Contempt Meaning: What It Means According to the Bible

What's Here:

• What Is Contempt?
• What Does Contempt Mean in the Bible?
• Biblical Examples of Showing Contempt
• Contempt Meaning & Proverbs 14:31

Contributors:

• Compassion Team
• Piyamary Shinoda (Photojournalist)
• Juanfer Leon (Photojournalist)
• Galia Oropeza (Photojournalist)

What Is Contempt?

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, contempt is “the act of despising” or “lack of respect or reverence for something.”

In other words, showing contempt for someone could mean having a strong dislike for them or disrespecting them. It can also mean looking down on someone, treating them as worthless or seeing them as less than.

What Does Contempt Look Like?

Showing contempt towards someone or something can take many forms. For example, you can show contempt with your mouth by calling someone a bad name or talking negatively about others.

You can also show contempt with your actions by ignoring someone when they’re speaking or even refusing to help someone in need.

What Does Contempt Mean in the Bible?

In the Bible, the word “contempt” is most often used when someone shows disrespect for God. It’s also used when people show disrespect towards his Word, his people or his commandments. “Contempt” is used many times in the Bible, in both the Old and New Testaments. Here are some examples:

• When wickedness comes, so does contempt, and with shame comes reproach. — Proverbs 18:3, NIV
• Remove from me their scorn and contempt, for I keep your statutes. — Psalm 119:22, NIV
• Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. — Daniel 12:2, NIV
• He pours contempt on nobles and disarms the mighty. — Job 12:21, NIV

Biblical Examples of Showing Contempt

The best way to understand contempt is to look at some real examples. And luckily, there are plenty of moments in the Bible where contempt was shown that we can learn from.

Cain’s Hatred for Abel

In Genesis 4, we find two brothers, Cain and Abel, giving sacrifices to God. Cain brought a sacrifice of crops while Abel brought a sacrifice of the firstborn of his flock. While the Lord showed favor for Abel’s sacrifice, he didn’t for Cain’s sacrifice.

As a result, Cain was overcome with bitter anger and jealousy. His hatred led him to despise his own brother. So Cain told Abel to join him in the field. Once they reached the field, Cain killed Abel, showing complete disregard and contempt for him.

The Israelites’ Rebellion

After the Israelites were freed from Egypt, they found themselves in the wilderness against their wishes. Frustrated and angry, they began to grumble and complain.

Moses, Aaron, Joshua and Caleb tried to calm the crowds by reminding them of the promised land they would soon enter and asking them not to rebel against God. All they had to do was trust and follow him.

Unfortunately, the Israelites allowed their anger to override the promise, and they considered stoning the leaders. They despised their current circumstances and those who had led them there, even though something better was on the horizon.

In that moment, God spoke to Moses in Numbers 14:11 (NIV) saying, “How long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the signs I have performed among them?”

The Israelites were showing contempt for God by failing to believe his promise and instead acting in anger. They cast aside the truth that God had already delivered them from so much. Instead, they embraced the lie that he’d abandoned them, leading them to rebel.

Contempt Meaning & Proverbs 14:31

Another key example of contempt and its damaging effects can be found in Proverbs. This verse reads, “Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God” (Proverbs 14:31, NIV).

This verse tells us that if we oppress those in need, we show contempt for their Maker. Let’s break this down a bit:

• To oppress: This means to treat those in need harshly and in a way that keeps them down. It’s the opposite of helping them. Instead, it’s taking action that might push them further into poverty. For example, for those living in poverty, oppression often looks like being denied essentials like education, being exploited through human trafficking or being treated unfairly.
• Their Maker: Proverbs 22:2 (NIV) says, “Rich and poor have this in common: The Lord is the Maker of them all.” “The Maker” refers to the Lord, our God. This means that we’re all God’s children, including those living in poverty.

So when we treat those in need harshly and as if they’re worthless, we show contempt for God. Put simply, if we despise God’s children, we despise him too.

It’s Up to Us to Love Those Living in Poverty

Unfortunately, many children living in poverty around the world are seen as worthless simply because of their circumstances. They’re often met with contempt and suffer without the love and care they need to overcome poverty’s damaging effects.

As followers of Jesus, it’s up to us to be different. It’s up to us to love these little ones who are often disregarded and treated as valueless.

At Compassion, we’re doing just that by sharing the good news of the gospel with children in need through child sponsorship. Each day, we provide them with love and care in the form of nutritious meals, education and more. And as we do so, the millions of children we support are learning just how loved and valuable they truly are to God.