Proverbs 17:5 Meaning: Mocking the Poor Insults God
Whoever mocks the poor reproaches his Maker. He who is glad at calamity shall not be unpunished.
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; Andhe that is glad at calamity shall not be unpunished.
Whoso is mocking at the poor Hath reproached his Maker, Whoso is rejoicing at calamity is not acquitted.
Whoso mocketh a poor [man] reproacheth his Maker; he that is glad at calamity shall not be held innocent.
Meaning in one sentence
What Proverbs 17:5 means: mocking the poor reproaches God, and gloating over disaster brings divine justice. Find the connection and application.
Context
Proverbs is a collection of short, punchy sayings that teach wisdom for everyday life. Chapter 17 touches on family, speech, justice, and how we treat one another. This verse sits among warnings about pride, bribery, and quarreling. It pulls together two sins that look different on the surface: looking down on the poor and feeling glad when others suffer. The writer sees they share the same root. Both treat another person's hardship as a joke or a show, forgetting that God stands behind every human life. The second line adds a sober warning: delighting in someone else's calamity does not escape God's notice.
Key Words
The Hebrew verb for 'mocks' (la'ag) means to deride or hold someone in contempt. It is not casual teasing; it is a sneer that says, 'You deserve your hard lot.' That sneer becomes a direct insult to God, because the word 'reproaches' (cheref) is used elsewhere for defying God Himself. The poor person is not a mistake or an accident; God made him and placed him where he is.
The second line uses 'glad' (sameach), a word usually full of joy, like at a wedding. But here it is twisted into rejoicing at 'calamity' (ed), a word for disaster or burden. The final phrase 'shall not be unpunished' uses the verb naqah, which means to be clean or free. In legal settings it means acquitted. So the promise is strong: the one who gloats will not walk away clean.
How Christians Read This Verse
Matthew Henry called mocking the poor a 'great sin' that will be called to account. The Cambridge Bible notes that both poverty and calamity come from God, so to mock the one or delight in the other is to reproach Him. Gill's Exposition adds that deriding a work is deriding the workman. Adam Clarke observes that the one who is glad at calamity will have his own multiplied under God's just government. These voices from different traditions agree: the verse ties human cruelty to the heart of God, and no act of contempt or gloating escapes His attention.
A common misunderstanding
Some think this verse only condemns open mockery or public gloating. In fact, the Hebrew word for 'mock' (la'ag) includes any contemptuous attitude, not just spoken insults. And 'glad at calamity' covers secret satisfaction that no one else sees. The verse judges the heart, not just the outward act. God sees the inner delight we think is hidden.
Living This Out
This week, you will likely cross paths with someone who has less than you, at a store, on the street, even in your family. The temptation is a flicker of superiority: 'I'm glad I'm not in that situation.' Or you might hear that a rival or someone who hurt you has fallen into trouble. A quiet satisfaction can rise before you stop it. This verse asks you to catch that flicker and name it for what it is. Instead, remember that God made that person too. Let that truth turn your heart toward compassion or even just silence.
Main takeaway: How you treat those in need and respond to others' suffering reveals what you truly believe about God, and He will not overlook it.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
God made everyone, even people who don't have much money or nice things. When you see someone who is poor or sad, don't laugh at them. God sees that, and it makes Him sad because He loves them.
For ages 9, 12
This verse says that making fun of someone because they are poor is like insulting God, because God made them. It also says that being happy when someone gets hurt or has trouble is dangerous. God cares about everyone, even people you don't like. Instead of feeling glad when bad things happen to others, we can ask God to help us love them and to pray for them.
Questions People Ask
What does it mean that mocking the poor 'reproaches his Maker'?
It means that when you sneer at someone because they are poor, you are insulting God, who created that person and allowed their circumstances. You are treating His work as something worthless. Proverbs 14:31 makes the same point: oppressing the poor shows contempt for the Maker.
Does 'shall not be unpunished' mean eternal punishment?
The phrase likely refers to God's justice in this life, not necessarily eternal damnation. Commentators like Adam Clarke and Matthew Henry connect it to the general pattern of God's government: those who gloat at others' suffering will themselves face trouble. But the warning is serious and should not be taken lightly.
Why are mocking the poor and gloating at calamity put together in one verse?
Both sins share the same root: forgetting that God is the sovereign author of every person's condition. The Cambridge Bible notes that poverty and calamity both come from God, so to mock the one or be glad at the other is to reproach Him. They are two faces of the same pride and lack of love.
What if I feel secretly glad when an enemy suffers but don't show it? Does this verse apply?
Yes. The Hebrew word for 'glad' (sameach) describes an inward joy, not just an outward expression. God sees the heart. Job 31:29 and Proverbs 24:17, 18 also condemn rejoicing at an enemy's fall, showing that God cares about what we feel, not just what we say.
Is it ever okay to be glad about suffering if it is God's judgment on evil?
The verse does not make exceptions. It warns against rejoicing at any calamity, even of an enemy. Proverbs 24:17, 18 specifically says not to rejoice when your enemy falls, because God may be displeased. Trust God to handle justice without taking delight in the ruin of others.
For pastors & researchers
Hebrew interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study