OET interlinear DAN 7:7

7:7a

After this, as I watched in my vision in the night: The Aramaic clause that the BSB translates as After this, as I watched in my vision in the night is more literally “after this I was watching in the visions of the night.” This continues the dream description and introduces the fourth, final, and most terrifying beast. Here are some other ways to translate this:

After these things, as I was watching in the night visions (NET)

Then, in my vision that night (NLT)

suddenly a fourth beast appeared: This is more literally “and lo/behold! A fourth beast.” Some English translations leave the phrase “and lo/behold” untranslated. Introduce the fourth beast in a way that is natural in your language. For example:

a fourth beast (NRSV)

a fourth beast appeared (NET)

I saw in front of me a fourth animal (NCV)

7:7b

and it was terrifying—dreadful and extremely strong: The three adjectives that the BSB translates as terrifying and dreadful and extremely strong all describe the fourth beast. Together they emphasize that the beast was both strong and evil.Some scholars understand the fourth beast to be a symbol of the Roman empire, and some understand it as a symbol of the Greek empire. Here are some other ways to translate this description:

terrifying, dreadful, and very strong (NLT)

It was powerful, horrible, terrifying. (GNT)

that was cruel, terrible, and very strong (NCV)

terrifying…dreadful: The adjectives terrifying and dreadful are synonyms. In some languages it may be more natural to combine them into one emphatic phrase and say something like:

absolutely terrifying

7:7c

with large iron teeth: The Aramaic word that the BSB translates as teeth is dual rather than plural. This may suggest two rows of teeth, top and bottom. Most English translations do not try to indicate the duality. But if it is natural in your language, you may wish to do that. For example:

It had two large rows of iron teeth. (NET)

7:7d

It devoured and crushed: The Aramaic text is more literally “it was devouring and it was shattering.” The phrase emphasizes that this beast was brutal and destructive. Other ways to translate this include:

It crushed and devoured its victims (NIV)

and was devouring, breaking in pieces (NRSV)

It crushed and ate what it killed. (NCV)

then it trampled underfoot whatever was left: The beast walked over whatever was left of its meal. It did not value or preserve anything. Other ways to translate this include:

and anything that was left it trampled with its feet (NET)

and then it walked on whatever was left (NCV)

7:7e

It was different from all the beasts before it: The text indicates that the fourth beast stood out or was unique in some way. If you must give some indication or explanation of the difference, it may be possible to say:

It did not look like any of the former beasts

from all the beasts before it: The Aramaic phrase that the BSB translates as from all the beasts before it is more literally “from every beast before it.” This refers to the three other beasts Daniel had seen rising from the great sea. Since in some languages it may not be appropriate to use the word all to refer to three items, you may wish to say:

from the other beasts that I had seen

from the three previous beasts

and it had ten horns: This was the way, or one of the ways, in which the fourth beast was different from the others. In some languages it may be necessary to indicate that the ten horns were growing on the head of the beast. For example:

and it had horns on its head—ten of them (CEV)

there were ten horns growing on its head

horns: The Aramaic word that the BSB translates as horns refers to hard pointed spikes that grow on the heads of animals like the rhinoceros. Animals use these horns to fight other animals.