It is changed like clay under the seal describes by analogy how the darkened earth of verse 13 changes as dawn progresses into day. It is the appearance of the earth that changes. The analogy may be to a smooth piece of clay that takes on a definite shape when impressed with a seal, or signet ring. The expression translated as clay under the seal is literally “like clay a seal.” Dhorme takes it to refer to a red-colored clay used in ancient medicine, and which is used here to suggest the pink color of the earth at sunrise. Bible en français courant follows Dhorme in this but translates the first line in two ways: “The earth takes on a rose-colored hue,” which is qualified with the more literal rendering “like clay on which seals are impressed”; and in the footnote it gives “like the clay under the imprint of the seal.” Good News Translation shifts the clay impression figure to the end of verse 14 and expresses It is changed as “Daylight makes the hills and valleys stand out.”

And it is dyed like a garment is literally “and they stand forth like a garment,” as the Revised Standard Version note shows. Good News Translation and others supply “folds” to get a more adequate parallel with line a and to complete the image in line b. Bible en français courant renders this line “and all nature appears clothed in it.” Revised Standard Version follows a change also taken up by Dhorme, Pope, New Jerusalem Bible, and Bible de Jérusalem. Taken as a whole Good News Translation is preferred. In many languages the expression clay under the seal in line a will have to be modified to give a better picture of the effect of the light of dawn on the earth’s surface. Biblia Dios Habla Hoy has dropped the clay impression figure and translated “Then the relief of the earth appears, dyed in colors like a garment.” This is also a good model, which may also be rendered as “Then the land stands out clearly like the folds in a rose-colored garment.”

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 .