Psalm 2 → 143
Reasoning: 11136 Output: 4971 Total: 16107
Argument
Short answer: you can read Psalm 143 as the Davidic “servant’s” right response to the programmatic summons of Psalm 2. Psalm 2 warns the nations to “serve YHWH,” “be instructed,” “take refuge in him,” and not “perish in the way.” Psalm 143 then gives the voice of the Davidic figure who actually does that: he serves, seeks instruction, asks to be led in the right way, takes refuge in YHWH, and asks God to carry out the judgment on enemies that Psalm 2 promised. Several exact or near‑exact Hebrew links support the connection. Details, weighted roughly by the significance you requested: 1) Lexical/root correspondences (rarer/more marked items first) - הגה “to meditate/mutter” - Ps 2:1 וּלְאֻמִּים יֶהְגּוּ־רִיק “the peoples meditate emptiness.” - Ps 143:5 הָגִיתִי בְכָל־פָּעֳלֶךָ “I have meditated on all your works.” - Same root, same verbal idea, but reversed ethically: the nations “meditate” vanity; the Davidic petitioner “meditates” on YHWH’s deeds. This is a pointed, programmatic echo (note that הגה also anchors Ps 1:2), suggesting Psalm 143 is a model of the right hagah after Psalm 2 exposed the wrong hagah. - אבד “perish/destroy” - Ps 2:12 תֹאבְדוּ דֶּרֶךְ “you will perish in the way.” - Ps 143:12 וְהַאֲבַדְתָּ כָל־צֹרֲרֵי נַפְשִׁי “you will cause to perish all who harass my life.” - Same root; Psalm 2 threatens perishing for rebels, Psalm 143 asks God to make the foes perish. The imprecation of Ps 143:12 appropriates the Ps 2 sanction. - דרך “way” - Ps 2:12 “perish in the way.” - Ps 143:8 הוֹדִיעֵנִי דֶּרֶךְ־זוּ אֵלֵךְ “make me know the way I should go.” - Same noun; the warning about “the way” in Ps 2 becomes a petition to be taught “the way” in Ps 143—again, a practiced, obedient response. - שׁפט/מִשׁפָּט “judge/judgment” - Ps 2:10 שֹׁפְטֵי אֶרֶץ “judges of the earth.” - Ps 143:2 אַל־תָּבוֹא בְמִשְׁפָּט אֶת־עַבְדֶּךָ “do not bring your servant into judgment.” - Same root; Psalm 2 addresses the world’s judges; Psalm 143 begs mercy in God’s court. The legal frame stays in view. - עבד “serve/servant” - Ps 2:11 עִבְדוּ אֶת־יְהוָה “serve YHWH.” - Ps 143:2, 12 עַבְדֶּךָ … אֲנִי עַבְדֶּךָ “your servant … I am your servant.” - Same root; the imperative “serve YHWH” (Ps 2) is embodied by the speaker who self-identifies as YHWH’s servant (Ps 143). - “Refuge” cluster (near‑equivalents; not identical roots but a well-known formulaic field) - Ps 2:12 אַשְׁרֵי כָּל־חוֹסֵי בוֹ “blessed are all who take refuge in him” (חסה). - Ps 143:8 בְךָ בָטָחְתִּי “in you I have trusted” (בטח); 143:9 אֵלֶיךָ כִּסִּתִּי “to you I have sought cover” (כסה; cf. LXX κατέφυγον “I have fled for refuge”). - Though the roots differ, these are stock equivalents in the refuge idiom; Psalm 143 is a worked example of the trust/refuge called for at the end of Psalm 2. - Instruction/wisdom lexicon - Ps 2:10–11 הַשְׂכִּילוּ … הִוָּסְרוּ “be wise … be instructed”; 2:7 חֹק “decree/statute.” - Ps 143:8–10 הוֹדִיעֵנִי … לַמְּדֵנִי … תַּנְחֵנִי “make me know … teach me … lead me.” - Not the same roots, but the shared sapiential frame (decree, wisdom, instruction, guidance) supports a deliberate thematic sequel. - Time markers that recall enthronement “today” - Ps 2:7 הַיּוֹם יְלִדְתִּיךָ “today I have begotten you.” - Ps 143:8 הַשְׁמִיעֵנִי בַבֹּקֶר חַסְדֶּךָ “let me hear of your loyal love in the morning.” - Not a lexical match, but the “today/morning” framing links a decisive enthronement day (Ps 2) with the king’s daily morning prayer (Ps 143). 