Little: the unusual form of the word here has caused much discussion by commentators. This adjective may be taken as describing the horn that grew out of one of the four horns (as in Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation, and most other English versions) or as describing the horn out of which it grew (Bible en français courant). The latter interpretation is also adopted by New Jerusalem Bible: “From one of these, the small one, sprang a(nother) horn.” The majority of English versions follow the same interpretation as Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation, probably because of 7.8, where mention is made of another horn, a small one, which grew and overcame the three others. But according to some commentators this is not sufficient reason to correct the Hebrew text here. In view of the uncertainty on this point, it may be better to follow the lead of the majority of English versions.
Out of one of them: that is, out of one of these four horns.
Grew exceedingly great: on the verb grew, see verses 4 and 8, where the same verb is translated “magnified himself.” The writer does not mention each of the earlier successors of Alexander the Great in the Seleucid dynasty who ruled over Syria and Palestine. He jumps directly to Antiochus Epiphanes (175-164 B.C.), who is of greater interest than the others.
South … east: Antiochus Epiphanes made war against Egypt to the south and against the Persians and Parthians to the east. However, it is probably better not to overload the translation with too many geographical references.
Toward the glorious land: literally “the beautiful” (compare New Revised Standard Version, “the beautiful land”). The word land is not found in the original text. But on the basis of 11.16 and 41, where the Hebrew has “the beautiful land,” Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation, and most commentators take this to refer to the land also; that is, to the land of Israel. Compare also Jer 3.19 and Ezek 20.6, 15.
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 .