Or newly created unknown beasts full of rage: God would not have had to stop with sending bears or lions on the Egyptians; he could have created even worse animals just for the purpose. Full of rage may also be translated as “savage” or “cruel.” In the light of what follows, New English Bible /Revised English Bible renders unknown beasts full of rage as “unknown ferocious monsters.” Good News Translation provides an adequate model for this line: “You could have created new and terrible animals.”

Or such as breathe out fiery breath, or belch forth a thick pall of smoke, or flash terrible sparks from their eyes: Here the writer imagines the kind of creatures God could have created if he had wanted to do so. Compare Job 41.18-21, a passage that is probably an attempt to describe the crocodile. Belch forth a thick pall of smoke is literally rendered in An American Translation: “scattering a roar of smoke.” The verb “scattering” is usually associated with winnowing grain—tossing it into the air so as to separate the outer husks from the heavier kernels. The word translated a thick pall suggests noise accompanying the eruption of smoke. We are invited to imagine some terrible animal that breathes out fire and smoke along with some terrifying sound, similar perhaps to what some languages call a “dragon.” Again the model of Good News Translation is helpful.

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on The Wisdom of Solomon. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2004. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.