Bible Dictionary
GAZING-STOCK
A gazing-stock is a person exposed publicly to be watched, mocked, and despised. Scripture uses the expression for humiliating punishment and for the suffering endured by faithful believers.
Biblical Usage
Nahum uses the term for a person made vile and exposed to scorn. Hebrews applies it to believers who endured reproaches and afflictions, while the apostles are described as a spectacle to the world.