Daniel said: literally, “answered and said.” This begins the direct quotation from Daniel in the original. However, if first person pronouns have been used from the beginning of this chapter, as in Good News Translation, these words will be redundant and should be omitted. On the other hand, if it is natural to do so, the form of the original may be followed, retaining the third person up to this point.

Behold: this particle is frequently used where visions are involved. See comments on 2.31; 4.10, 13.

The four winds of heaven: a literal rendering of this expression will probably be unnatural in most languages. The figure four is a reference to the cardinal points of a compass: north, south, east, and west. In some cases the number four will be meaningless or will distract from the real meaning. In those cases it may be better to speak of “all directions” as in Good News Translation.

Stirring up: other versions use verbs like “churning up” or “agitated.” In some languages it will be more natural to use a causative form of a verb meaning “to mix up.” New Century Version offers another possible model using a separate sentence: “these winds made the sea very rough.”

The great sea: while the expression “Great Sea” is sometimes used in the Old Testament to refer to the Mediterranean (see, for example, Num 34.6), this is not the case here. The definite article may therefore be misleading. Probably no particular body of water is intended, since this is a vision. It is more likely a reference to the ocean that covered the earth at the time of creation. What is important in translation is to convey the notion of the vastness of this sea.

Quoted with permission from Péter-Contesse, René & Ellington, John. A Handbook on Daniel. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1994. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .