Psalm 2 → 75
Reasoning: 8640 Output: 4056 Total: 12696
Argument
Short thesis: Read as a diptych, Psalm 2 declares YHWH’s royal decree and threatens rebellious world-powers; Psalm 75 is the “implementation”: at the appointed time God judges, humbles the proud, and exalts the righteous. The two share form-critical traits, speech-frames, judicial vocabulary, and power-imagery, and they move through a liturgical sequence that would have been natural in ancient Israel (enthronement → appointed-time judgment). Key links (ranked roughly by significance) - Shared judicial root שפט (strong, same root and same semantic field) - Ps 2:10: שֹׁפְטֵי־אָרֶץ “judges of the earth” - Ps 75:3: אֶשְׁפֹּט “I will judge”; 75:8: אֱלֹהִים שֹׁפֵט “God is judge” - The admonition to the world’s judges in Ps 2 culminates in Ps 75’s assertion that God himself is the Judge. - Shared storytelling root ספר in the same binyan (Piel; moderate-strong, identical stem) - Ps 2:7: אֲסַפְּרָה “I will recount (the decree)” - Ps 75:2: סִפְּרוּ נִפְלְאוֹתֶיךָ “they recount your wonders” - Both psalms are structured around an authoritative “telling” of God’s decree/deeds. - Paired divine first-person “I” oracles that control history (strong formal parallel) - Ps 2:6–9: וַאֲנִי נָסַכְתִּי מַלְכִּי … שְׁאַל מִמֶּנִּי … תְּרֹעֵם - Ps 75:3–4: אֲנִי מֵישָׁרִים אֶשְׁפֹּט … אָנֹכִי תִכַּנְתִּי עַמּוּדֶיהָ - In both, a divine “I” asserts enthronement/judgment authority. - Power imagery: scepter/rod vs horn (coherent royal-power field; moderate) - Ps 2:9: שֵׁבֶט בַּרְזֶל; “you will break them” כִּכְלִי יוֹצֵר תְּנַפְּצֵם - Ps 75:5–6, 11: אַל־תָּרִימוּ קָרֶן … וְכָל־קַרְנֵי רְשָׁעִים אֲגַדֵּעַ; תְּרֹומַמְנָה קַרְנוֹת צַדִּיק - Both depict the crushing of rebel power and the establishment of rightful rule. - Wrath/judgment sanction (same idea with different but stock Israelite metaphors; moderate) - Ps 2:5, 12: בְאַפּוֹ … בַּחֲרוֹנוֹ; יִבְעַר כִּמְעַט אַפּוֹ - Ps 75:9: כוֹס בְּיַד־יְהוָה … יִשְׁתּוּ כֹּל רִשְׁעֵי־אָרֶץ - Psalm 2 threatens wrath; Psalm 75 pictures it as the cup the wicked must drain (a standard “wrath-cup” motif). - Global scope tied to “earth” (minor lexically, but thematically unifying) - Ps 2:1–2, 8, 10: גּוֹיִם … לְאֻמִּים … אַפְסֵי־אָרֶץ; שֹׁפְטֵי אָֽרֶץ - Ps 75:4, 8–9: אֶרֶץ וְכָל־יֹשְׁבֶיהָ … רִשְׁעֵי־אָרֶץ - Both claim universal jurisdiction for YHWH’s rule/judgment. - Establishing language in 1cs perfects (parallel assertion of sovereign ordering; minor-moderate) - Ps 2:6: נָסַכְתִּי מַלְכִּי “I have installed my king” (נסך II “install”) - Ps 75:4: תִכַּנְתִּי עַמּוּדֶיהָ “I set firm its pillars” - Together: God founds cosmic