Passage
He who mocks the poor reproaches his Maker; He who is glad at disaster will not go unpunished.
Proverbs 17:5 (LSB)
Nearby Context
Proverbs 17:3 The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, But Yahweh tests hearts.
Proverbs 17:4 An evildoer gives heed to lips of wickedness; A liar gives ear to a destructive tongue.
Proverbs 17:5 He who mocks the poor reproaches his Maker; He who is glad at disaster will not go unpunished.
Proverbs 17:6 Grandchildren are the crown of old men, And the beauty of sons is their fathers.
Proverbs 17:7 Excellent lips are not fitting for a wicked fool, Even less are lying lips for a noble man.
Study Lenses
The verse centers on "mocks", "poor", "reproaches", "maker", "glad", "disaster", and "unpunished". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "mocks" and "poor", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.
The nearby context moves from verse 4's "An evildoer gives heed to lips of..." into verse 6's "Grandchildren are the crown of old men...", so "mocks" and "poor" belong inside that flow. In Proverbs context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.
A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "mocks" and "poor" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.