Albert Barnes Commentary Job 37:1

"Yea, at this my heart trembleth, And is moved out of its place." — Job 37:1 (ASV)

At this also - That is, in view of the thunderstorm, for it is that which Elihu is describing. This description was commenced in (Job 36:29) and is continued to (Job 37:5), and should not have been separated by the division into chapters. Elihu sees a tempest rising. The clouds gather, the lightning flashes, the thunder rolls, and he is awed as with the conscious presence of God. Nowhere is there found a more graphic and impressive description of a thunderstorm than this; compare Herder on Hebrew Poetry, vol. 1, 85 and following, by Marsh, Burlington, 1833.

My heart trembles - With fear. He refers to the palpitation or increased action of the heart produced by alarm.

And is moved out of its place - That is, by violent palpitation. The heart seems to leave its calm resting place and to burst away because of fright. The increased action of the heart under the effects of fear, as described here by Elihu, has been experienced by all.

The “cause” of this increased action is supposed to be this. The immediate effect of fear is on the extremities of the nerves of the system, which are diffused over the whole body. The first effect is to prevent the circulation of blood to the extremities and to drive it back to the heart, thus producing paleness.

The blood thus driven back on the heart produces an increased action there to propel it through the lungs and arteries.

This action then causes the increased effort of the heart, the rapid action of the lungs, and, of course, the quick breathing and palpitation observed in fear.

See Scheutzer, Physica. Sacra, in loc. An expression similar to that which occurs here is used by Shakespeare, in Macbeth:

“Why do I yield to that suggestion,
Whose horrid image does unfix my hair,
And make my seated heart knock at my ribs
Against the use of nature.”