Psalm 3 → 22
Reasoning: 10048 Output: 6092 Total: 16140
Argument
Here are ways to argue that Psalm 22 “follows on from” Psalm 3, with attention to form, style, vocabulary/roots in Hebrew, and plausible life-setting: 1) Titles and time-of-day - Both are “מִזְמוֹר לְדָוִד.” That already ties them within the Davidic lament corpus (Ps 3–41). - Psalm 3 is a “night-to-morning” prayer: “I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the LORD sustains me” (3:6). Psalm 22’s tune-title “עַל־אַיֶּלֶת הַשַּׁחַר” (the Doe of the Dawn) explicitly signals dawn. Read together, they create a night-into-dawn sequence: Ps 3 experiences sleep and morning confidence; Ps 22 stands at the dawn, pressing for the final act of deliverance. 2) Identical forms (highest-significance lexical ties) - הוֹשִׁיעֵנִי “Save me!” appears identically in both: - Ps 3:8 קוּמָה יְהוָה הוֹשִׁיעֵנִי אֱלֹהַי - Ps 22:22 הוֹשִׁיעֵנִי מִפִּי אַרְיֵה - אֶקְרָא “I call” (Qal, 1cs) appears identically: - Ps 3:5 קוֹלִי אֶל־יְהוָה אֶקְרָא - Ps 22:3 אֱלֹהַי אֶקְרָא יוֹמָם These are not only the same roots but the same inflected forms, strengthening the literary link. 3) Same roots in core motifs (next-most significant) - ישׁע “save/salvation” saturates both: - Ps 3: אֵין יְשׁוּעָתָה לּוֹ…; הוֹשִׁיעֵנִי; לַיהוָה הַיְשׁוּעָה - Ps 22: רָחוֹק מִיְשׁוּעָתִי; הוֹשִׁיעֵנִי Psalm 3 ends “To YHWH belongs salvation” (לַיהוָה הַיְשׁוּעָה), and Psalm 22 opens by lamenting “far from my salvation” (רָחוֹק מִיְשׁוּעָתִי). Psalm 22 thus picks up Psalm 3’s closing theme and tests it under extremity, then ultimately confirms it. - קרא/ענה “call/answer”: - Ps 3:5 אֶקְרָא … וַיַּעֲנֵנִי - Ps 22:3 אֶקְרָא … וְלֹא תַעֲנֶה; pivot in 22:22 עֲנִיתָנִי (“you have answered me”) Psalm 3 reports immediate answer; Psalm 22 complains of no answer—until its turning point, when the same root declares “You answered me.” It’s a narrative escalation of the same prayer dynamic. - קדשׁ “holy”: - Ps 3:5 מֵהַר קָדְשׁוֹ - Ps 22:4 וְאַתָּה קָדוֹשׁ Both frame the plea around God’s holiness/Zionic sphere (holy mountain; the Holy One enthroned on Israel’s praises), linking to cultic Zion. 4) Identical lexemes and close collocations - רַבִּים “many” is a headline term in both for the adversaries/mass: - Ps 3: מָה־רַבּוּ צָרָי; רַבִּים קָמִים עָלַי; רַבִּים אֹמְרִים - Ps 22: סְבָבוּנִי פָּרִים רַבִּים - Encirclement/perimeter language: - Ps 3:7 מֵרִבְבוֹת עָם אֲשֶׁר סָבִיב שָׁתוּ עָלָי - Ps 22: סְבָבוּנִי … כִּתְּרוּנִי … הִקִּיפוּנִי Psalm 22 unpacks in zoological detail what Psalm 3 summarizes militarily. - “Head” imagery: - Ps 3:4 מֵרִים רֹאשִׁי “you lift my head” - Ps 22:8 … יָנִיעוּ רֹאשׁ “they wag the head” Both feature conspicuous “head” action—God’s honor vs. public derision. 