Proverbs - 17:5



5 Whoever mocks the poor reproaches his Maker. He who is glad at calamity shall not be unpunished.

Verse In-Depth

Explanation and meaning of Proverbs 17:5.

Differing Translations

Compare verses for better understanding.
Whoso mocketh the poor reproacheth his Maker: and he that is glad at calamities shall not be unpunished.
Whoso mocketh the poor reproacheth his Maker; And he that is glad at calamity shall not be unpunished.
He that despiseth the poor, reproacheth his Maker; and he that rejoiceth at another man's ruin, shall not be unpunished.
Whoso mocketh a poor man reproacheth his Maker; he that is glad at calamity shall not be held innocent.
He that mocketh the poor reproacheth his Maker; and he that is glad at calamities shall not be unpunished.
Whoso is mocking at the poor Hath reproached his Maker, Whoso is rejoicing at calamity is not acquitted.
Whoever mocks the poor reproaches his Maker: and he that is glad at calamities shall not be unpunished.
Whoever makes sport of the poor puts shame on his Maker; and he who is glad because of trouble will not go free from punishment.
Whoso mocketh the poor blasphemeth his Maker; And he that is glad at calamity shall not be unpunished.
Whoever despises the poor rebukes his Maker. And whoever rejoices in the ruin of another will not go unpunished.

*Minor differences ignored. Grouped by changes, with first version listed as example.


Historical Commentaries

Scholarly Analysis and Interpretation.

He that is glad at calamities - A temper common at all times as the most hateful form of evil; the Greek ἐπιχαιρεκακία epichairekakia. The sins spoken of in both clauses occur also in Job's vindication of his integrity Proverbs 31:13, Proverbs 31:29.

He that is glad at calamity - He who is pleased to hear of the misfortune of another will, in the course of God's just government, have his own multiplied.

Whoso mocketh the poor reproacheth his Maker,.... He that mocks the poor for his poverty, Upbraids him with his mean appearance, scoffs at the clothes he wears or food he eats, such an one reproaches his Creator; or, as the Targum,
"provokes his Creator to anger;''
him who is his own Creator as well as the poor man's; him who made the poor man, both as a man and as a poor man; and who could have made him rich if he would, as well as the man that mocks at him; whose riches are not of himself, but of God; and who can take them away, and give them to the poor man if he pleases; and therefore rich men should be careful how they mock the poor; for, as Gersom observes, he that derides a work derides the workman;
and he that is glad at calamities shall not be unpunished; or "at calamity" (c); at the calamity of another, as the Vulgate Latin; and so Gersom; for no man rejoices at his own calamity; at the calamity of the poor, as Aben Ezra; or of his neighbour or companion, as the Targum; or at the calamity of any of his fellow creatures, as the Edomites rejoiced at the calamity of the Jews, but were in their turn destroyed; and as the Jews rejoiced when the Christians were persecuted by Nero, and at length were destroyed themselves by the Romans; and as the Papists will rejoice when the witnesses are slain, and quickly after seven thousand men of name will be slain of them, and the rest frightened, Revelation 11:10.
(c) "ad calamitatem", Schultens; "ob calamitatem", Cocceius; "calamitate", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator.

Those that laugh at poverty, treat God's providence and precepts with contempt.

(Compare Proverbs 14:31).
glad at calamities--rejoicing in others' evil. Such are rightly punished by God, who knows their hearts.

5 He that mocketh the poor reproacheth his Maker;
He that rejoiceth over calamity remains not unpunished.
Line first is a variation of Proverbs 14:31. God is, according to Proverbs 22:2, the creator of the poor as well as of the rich. The poor, as a man, and as poor, is the work of God, the creator and governor of all things; thus, he who mocketh the poor, mocketh Him who called him into existence, and appointed him his lowly place. But in general, compassion and pity, and not joy (שׂמח ל, commonly with ל, of the person, e.g., Obad. Obadiah 1:12, the usual formula for ἐπιχαιρεκακία), is appropriate in the presence of misfortune (איד, from אוּד, to be heavily burdened), for such joy, even if he on whom the misfortune fell were our enemy, is a peccatum mortale, Job 31:29. There is indeed a hallowed joy at the actual revelation in history of the divine righteousness; but this would not be a hallowed joy if it were not united with deep sorrow over those who, accessible to no warning, have despised grace, and, by adding sin to sin, have provoked God's anger.

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