Translation commentary on Proverbs 17:5

“He who mocks the poor insults his Maker”: This line is similar to 14.31a. As usual New Revised Standard Version has revised “He who” to “Those who” to avoid the exclusive male language of Revised Standard Version. “Mocks” is as in 1.26. The first reference to “the poor” is in 10.15. The same Hebrew word as here is used in 13.23. “Insults” “his Maker” is used in 14.31; see the comments there. The idea expressed is that to make fun of the poor is equivalent to making fun of God who made them.

“He who is glad at calamity will not go unpunished”: To be “glad at calamity” means to rejoice or be happy when someone has trouble, misfortune, or distress. See 1.26. “Will not go unpunished” is a double negative expression that must often be rendered as a positive construction, for example, “will be punished.” Refer to 11.21 for this expression.

Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version personalize this saying. Contemporary English Version has “By insulting the poor you insult your Creator. You will be punished if you make fun of someone in trouble.”

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Proverbs. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

complete verse (Proverbs 17:5)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Proverbs 17:5:

  • Kupsabiny: “A person who laughs at a poor man, has despised God,
    and the one who laughs at people who are suffering, will also be punished/suffer.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “The one who despises the poor,
    despises the Creator of the universe.
    There will be punishment for those
    who rejoice in the misfortunes of others.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “The one who mocks a poor (person) insults God who made/created him. A man who rejoices at the misfortune/[lit. bad happening] of others will-be-punished.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Those who insult the poor, they mock/belittle God who created them. Those who laugh-at someone-who-suffers will-be-punished.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • English: “Those who make fun of poor people insult God, the one who made the poor people,
    and those who are happy when someone else has troubles will certainly be punished by God.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Proverbs 17:5

17:5

In this verse, the parallel parts both refer to the same person.

5a
He who mocks the poor insults their Maker;

5b
whoever gloats over calamity will not go unpunished.

The first line talks about a person who mocks the poor. The second line explains the way in which he mocks. He mocks by gloating over the poor person’s extreme poverty. This poverty is described here as “calamity.”

The overall meaning is that someone who makes fun of a poor person’s hardship insults the LORD at the same time. As a result, this kind of person will certainly be punished.

17:5a

He who mocks the poor insults their Maker: This line means that when a person ridicules or makes fun of someone who is poor, he also by implication despises, scorns, or treats the LORD as worthless.

This line is similar to 14:31a. Two differences are that:

(a) Verse 14:31a has “oppresses” instead of mocks.

(b) It also has a different Hebrew word for poor.

See the note on 14:31a, including the recommended interpretation and translation advice.

poor: For more information on the word poor that is used here, see the note on 10:4a.

17:5b

whoever gloats over calamity: The verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as gloats means to rejoice or be glad. The word translated here as calamity normally refers to a sudden event that causes damage (see the note on 1:26a–b). Here the parallel in 17:5a further defines this word as economic disaster. Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

those who rejoice at the misfortune of others (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
Whoever is happy to see someone’s distress (God’s Word)

will not go unpunished: The phrase will not go unpunished means “will be punished.” This is a passive verb. In this context, it is implied that the LORD is the one who punishes the person who “gloats over calamity.” In some languages, it may be more natural to translate this phrase without using a passive verb. For example:

will not escape punishment (God’s Word)
-or-
⌊The LORD⌋ will certainly punish…

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