5) Echoed taunts about God’s saving - Ps 3:3 “Many say of my life, ‘There is no salvation for him in God.’” - Ps 22:8–9 “All who see me mock … ‘Commit yourself to YHWH; let Him rescue him…’” Both quote adversaries who question the sufferer’s access to YHWH’s deliverance, creating a clear thematic bridge. 6) Form-critical fit: lament → trust → praise, but with expansion - Psalm 3 is an individual royal lament with a compact trust-affirmation and a brief communal horizon: “Upon your people be your blessing.” - Psalm 22 is the same basic genre expanded: complaint → trust recall (vv. 4–6) → urgent petition → decisive rescue → vow/praise in the great assembly → universal horizon (“All the ends of the earth will remember…”). - Note the matching “To YHWH belongs X” endings: - Ps 3:9 לַיהוָה הַיְשׁוּעָה - Ps 22:29 כִּי לַיהוָה הַמְּלוּכָה Salvation (Ps 3) logically matures into kingship/sovereignty (Ps 22), exactly the arc one would expect if the king’s deliverance validates YHWH’s rule before Israel and the nations. 7) Life-setting and historical plausibility - Psalm 3’s superscription places David in the Absalom crisis (2 Sam 15–17). That narrative climaxes in an all-night flight and a “by daybreak” crossing (2 Sam 17:22). Psalm 3’s “I lay down and slept; I awoke” fits that night; Psalm 22’s “Doe of the Dawn” title—and its day/night complaint (אֶקְרָא יוֹמָם … וְלַיְלָה)—fit the liminal hour at or just after dawn. Read consecutively, Psalm 22 can be heard as the dawn-hour intensification and resolution of the crisis prayed in Psalm 3. - Both psalms envision the king hemmed in by “many,” derided as forsaken by God, then vindicated so that the community (Ps 3:9 “your people”) and ultimately the nations (Ps 22:28–32) praise YHWH. That is precisely how a royal lament could function in Israel’s cult: from the king’s peril to communal thanksgiving to proclamation of YHWH’s kingship. 