I have become the laughingstock of all my people, the object of their taunt all day long—the verse shifts from divine violence to social humiliation; the sufferer becomes an object of mockery among the people. This compounds the suffering: not only does God attack, but the sufferer is isolated within the community as well. Theologically, the combination of divine judgment and community rejection represents a kind of total ostracism; the sufferer has no refuge anywhere. The phrase "all day long" suggests unrelenting social assault; there is no escape into private suffering. The mockery of the people may reflect their perception that the sufferer's suffering is evidence of unique sin; the community has concluded that the sufferer deserves the judgment received. The verse captures the loneliness of particular suffering within a community.

COMMUNITY REFLECTIONS

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