There is a God in heaven: this is the same as the expression used in verse 18 except for the addition of the preposition in here. It clearly refers to the true God in both cases. But in some languages a literal rendering of these words will probably not be understood in this way. Translators should ensure that the reference is to the true God in their language. Some versions invert the order to say “But there is in heaven a God…” (Revised English Bible).

He has made known …: the verb form used here may give the wrong impression that God has already made the meaning of the dream known to Nebuchadnezzar. But this is clearly not the case. While it was already known to Daniel, the king was still unaware of its meaning. For this reason the verb in at least two English versions is in the present tense: “he discloses” (Moffatt) and “he makes known” (An American Translation). Bible en français courant likewise adopts the present tense. In some languages a near future tense may be more appropriate: “he is about to make known…,” or a benefactive verb form such as “he has made known to me for you (or your majesty)….” Or, restructuring more radically but maintaining the past tense, translators may want to consider “the purpose of the dream was to inform Your Majesty of what will happen….”

To King Nebuchadnezzar: once again Daniel refers to the king indirectly, even though he is speaking to him. The polite indirect reference in this case includes the proper name, but in many languages this will be replaced by the pronoun “you” in order to make it sound more natural.

In the latter days: the Aramaic words used here correspond to the common Hebrew expression (Hos 3.5; Isa 2.2; Dan 10.14) and are normally taken as a reference to the end time. So it has been translated “at the end of this age” (New English Bible/Revised English Bible) or “in the final days” (New Jerusalem Bible). Other versions, however, use less precise terminology. Compare “in the future” (Good News Translation) and “in days to come” (New American Bible and New International Version).

Your dream and the visions of your head as you lay in bed: the use of the two terms dream and visions does not indicate two separate and distinct revelations. Rather these two terms together are a way of describing the one revelation that the king received. The second expression is in apposition with the first. With slight alterations the three elements visions, head, and bed are repeated in 4.5, 10, 13 (Aramaic 4.2, 7, 10); 7.1, 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 .