any kind of accessories, such as pins, bracelets, and necklaces. Also, “prettiest” is not so much the point as that they are “feminine.” An alternative translation model is “she put on all the things that would make her beautiful.”

Spread on the ground for her before Holofernes the soft fleeces: The soft fleeces would have been “lamb skins” (Good News Translation). They give a further touch of color to the story, adding to the vividness of the scene the author is constructing. In some languages soft fleeces will need to be rendered “skins of young sheep.” However, in cultures where sheep are unknown, one may simply say “soft animal skins.” The maid lays the fleeces before Holofernes. In the context it is better to say “beside Holofernes.” That’s presumably where Judith will recline at the meal.

Which she had received from Bagoas for her daily use: There may be a translation problem here since the fleeces are introduced out of narrative order. We are not told until the maid rolls out the lambskins that Bagoas had earlier given them to Judith for use in her own tent. Though this is introduced as old information, it is actually the first we have heard of it. Bagoas would probably have given Judith her provisions in the events of verse 5, but even he is not introduced until verse 11. The translator can do nothing more than ease the problem. Good News Translation could be modified: “some lamb skins that Bagoas had given…” or “lamb skins” without the article “the.”

So that she might recline on them when she ate: She refers to Judith, not the maid mentioned earlier in the verse.

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.