Proverbs 17:5 (YLT)

Passage

Whoso is mocking at the poor Hath reproached his Maker, Whoso is rejoicing at calamity is not acquitted.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 17:3 A refining pot <FI>is<Fi> for silver, and a furnace for gold, And the trier of hearts <FI>is<Fi> Jehovah.

Proverbs 17:4 An evil doer is attentive to lips of vanity, Falsehood is giving ear to a mischievous tongue.

Proverbs 17:5 Whoso is mocking at the poor Hath reproached his Maker, Whoso is rejoicing at calamity is not acquitted.

Proverbs 17:6 Sons' sons <FI>are<Fi> the crown of old men, And the glory of sons <FI>are<Fi> their fathers.

Proverbs 17:7 Not comely for a fool is a lip of excellency, Much less for a noble a lip of falsehood.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "whoso", "mocking", "poor", "hath", "reproached", "maker", and "rejoicing". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "whoso" and "mocking", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 4's "An evil doer is attentive to lips..." into verse 6's "Sons' sons FI are Fi the crown...", so "whoso" and "mocking" 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 "whoso" and "mocking" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.