This subdivision contains a number of rhetorical questions that translators may need to recast in some other form according to the style of the receptor language.

Do you know how God lays his command upon them…? anticipates the kind of questions which God will put to Job in the following chapters. The Hebrew text has “Do you know how God placed on them?” Both Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation supply command translationally. Them refers back to the clouds in verse 11. New International Version makes this line clear with “Do you know how God controls the clouds?” This line may also be expressed, for example, “Do you know how God orders the clouds to move?” or “Do you know how God makes the clouds obey him?”

And causes the lightning of his cloud to shine: lightning translates the Hebrew for “light,” as in 36.32; 37.3. Shine suggests a continuous glow which is not suitable when speaking of lightning. “Makes lightning flash from the clouds” (Good News Translation) is far better.

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, Wiliam. A Handbook on Job. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1992. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .