4:7a
The first living creature was like a lion: This first creature looked like a lion.
a lion: A lion is a large, fierce, four-legged animal. They weigh about 200 kilograms (450 pounds) and are about 2 meters (6.5 feet) in length. They prey upon and eat other animals, sometimes animals bigger than themselves. The male lion has a mane of hair on the head and neck. The female lion does not have a mane.
If lions are not known in your area, you may want to:
• Use the major language word. If people are not familiar with this word, explain it in a footnote. An example footnote is:
A lion is a large, fierce, four-legged animal. A lion weighs about 200 kilograms and is about two meters in length.
• Use the major language word and add a descriptive phrase. For example:
⌊a large, fierce animal called⌋ a lion
4:7b
the second like a calf: This second creature looked like a calf. The word “creature” is implied from 4:7a, but it is not repeated here.
second: The word second refers to the next item after the first one. If counted, this item would be counted as number two. Other ways to translate this word are:
the one after the first
-or-
another
a calf: A calf is the offspring of cattle or oxen. Mature oxen weigh about 800 kilograms (1,800 pounds) and are about 2.4 meters (8 feet) in length. They eat grass.
The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as calf can also refer to full-grown cattle. For example, the New International Version says:
an ox
A calf would not have horns. It is not clear here whether a young or mature ox is meant.
If calves (the plural of calf) are not known in your area, you may want to:
• Use the major language word. If people are not familiar with this word, explain it in a footnote. An example footnote is:
A calf is a young cow (female) or bull (male). Cows and bulls are large, domesticated/tame four-legged animals. They weigh about 800 kilograms and are about 2.4 meters in length when they are full grown.
• Use the major language word and add a descriptive phrase. For example:
⌊a large animal called⌋ a calf
4:7c
the third had a face like a man: The face of the third creature looked like a human being. The rest of the third creature is not described. The word “creature” is implied from 4:7a, but it is not repeated here.
third: This refers to the next item after the second one. If counted, this item would be counted as number three. Other ways to translate this word are:
the one after the other two
-or-
the one after the two of them
-or-
another ⌊beside the other two⌋
4:7d
the fourth was like an eagle in flight: This fourth creature looked like an eagle that was flying. The word “creature” is implied from 4:7a, but it is not repeated.
fourth: The word fourth refers to the next item after three other things. If counted, this item would be counted as number four. Here it refers to the last of four living creatures. Other ways to translate this word here are:
the one after the other three
-or-
the one after the three of them
-or-
last
an eagle in flight: An eagle is a large, sometimes aggressive bird. They weigh about 5 kilograms (11 pounds) and are about 1 meter (3 feet) in length. They eat meat.
If eagles are not known in your area, you may want to:
• Use the major language word. If people are not familiar with this word, explain it in a footnote. An example footnote is:
An eagle is a large, meat-eating bird. It weighs about 5 kilograms and is about one meter in length.
• Use the major language word and add a descriptive phrase. For example:
⌊a large bird called⌋ an eagle flying
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