He cried aloud: or “announced with force.” The same expression is used at the beginning of 3.4.

And said thus: this may easily be omitted as redundant in a number of languages.

Hew down … cut off … strip off … scatter: this series of imperative verb forms may seem to be addressed to the king as he observed the dream. But verse 17 seems to indicate that the angel is speaking to his own companions. In order to avoid confusion, the audience addressed by the angel’s statement may have to be made clearer by introducing these imperatives with “He shouted to his companions….”

Let the beasts flee: this means more than simply allowing the animals to run away. They are to be driven out by chopping down the tree. In some languages a causative verb form will be appropriate here: “Cause the animals to run away….” And it may be better to reverse the order of the last two verb phrases or to show their relationship more clearly. Most English versions, including Good News Translation, make it sound as if the animals were still standing around and the birds still in the branches after the tree had been cut down. This is, of course, contrary to what we know of nature. It will be possible in certain languages to say “Drive the animals and birds away from the tree by cutting it down. Yes, cut it down and chop off the branches. Strip off the leaves and take away its fruit.”

From under it … from its branches: compare verse 12.

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 .