Proverbs 17:5 (WEB)

Passage

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

Nearby Context

Proverbs 17:3 The refining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold, but Yahweh tests the hearts.

Proverbs 17:4 An evildoer heeds wicked lips. A liar gives ear to a mischievous tongue.

Proverbs 17:5 Whoever mocks the poor reproaches his Maker. He who is glad at calamity shall not be unpunished.

Proverbs 17:6 Children’s children are the crown of old men; the glory of children are their parents.

Proverbs 17:7 Arrogant speech isn’t fitting for a fool, much less do lying lips fit a prince.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "whoever", "mocks", "poor", "reproaches", "maker", "glad", "calamity", and "shall". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "whoever" and "mocks", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 4's "An evildoer heeds wicked lips A liar..." into verse 6's "Children s children are the crown of...", so "whoever" and "mocks" 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 "whoever" and "mocks" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.