Whoever mocks the poor insults the Maker; whoever is glad at calamity will not go unpunished—establishing that mockery of the poor is mockery of their Creator, making it a violation of the fear of the LORD. This verse reveals that the covenant God identifies himself with the vulnerable and defenseless, making their mistreatment a direct affront to the divine. The parallel structure linking mockery of the poor to rejoicing in calamity suggests that cruelty toward the vulnerable and pleasure in others' suffering are forms of the same basic failure of compassion. The promise of punishment for such conduct establishes that the LORD enforces justice on behalf of those who cannot defend themselves.

COMMUNITY REFLECTIONS

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