7. That pant. Covetousness led to the oppression of the poor. This expression seems to represent the desire of these oppressors to see the poor crushed to the earth, or to have them put in such a miserable condition that the needy would scatter dust on their heads (see Joshua 7:5, 6; Job 2:12). The connects this first clause of 7 directly with the closing words of 6, and so reads, “And the poor for sandals, the things that tread on the dust of the earth, and they have smitten on the heads of the poor.” The Vulgate gives it, “Who bruise the heads of the poor on the dust of the earth.”
The meek. These are the lowly, peaceable, unassuming, and generally pious folk, in contrast to those who are proud, self-confident, and feel no need of God in their lives (see Isa. 11:4; Zeph. 2:3; Matt. 5:5).
To profane. Literally, “in order to profane,” or “for the purpose of profaning.” These offenses against the Lord were not committed through ignorance, but deliberately, intentionally, in a defiant, rebellious spirit.
My holy name. Since these crimes were committed by those who called themselves the people of the Lord, they brought dishonor to Him among the heathen (see Lev. 20:1-3; Eze. 36:16-23; Rom. 2:24; see also 32, 33).