Psalm 35:15 uses this term in a disturbing scene where the psalmist's enemies gather like a mob. Most interpreters understand 'smitten ones' as cripples or social outcasts who joined in mocking the afflicted. The irony cuts deep: those who themselves bear the marks of suffering show no solidarity but instead join the strong in ridiculing the weak. Alternatively, some read this as 'smiters'—professional attackers hired to harm—though the passive participial form makes 'smitten ones' more likely.