If the river is turbulent, he is not frightened depicts the bravery of the animal. The word translated as turbulent commonly means “oppress,” but that meaning does not suit the context here. Many changes have been suggested to give “overflows,” “sinks,” “gushes.” The context suggests something such as Good News Translation “rushing.” Revised Standard Version and others translate the Hebrew clause as a conditional sentence. New Jerusalem Bible translates “If the river overflows…,” and Bible en français courant “If the current is strong….” Good News Translation makes a statement.

The second line is exceptionally long, and consequently many interpreters switch some of it to the first line, but this is not necessary. Parallel with he is not frightened in line a is he is confident in line b, which means “he remains calm,” “does not get upset.” Jordan has no article in the Hebrew, which makes it likely that the word refers, not to the Jordan River, but to any river like the Jordan. Bible en français courant translates it as “torrent,” Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch “the river,” Biblia Dios Habla Hoy “water.” Nevertheless many translators keep Jordan. Against his mouth pictures the water rushing over the submerged head of the animal. When a hippopotamus comes to the surface of the river to breathe, its head is beneath the water, with only the eyes and nostrils protruding. If the water rushes over him, he merely closes his nostrils, and so “he is calm when the Jordan dashes in his face” (Good News Translation). Another good translation model of verse 23 is Biblia Dios Habla Hoy: “If the river rises, he is not frightened; even when the water reaches his snout, he remains calm.”

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 .