8) Stylistic fingerprints - The “וְאַתָּה …” pivot line appears in both (Ps 3:4; 22:4, 20), a characteristic Davidic rhetorical turn from complaint to direct second-person confession. - Mouth/teeth/jaw imagery runs across both: - Ps 3:8 “You have struck all my enemies on the jaw; you have broken the teeth of the wicked.” - Ps 22:14 “They open wide their mouth at me like a tearing, roaring lion”; 22:16 “my tongue sticks”; 22:22 “from the mouth of the lion.” Psalm 22 elaborates the bestial threat behind Psalm 3’s “teeth of the wicked.” Putting it together as a logical sequence - Psalm 3: At night, the Davidic king is surrounded by many; mocked as unsaveable; he calls; God answers from His holy mount; he sleeps and wakes; he asks, “Arise, YHWH; save me,” and affirms, “To YHWH belongs salvation,” asking blessing for the people. - Psalm 22: At dawn, the same logic is stress-tested: “Far from my salvation” and “you do not answer”—until God does answer (עֲנִיתָנִי). The mockers’ taunt is refuted; the vow is paid “in the great assembly,” and the blessing for the people expands into universal acknowledgment: “For to YHWH belongs the kingship.” On balance, the strongest links (by the user’s weighting) are the identical forms הוֹשִׁיעֵנִי and אֶקְרָא; the dense repetition of the roots ישׁע, קרא/ענה, קדשׁ; the shared “many/encircled” scene; the echoed derision; and the night–dawn movement from individual salvation (Ps 3) to universal proclamation of YHWH’s kingship (Ps 22). These make a compelling case that Psalm 22 can be read as a logical and literary successor to Psalm 3.
Evaluation
No evaluation has been recorded for this pair yet.
Prompt
Consider Psalm 3 and Psalm 22 (reproduced below). What arguments could you make to justify that Psalm 22 logically follows on from Psalm 3? 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 3:
Psalm 3
1. מִזְמ֥וֹר
לְדָוִ֑ד
בְּ֝בָרְח֗וֹ
מִפְּנֵ֤י ׀
אַבְשָׁל֬וֹם
בְּנֽוֹ׃
2. יְ֭הוָה
מָֽה־
רַבּ֣וּ
צָרָ֑י
רַ֝בִּ֗ים
קָמִ֥ים
עָלָֽי׃
3. רַבִּים֮
אֹמְרִ֢ים
לְנַ֫פְשִׁ֥י
אֵ֤ין
יְֽשׁוּעָ֓תָה
לּ֬וֹ
בֵֽאלֹהִ֬ים
סֶֽלָה׃
4. וְאַתָּ֣ה
יְ֭הוָה
מָגֵ֣ן
בַּעֲדִ֑י
כְּ֝בוֹדִ֗י
וּמֵרִ֥ים
רֹאשִֽׁtי׃
5. ק֖dוֹלִי
אֶל־
יְהוָ֣ה
אֶקְרָ֑א
וַיַּֽעֲנֵ֨נִי
מֵהַ֖ר
קָדְשׁ֣וֹ
סֶֽלָה׃
6. אֲנִ֥י
שָׁכַ֗בְתִּי
וָֽאִ֫ישָׁ֥נָה
הֱקִיצ֑וֹתִי
כִּ֖י
יְהוָ֣ה
יִסְמְכֵֽנִי׃
7. לֹֽא־
אִ֭ירָא
מֵרִבְב֥וֹת
עָ֑ם
אֲשֶׁ֥ר
סָ֝בִ֗יב
שָׁ֣תוּ
עָלָֽtי׃
8. ק֘וּמָ֤ה
יְהוָ֨ה ׀
הוֹשִׁ֘יעֵ֤נִי
אֱלֹהַ֗י
כִּֽי־
הִכִּ֣יתָ
אֶת־
כָּל־
אֹיְבַ֣י
לֶ֑חִי
שִׁנֵּ֖י
רְשָׁעִ֣ים
שִׁבַּֽרְתָּ׃
9. לַיהוָ֥ה
הַיְשׁוּעָ֑ה
עַֽל־
עַמְּךָ֖
בִרְכָתֶ֣ךָ
סֶּֽלָה׃
Psalm 22:
Psalm 22
1. לַ֭מְנַצֵּחַ
עַל־
אַיֶּ֥לֶת
הַשַּׁ֗חַר
מִזְמ֥וֹר
לְדָוִֽד׃
2. אֵלִ֣י
אֵ֭לִי
לָמָ֣ה
עֲזַבְתָּ֑נִי
רָח֥וֹק
מִֽ֝ישׁוּעָתִ֗י
דִּבְרֵ֥י
שַׁאֲגָתִֽי׃
3. אֱֽלֹהַ֗י
אֶקְרָ֣א
י֭וֹמָם
וְלֹ֣א
תַעֲנֶ֑ה
