Hearken to the thunder of his voice: Elihu invites all his hearers, since the verb translated Hearken, that is, “Listen,” is in the plural, and so Good News Translation has “Listen, all of you.” Thunder translates a word meaning “trouble, agitation, anger.” It is used in 3.17, 26; 14.1, where it is translated “trouble.” In 28.26 “thunder” is the voice of God. The second line makes clear that this word as used in line a means thunder. In line b the noun translated rumbling is found elsewhere only in Ezekiel 2.10, where Revised Standard Version translates “mourning.” In Isaiah 31.4 the verb is used of the growling of a lion. The two lines of this verse are parallel in meaning, with little intensification in the second line. Good News Translation keeps both lines but reduces thunder and rumbling to “thunder” and places it in the second line. In Psalm 29 the voice of the LORD is associated with thunder, lightning, and storms. Thunder of his voice may be rendered “the thunder which is God’s voice,” “His voice which is like thunder,” or “the thunder in which God speaks.” The second line may also be rendered “Listen how he roars with his mouth,” “Hear him roar,” or “He roars like a lion when he speaks.”

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 .