In Malay, the pronoun beta for the royal “I” (or “my” or “me”) that is used by royals when speaking to people of lower rank, subordinates or commoners to refer to themselves in these verses. This reflects the “language of the court because the monarchy and sultanate in Malaysia are still alive and well. All oral and printed literature (including newspapers and magazines) preserve and glorify the language of the court. Considering that the language of the court is part of the Malaysian language, court language is used sparingly where appropriate, specifically with texts relating to palace life.” (Source: Daud Soesilo in The Bible Translator 2025, p. 263ff.)
Translation commentary on Judith 2:10
You shall go and seize … in advance: In the preceding paragraph Nebuchadnezzar had stated what he will do. Now he is ordering Holofernes to go ahead of him. It will be helpful to begin a new paragraph here with the equivalent of “But….” Good News Translation expresses You shall go with the passive construction “you, Holofernes, are ordered to go.” However, in many languages a direct command will be better style; for example, New Jerusalem Bible has “Now go!” Contemporary English Version also has a good model: “Holofernes, I want you to go ahead of me….” It is not clear from the Greek what is meant by seize … in advance. It may not mean anything more than “capture.” Compare its use later in 4.5; 7.1, 7, 17. Even if in advance is intended as a component of the verb, it is not clear what the seizure is to be in advance of. Good News Translation takes this to mean that Nebuchadnezzar himself intends to follow Holofernes in a mop-up operation, so it translates “ahead of me.” With the same understanding it translates till the day of their punishment at the end of the verse as “until I come to punish them.” Not until verse 19 of this chapter does the author make clear that Nebuchadnezzar does intend to follow Holofernes. The translator would do well to help the reader out by making it clear at this point, as Good News Translation does.
They will yield themselves to you: This expresses the Greek literally, but it is in conflict with verse 11, where instructions are given as to what to do with those who do not yield. Good News Translation solves this problem by rendering it “If they surrender to you….” The people have no choice in their fate. They are doomed whether they surrender or not. The only thing to be determined is whether Nebuchadnezzar gets to put them to death (if they surrender to Holofernes), or whether Holofernes can go ahead and put them to death (if they do not surrender).
The clause you shall hold them for me till the day of their punishment seems to indicate that Nebuchadnezzar wants Holofernes to keep control (hold) of the people who surrender, and when Nebuchadnezzar arrives, he will punish them himself.
Contemporary English Version has a good model for this verse:
• Holofernes, I want you to go ahead of me and take over their land. Keep control of the nations that surrender to you, and when I arrive, I will punish them myself.
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.
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