2) Thematic continuities and reversals - From rebellion to obedience. Psalm 2 shows nations and kings “take a stand” against YHWH and his anointed; Psalm 143 shows the anointed/servant taking his stand before YHWH in humility, confessing that “no one living is righteous before you,” asking to be taught, and seeking refuge. It is the narrative answer to Ps 2’s imperative “serve … be instructed.” - Divine anger vs. plea against judgment. Psalm 2 threatens anger and wrath (בְאַפּוֹ; פֶּן־יֶאֱנַף). Psalm 143 asks, “Do not enter into judgment with your servant … do not hide your face from me.” The servant knows the peril of divine anger and prays for mercy. - Promise and appropriation. Psalm 2 promises crushing judgment on hostile nations (תְּנַפְּצֵם; תְּרֹעֵם), and that rebels will “perish.” Psalm 143 explicitly asks God to “exterminate my enemies” (תַּצְמִית … וְהַאֲבַדְתָּ), appropriating the promise from Psalm 2 into prayer. - “Way” and guidance. Psalm 2 warns of “perishing in the way.” Psalm 143’s central request is to be led and taught the right way and to be set on “level land” (אֶרֶץ מִישׁוֹר). The threat becomes a formative petition. 3) Form and stylistic links - Royal frame with sapiential coloring. Psalm 2 is a royal/enhthronement psalm infused with wisdom exhortation; Psalm 143 is an individual (royal) lament whose climactic petitions are wisdom-like: teach/lead/let me hear in the morning. The shared mix of royal and wisdom features is distinctive. - Imperative density and dialogic structure. Psalm 2 alternates speech (nations; YHWH; king) and ends with imperatives to the kings. Psalm 143 is a dialogic plea packed with imperatives directed to YHWH. Both move by commands, warnings, and responses. 4) Historical/liturgical plausibility - A plausible life-sequence in Israel’s royal ideology: - Enthronement/installment (Ps 2:6–7) with promise of dominion (vv. 8–9). - Immediate opposition from coalitions of enemies (Ps 2:1–3). - The king’s morning prayer for deliverance and guidance before battle or amid siege (Ps 143:7–10; note “in the morning,” the request for leading, and the plea to destroy enemies, v. 12). - The servant’s posture (Ps 143:2, 12 “I am your servant”) is the covenantal corollary of the filial “You are my son” (Ps 2:7; cf. 2 Sam 7). Both titles belong to the Davidic king; read together, Psalm 143 is the servant‑son acting covenantally under pressure foretold in Psalm 2. 5) Canonical shaping (why 143 “follows” 2 in the macro‑story of the Psalter) - Psalm 1–2 are widely viewed as the Psalter’s programmatic gateway (torah-meditation and royal rule). Psalms 138–145 are a concluding Davidic cluster that revisits and answers those themes. Psalm 143, in that closing collection, recapitulates: - the right hagah (143:5) over against the wrong hagah (2:1), - serving YHWH (2:11) as his servant (143:2, 12), - refuge/trust (2:12) enacted (143:8–9), - the threat to rebels (2:9, 12) claimed as prayer against enemies (143:12), - “instruction/wisdom” (2:10–11) becoming “teach/lead me” (143:8–10). This is precisely how a later Davidic prayer would be crafted to “follow” Psalm 2 in a deliberately shaped collection. In sum: the strongest hard links are the shared roots הגה (2:1/143:5), אבד (2:12/143:12), דרך (2:12/143:8), שׁפט (2:10/143:2), and עבד (2:11/143:2, 12), plus the refuge/trust field (2:12/143:8–9). These are reinforced by parallel motifs (anger/judgment vs mercy, wisdom/instruction vs rebellion, promise vs appropriation) and by a plausible royal‑liturgical sequence. On those grounds, it is quite reasonable to argue that Psalm 143 logically follows on from Psalm 2.
