They can offer no resistance to a king or any enemies: If translators feel that different verbs are required in their language for a king and any enemies, two can certainly be used, as in Good News Translation. But the Greek is simpler, saying only that the images cannot stand up against either, that is, they can offer no resistance or “cannot oppose” (Contemporary English Version).

Why then must any one admit or think that they are gods?: The form of the refrain here is reasonably similar to the form in verses 40 and 44. Here the meaning may be rendered “How can anyone take them seriously and accept them as gods?” This translation reverses the order of the two Greek verbs here.

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on The Shorter Books of the Deuterocanon. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2006. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.