order (pillars) and political order (king on Zion). - Admonitions to the powerful using imperatives/prohibitions (strong formal echo) - Ps 2:10–12: הַשְׂכִּילוּ … הִוָּסְרוּ … עִבְדוּ … גִּילוּ … נַשְּׁקוּ־בַר - Ps 75:5–6: אָמַרְתִּי לַהוֹלְלִים אַל־תָּהֹלּוּ … אַל־תָּרִימוּ קָרֶן … תְּדַבְּרוּ בְצַוָּאר עָתָק - The “kings/judges” who must submit in Ps 2 become the “boasters/wicked” warned not to exalt themselves in Ps 75. - Matching outcomes for two groups (the same two-path logic) - Ps 2:12: אַשְׁרֵי כָּל־חוֹסֵי בוֹ vs destruction “תֹאבְדוּ דֶרֶךְ” - Ps 75:9–11: the wicked drink the dregs and have their horns cut; the righteous’ horn is exalted. - Both close with a clear bifurcation: submit and be blessed/exalted, or resist and be broken/cut off. - Cultic/liturgical sequence (plausible historical “follow-on”) - Ps 2 is widely read as a royal enthronement/coronation psalm (מְשִׁיחוֹ; צִיּוֹן הַר־קָדְשִׁי; sonship decree). - Ps 75 centers on divine judgment “at the appointed time” (כִּי אֶקַּח מוֹעֵד … אֲנִי מֵישָׁרִים אֶשְׁפֹּט), a setting naturally linked to major festivals when YHWH’s kingship and judgment were proclaimed. - Thus: enthronement (Ps 2) → appointed-time execution of judgment (Ps 75). - Additional stylistic touches - Both are multi-voice compositions with a prominent direct-speech section framed by communal address. - Both pivot on emphatic וַאֲנִי (“But as for me/I…”; Ps 2:6; Ps 75:10), marking decisive commitments (God installs; the community vows continual praise). Putting it together - Psalm 2 unveils the decree: God enthrones his anointed, laughs at rebel powers, warns earth’s rulers, and promises worldwide dominion. - Psalm 75 narrates the carrying out of that decree: at the mo’ed, God judges with equity, forbids arrogant self-exaltation, pours the cup on the wicked, casts down and raises up, and secures the righteous. - The shared judicial vocabulary (שפט), the twin “recountings” (ספר), the power imagery (שֵׁבֶט/קֶרֶן), universal scope, wrath-sanction (now as the cup), and parallel imperative admonitions together make a strong case that Psalm 75 is a logical sequel to Psalm 2—moving from enthronement proclamation to judicial enforcement.
Evaluation
Score: 6.5
Evaluated at: 2025-10-08T06:07:32 (UTC)
Evaluator model: gpt-5
Evaluator version: v2
Reasoning: 3968 Output: 4885 Total: 8853
Checklist
- Has verse refs: Yes
- Factual error detected: No
- Only generic motifs: No
- Counterargument considered: No
- LXX/MT numbering acknowledged: No
Vocabulary specificity: 3.0 / 10
