complete verse (Daniel 7:3)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Daniel 7:3:

  • Kupsabiny: “Then four huge but different beasts emerged up out of the sea.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Four kinds of huge animals came out of the ocean.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Suddenly, four animals whose different appearances emerged-from the water.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Then I saw four beasts coming out of the ocean. All four of them were different.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

sea / lake

The various Greek, Aramaic, Ge’ez, and Latin and Hebrew terms that are translated as “sea,” “ocean,” or “lake” in English are all translated in Chichewa with one term: nyanja. Malawi, where Chichewa is spoken, has a lot of lakes but does not share a border with the ocean. (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)

In Malagasy culture, the sea is perceived as sacred because it was a path taken by the ancestors. That is why the Malagasy word for the “sea” is ranomasina, which literally means “the sacred water.” The word masina actually has two different meanings: “salted” and “sacred/holy.” Salt is used for the conservation of some foods, such as meat or fish, that are to be set aside for later use. In this sense, the Malagasy phrase for “Holy Spirit” has the literal meaning of “Salted Spirit.” (Source: Brigitte Rabarijaona in The Bible Translator 2022, p. 103ff.)

Translation commentary on Daniel 7:3

Four great beasts: in many languages it will be necessary to say something like “four very large (and frightening) animals.” It is generally believed that the four beasts represent the Babylonians (the lion of verse 4), the Medes (the bear of verse 5), the Persians (the leopard of verse 6), and the Greeks (the apocalyptic beast of verses 7 and 8). But this interpretation should not be put into the translation. The character of the vision is that it presents a challenge to the reader to discover what the symbolism stands for, and this character must be maintained. Other interpreters feel that the second beast represents Medo-Persia, so that the third would be Greece and the fourth would then be Rome.

Different from one another: or “each one different from the others” (Revised English Bible). Every translation team will have to look for the most natural way of communicating the idea that there were no two beasts alike. But in many languages it will be preferable to make this a separate sentence.

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 .