Evaluation
No evaluation has been recorded for this pair yet.
Prompt
Consider Psalm 2 and Psalm 143 (reproduced below). What arguments could you make to justify that Psalm 143 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 143: Psalm 143 1. מִזְמ֗וֹר לְדָ֫וִ֥ד יְהוָ֤ה ׀ שְׁמַ֬ע תְּפִלָּתִ֗י הַאֲזִ֥ינָה אֶל־ תַּחֲנוּנַ֑י בֶּאֱמֻנָתְךָ֥ עֲ֝נֵ֗נִי בְּצִדְקָתֶֽךָ׃ 2. וְאַל־ תָּב֣וֹא בְ֭מִשְׁפָּט אֶת־ עַבְדֶּ֑ךָ כִּ֤י לֹֽא־ יִצְדַּ֖ק לְפָנֶ֣יךָ כָל־ חָֽי׃ 3. כִּ֥י רָ֘דַ֤ף אוֹיֵ֨ב ׀ נַפְשִׁ֗י דִּכָּ֣א לָ֭אָרֶץ חַיָּתִ֑י הוֹשִׁיבַ֥נִי בְ֝מַחֲשַׁכִּ֗ים כְּמֵתֵ֥י עוֹלָֽם׃ 4. וַתִּתְעַטֵּ֣ף עָלַ֣י רוּחִ֑י בְּ֝תוֹכִ֗י יִשְׁתּוֹמֵ֥ם לִבִּֽי׃ 5. זָ֘כַ֤רְתִּי יָמִ֨ים ׀ מִקֶּ֗דֶם הָגִ֥יתִי בְכָל־ פָּעֳלֶ֑ךָ בְּֽמַעֲשֵׂ֖ה יָדֶ֣יךָ אֲשׂוֹחֵֽחַ׃ 6. פֵּרַ֣שְׂתִּי יָדַ֣י אֵלֶ֑יךָ נַפְשִׁ֓י ׀ כְּאֶֽרֶץ־ עֲיֵפָ֖ה לְךָ֣ סֶֽלָה׃ 7. מַ֘הֵ֤ר עֲנֵ֨נִי ׀ יְהוָה֮ כָּלְתָ֢ה ר֫וּחִ֥י אַל־ תַּסְתֵּ֣ר פָּנֶ֣יךָ מִמֶּ֑נִּי וְ֝נִמְשַׁ֗לְתִּי עִם־ יֹ֥רְדֵי בֽוֹר׃ 8. הַשְׁמִ֘יעֵ֤נִי בַבֹּ֨קֶר ׀ חַסְדֶּךָ֮ כִּֽי־ בְךָ֢ בָ֫טָ֥חְתִּי הוֹדִיעֵ֗נִי דֶּֽרֶךְ־ ז֥וּ אֵלֵ֑ךְ כִּֽי־ אֵ֝לֶיךָ נָשָׂ֥אתִי נַפְשִֽׁי׃ 9. הַצִּילֵ֖נִי מֵאֹיְבַ֥י ׀ יְהוָ֗ה אֵלֶ֥יךָ כִסִּֽתִי׃ 10. לַמְּדֵ֤נִי ׀ לַֽעֲשׂ֣וֹת רְצוֹנֶךָ֮ כִּֽי־ אַתָּ֢ה אֱל֫וֹהָ֥י רוּחֲךָ֥ טוֹבָ֑ה תַּ֝נְחֵ֗נִי בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִישֽׁוֹר׃ 11. לְמַֽעַן־ שִׁמְךָ֣ יְהוָ֣ה תְּחַיֵּ֑נִי בְּצִדְקָתְךָ֓ ׀ תּוֹצִ֖יא מִצָּרָ֣ה נַפְשִֽׁי׃ 12. וּֽבְחַסְדְּךָ֮ תַּצְמִ֢ית אֹ֫יְבָ֥י וְֽ֭הַאֲבַדְתָּ כָּל־ צֹרֲרֵ֣י נַפְשִׁ֑י כִּ֝֗י אֲנִ֣י עַבְדֶּֽךָ׃