Numerous, accurate verse-level links, but most are generic across Psalms (שפט, ספר, admonitions, “earth,” wrath-cup, horns). Agency mismatch (king’s rod in Ps 2 vs God judging in 75). No editorial marker. Plausible sequence.
Prompt
Consider Psalm 2 and Psalm 75 (reproduced below). What arguments could you make to justify that Psalm 75 logically follows on from Psalm 2? Consider stylistic similarities, similarities of form, similarities of vocab or ideas, shared roots (if you're doing the search in Hebrew), connections to sequences of events common in ancient Israelite life, mythology or history shared by the two psalms.
Rarer words are more significant than commoner words. Identical forms are more significant than similar forms. The same word class is more significant than different word classes formed from the same root. Identical roots are more significant than suppletive roots.
Psalm 2:
Psalm 2
1. לָ֭מָּה
רָגְשׁ֣וּ
גוֹיִ֑ם
וּ֝לְאֻמִּ֗ים
יֶהְגּוּ־
רִֽtיק׃
2. יִ֥תְיַצְּב֨וּ ׀
מַלְכֵי־
אֶ֗רֶץ
וְרוֹזְנִ֥ים
נֽוֹסְדוּ־
יָ֑חַד
עַל־
יְ֝הוָה
וְעַל־
מְשִׁיחֽtוֹ׃
3. נְֽ֭נַתְּקָה
אֶת־
מֽוֹסְרוֹתֵ֑ימוֹ
וְנַשְׁלִ֖יכָה
מִמֶּ֣נּוּ
עֲבֹתֵֽימוֹ׃
4. יוֹשֵׁ֣ב
בַּשָּׁמַ֣יִם
יִשְׂחָ֑ק
אֲ֝דֹנָ֗י
יִלְעַג־
לָֽמוֹ׃
5. אָ֤ז
יְדַבֵּ֣ר
אֵלֵ֣ימוֹ
בְאַפּ֑וֹ
וּֽבַחֲרוֹנ֥וֹ
יְבַהֲלֵֽמוֹ׃
6. וַ֭אֲנִי
נָסַ֣כְתִּי
מַלְכִּ֑י
עַל־
צִ֝יּ֗וֹן
הַר־
קָדְשִֽׁי׃
7. אֲסַפְּרָ֗ה
אֶֽ֫ל
חֹ֥ק
יְֽהוָ֗ה
אָמַ֘ר
אֵלַ֥י
בְּנִ֥י
אַ֑תָּה
אֲ֝נִ֗י
הַיּ֥וֹם
יְלִדְתִּֽיךָ׃
8. שְׁאַ֤ל
מִמֶּ֗נִּי
וְאֶתְּנָ֣ה
ג֭וֹיִם
נַחֲלָתֶ֑ךָ
וַ֝אֲחֻזָּתְךָ֗
אַפְסֵי־
אָֽרֶץ׃
9. תְּ֭רֹעֵם
בְּשֵׁ֣בֶט
בַּרְזֶ֑ל
כִּכְלִ֖י
יוֹצֵ֣ר
תְּנַפְּצֵֽם׃
10. וְ֭עַתָּה
מְלָכִ֣ים
הַשְׂכִּ֑ילוּ
הִ֝וָּסְר֗וּ
שֹׁ֣פְטֵי
אָֽרֶץ׃
11. עִבְד֣וּ
אֶת־
יְהוָ֣ה
בְּיִרְאָ֑ה
וְ֝גִ֗ילוּ
בִּרְעָדָֽה׃
12. נַשְּׁקוּ־
בַ֡ר
פֶּן־
יֶאֱנַ֤ף ׀
וְתֹ֬אבְדוּ
דֶ֗רֶךְ
כִּֽי־
יִבְעַ֣ר
כִּמְעַ֣ט
אַפּ֑וֹ
אַ֝שְׁרֵ֗י
כָּל־
ח֥וֹסֵי
בֽוֹ׃
Psalm 75:
Psalm 75
1. לַמְנַצֵּ֥חַ
אַל־
תַּשְׁחֵ֑ת
מִזְמ֖וֹר
לְאָסָ֣ף
שִֽׁיר׃
2. ה֘וֹדִ֤ינּוּ
לְּךָ֨ ׀
אֱֽלֹהִ֗ים
ה֭וֹדִינוּ
וְקָר֣וֹב
שְׁמֶ֑ךָ
סִ֝פְּר֗וּ
נִפְלְאוֹתֶֽיךָ׃
3. כִּ֭י
אֶקַּ֣ח
מוֹעֵ֑ד
אֲ֝נִ֗י
מֵישָׁרִ֥ים
אֶשְׁפֹּֽט׃
4. נְֽמֹגִ֗ים
אֶ֥רֶץ
וְכָל־
יֹשְׁבֶ֑יהָ
אָנֹכִ֨י
תִכַּ֖נְתִּי
עַמּוּדֶ֣יהָ
סֶּֽלָה׃
5. אָמַ֣רְתִּי
לַֽ֭הוֹלְלִים
אַל־
תָּהֹ֑לּוּ
וְ֝לָרְשָׁעִ֗ים
אַל־
תָּרִ֥ימוּ
קָֽרֶן׃
6. אַל־
תָּרִ֣ימוּ
לַמָּר֣וֹם
קַרְנְכֶ֑ם
תְּדַבְּר֖וּ
בְצַוָּ֣אר
עָתָֽק׃
7. כִּ֤י
לֹ֣א
מִ֭מּוֹצָא
וּמִֽמַּעֲרָ֑ב
וְ֝לֹ֗א
מִמִּדְבַּ֥ר
הָרִֽים׃
8. כִּֽי־
אֱלֹהִ֥ים
שֹׁפֵ֑ט
זֶ֥ה
יַ֝שְׁפִּ֗יל
וְזֶ֣ה
יָרִֽים׃
9. כִּ֤י
כ֪וֹס
בְּֽיַד־
יְהוָ֡ה
וְיַ֤יִן
חָמַ֨ר ׀
מָ֥לֵא
מֶסֶךְ֮
וַיַּגֵּ֢ר
מִ֫זֶּ֥ה
אַךְ־
שְׁ֭מָרֶיהָ
יִמְצ֣וּ
יִשְׁתּ֑וּ
כֹּ֝֗ל
רִשְׁעֵי־
אָֽרֶץ׃
10. וַ֭אֲנִי
אַגִּ֣יד
לְעֹלָ֑ם
אֲ֝זַמְּרָ֗ה
לֵאלֹהֵ֥י
יַעֲקֹֽב׃
11. וְכָל־
קַרְנֵ֣י
רְשָׁעִ֣ים
אֲגַדֵּ֑עַ
תְּ֝רוֹמַ֗מְנָה
קַֽרְנ֥וֹת
צַדִּֽ֥cיק׃