With this verse one should compare Psa 33.6, 9; 104.30.

Let all thy creatures serve thee may be rendered “Let all your living things serve you.”

Thou didst speak, and they were made may be translated “You spoke and gave them life.”

Thou didst send forth thy Spirit: In both Greek and Hebrew “spirit” and “breath” are represented by one word, and it is often difficult to decide in English between the two. In the light of Gen 2.7, “breath” is to be preferred here. Revised Standard Version‘s Spirit has become “spirit” in New Revised Standard Version. Contemporary English Version uses “breath” with “his breath created them,” but Good News Translation avoids the problem of using “spirit” or “breath” by saying “you breathed on them.”

It formed them is literally “it built.” “Built” is a strange word to choose in Greek, but it surely means “created” (Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version). A recent opinion (Levison) notes that while Psa 104.30 (Greek Psa 103.30) says “you sent forth your spirit and they were created,” the word “built, formed” is used in the Greek of Gen 2.22, where God “builds” from Adam’s rib the first woman. Perhaps this could explain why the word is chosen for this psalm sung by Judith.

There is none that can resist thy voice: Voice here refers to God’s “command” (Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version). So one may translate “When you give a command, no one can oppose you.”

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.