They are wet with the rain of the mountains: rain translates a word which refers to the heavy winter storms. These rains drench the miserable people who have no clothes to protect themselves. Rain of the mountains does not refer to rain produced by the mountains but, as Good News Translation says, “rain that falls on the mountains.” The coldness of such rain may not be recognized in tropical areas, and so it may be better to say “The cold rain in the mountains soaks their bodies” or “The cold mountain rains pour down on them.”

And cling to the rock for want of shelter: cling is literally “embrace” and is used in Genesis 29.13 of Laban embracing Jacob and kissing him. The poet draws a picture of wet, miserable creatures hugging the rocks in search of warmth: “they huddle beside the rocks for shelter” (Good News Translation). The line may also be expressed, for example, “they hug the rocks to warm themselves because they have no houses” or “because they have no shelter, they embrace the rocks to get warm.”

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 .