וְ֝לַ֗יְלָה
וְֽלֹא־
דֽוּמִיָּ֥ה
לִֽי׃
4. וְאַתָּ֥ה
קָד֑וֹשׁ
י֝וֹשֵׁ֗ב
תְּהִלּ֥וֹת
יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
5. בְּ֭ךָ
בָּטְח֣וּ
אֲבֹתֵ֑ינוּ
בָּ֝טְח֗וּ
וַֽתְּפַלְּטֵֽמוֹ׃
6. אֵלֶ֣יךָ
זָעֲק֣וּ
וְנִמְלָ֑טוּ
בְּךָ֖
בָטְח֣וּ
וְלֹא־
בֽוֹשׁוּ׃
7. וְאָנֹכִ֣י
תוֹלַ֣עַת
וְלֹא־
אִ֑ישׁ
חֶרְפַּ֥ת
אָ֝דָ֗ם
וּבְז֥וּי
עָֽם׃
8. כָּל־
רֹ֭אַי
יַלְעִ֣גוּ
לִ֑י
יַפְטִ֥ירוּ
בְ֝שָׂפָ֗ה
יָנִ֥יעוּ
רֹֽאשׁ׃
9. גֹּ֣ל
אֶל־
יְהוָ֣ה
יְפַלְּטֵ֑הוּ
יַ֝צִּילֵ֗הוּ
כִּ֘י
חָ֥פֵֽץ
בּֽוֹ׃
10. כִּֽי־
אַתָּ֣ה
גֹחִ֣י
מִבָּ֑טֶן
מַ֝בְטִיחִ֗י
עַל־
שְׁדֵ֥י
אִמִּֽי׃
11. עָ֭לֶיךָ
הָשְׁלַ֣כְתִּי
מֵרָ֑חֶם
מִבֶּ֥טֶן
אִ֝מִּ֗י
אֵ֣לִי
אָֽתָּה׃
12. אַל־
תִּרְחַ֣ק
מִ֭מֶּנִּי
כִּי־
צָרָ֣ה
קְרוֹבָ֑ה
כִּי־
אֵ֥ין
עוֹזֵֽר׃
13. סְ֭בָבוּנִי
פָּרִ֣ים
רַבִּ֑ים
אַבִּירֵ֖י
בָשָׁ֣ן
כִּתְּרֽוּנִי׃
14. פָּצ֣וּ
עָלַ֣י
פִּיהֶ֑ם
אַ֝רְיֵ֗ה
טֹרֵ֥ף
וְשֹׁאֵֽג׃
15. כַּמַּ֥יִם
נִשְׁפַּכְתִּי֮
וְהִתְפָּֽרְד֗וּ
כָּֽל־
עַצְמ֫וֹתָ֥י
הָיָ֣ה
לִ֭בִּי
כַּדּוֹנָ֑ג
נָ֝מֵ֗ס
בְּת֣וֹךְ
מֵעָֽי׃
16. יָ֘בֵ֤שׁ
כַּחֶ֨רֶשׂ ׀
כֹּחִ֗י
וּ֭לְשׁוֹנִי
מֻדְבָּ֣ק
מַלְקוֹחָ֑י
וְֽלַעֲפַר־
מָ֥וֶת
תִּשְׁפְּתֵֽנִי׃
17. כִּ֥י
סְבָב֗וּנִי
כְּלָ֫בִ֥ים
עֲדַ֣ת
מְ֭רֵעִים
הִקִּיפ֑וּנִי
כָּ֝אֲרִ֗י
יָדַ֥י
וְרַגְלָֽי׃
18. אֲסַפֵּ֥ר
כָּל־
עַצְמוֹתָ֑י
הֵ֥מָּה
יַ֝בִּ֗יטוּ
יִרְאוּ־
בִֽי׃
19. יְחַלְּק֣וּ
בְגָדַ֣י
לָהֶ֑ם
וְעַל־
לְ֝בוּשִׁ֗י
יַפִּ֥ילוּ
גוֹרָֽל׃
20. וְאַתָּ֣ה
יְ֭הוָה
אַל־
תִּרְחָ֑ק
אֱ֝יָלוּתִ֗י
לְעֶזְרָ֥תִי
חֽוּשָׁה׃
21. הַצִּ֣ילָה
מֵחֶ֣רֶב
נַפְשִׁ֑י
מִיַּד־
כֶּ֝֗לֶב
יְחִידָתִֽי׃
22. ה֭וֹשִׁיעֵנִי
מִפִּ֣י
אַרְיֵ֑ה
וּמִקַּרְנֵ֖י
רֵמִ֣ים
עֲנִיתָֽנִי׃
23. אֲסַפְּרָ֣ה
שִׁמְךָ֣
לְאֶחָ֑י
בְּת֖וֹךְ
קָהָ֣ל
אֲהַלְלֶֽךָּ׃
24. יִרְאֵ֤י
יְהוָ֨ה ׀
הַֽלְל֗וּהוּ
כָּל־
זֶ֣רַע
יַעֲקֹ֣ב
כַּבְּד֑וּהוּ
וְג֥וּרוּ
מִ֝מֶּ֗נּוּ
כָּל־
זֶ֥רַע
יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
25. כִּ֤י
לֹֽא־
בָזָ֨ה
וְלֹ֪א
שִׁקַּ֡ץ
עֱנ֬וּת
עָנִ֗י
וְלֹא־
הִסְתִּ֣יר
פָּנָ֣יו
מִמֶּ֑נּוּ
וּֽבְשַׁוְּע֖וֹ
אֵלָ֣יו
שָׁמֵֽעַ׃
26. מֵ֥אִתְּךָ֗
תְּֽהִלָּ֫תִ֥י
בְּקָהָ֥ל
רָ֑ב
נְדָרַ֥י
אֲ֝שַׁלֵּ֗ם
נֶ֣גֶד
יְרֵאָֽיו׃
27. יֹאכְל֬וּ
עֲנָוִ֨ים ׀
וְיִשְׂבָּ֗עוּ
יְהַֽלְל֣וּ
יְ֭הוָה
דֹּ֣רְשָׁ֑יו
יְחִ֖י
לְבַבְכֶ֣ם
לָעַֽד׃
28. יִזְכְּר֤וּ ׀
וְיָשֻׁ֣בוּ
אֶל־
יְ֭הוָה
כָּל־
אַפְסֵי־
אָ֑רֶץ
וְיִֽשְׁתַּחֲו֥וּ
לְ֝פָנֶ֗יךָ
כָּֽל־
מִשְׁפְּח֥וֹת
גּוֹיִֽם׃
29. כִּ֣י
לַ֭יהוָה
הַמְּלוּכָ֑ה
וּ֝מֹשֵׁ֗ל
בַּגּוֹיִֽם׃
30. אָכְל֬וּ
וַיִּֽשְׁתַּחֲוּ֨וּ ׀
כָּֽל־
דִּשְׁנֵי־
אֶ֗רֶץ
לְפָנָ֣יו
יִ֭כְרְעוּ
כָּל־
יוֹרְדֵ֣י
עָפָ֑ר
וְ֝נַפְשׁ֗וֹ
לֹ֣א
חִיָּֽה׃
31. זֶ֥רַע
יַֽעַבְדֶ֑נּוּ
יְסֻפַּ֖ר
לַֽאדֹנָ֣י
לַדּֽוֹר׃
32. יָ֭בֹאוּ
וְיַגִּ֣ידוּ
צִדְקָת֑וֹ
לְעַ֥ם
נ֝וֹלָ֗ד
כִּ֣י
עָשָֽׂה׃