The actual explanation of the vision begins with this verse. The meaning of the text is fairly straightforward, and translators should refer back to the vision itself for the basic vocabulary.

Ram … with the two horns: see verse 6.

Kings: on the question of “kings” versus “kingdoms,” see comments on 7.17.

The kings of Media and Persia: while these two proper names are singular in form, the meaning is, of course, collective, referring to the Persian and Median kingdoms rather than to the individuals who ruled over them. Some languages may speak more naturally of “the kingdoms called Media and Persia,” or even “the governments of Media-land and Persia-land.”

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 .