Judith was left alone in the tent, with Holofernes stretched out on his bed: Here the progress of the story slows as everyone has withdrawn from the stage, leaving only Judith and Holofernes. Something is obviously about to happen. But the suspense is drawn out. The action is stopped so that we can take in this situation. Nothing happens in this verse. Verse 3 just tells us something that happened earlier, so that we will know the situation offstage. Verse 4 repeats the substance of verse 2, and Judith says a brief prayer. This long pause is necessary to provide a stark contrast with the quick actions about to come.

He was overcome with wine is literally “the wine had completely soaked him.” Holofernes is not just “lying drunk on his bed” (Good News Translation). He is unconscious. He is “dead drunk,” as New English Bible and Moore have it.

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.