Revised Standard Version makes a paragraph break at the beginning of this verse, but this seems to spoil the relationship between this verse and the previous verse. The word translated Then in Revised Standard Version, which may be understood as a simple adverb of time, is rendered as an adverb of purpose by Good News Translation and New Jerusalem Bible: “That is why.” Similarly, New English Bible/Revised English Bible has “This is why…,” and AB “Therefore.” This meaning seems to fit the context better.

From his presence the hand was sent: this expression may be difficult to translate literally, because it is awkward and includes a passive form. In Aramaic it actually includes the two words for hand as seen in verse 5 above. But the meaning is simply “God sent the hand.”

And this writing was inscribed: this expression involves another passive construction, while the conjunction and may also be misleading. The relationship between the hand and the writing may be unclear if and is translated literally. The hand was sent for the purpose of writing the inscription. So one way of expressing the two clauses together is “God sent the hand in order to write the message.” Another model is that of New Jerusalem Bible: “he has sent the hand that has written these words.”

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 .