Psalm 3 → 37
Reasoning: 7296 Output: 6600 Total: 13896
Argument
Here are lines of argument that a reader could marshal to show Psalm 37 as a logical follow-on to Psalm 3. I’ve ordered them from more “hard” (lexical/root) to more “soft” (form, theme, life-setting), and I flag rarer/more specific correspondences. Lexical and root links (rarer/specific items first) - Teeth motif, same noun, same wicked: Psalm 3:8 שִנֵּי רְשָׁעִים שִׁבַּרְתָּ “you broke the teeth of the wicked.” Psalm 37:12 וְחֹרֵק עָלָיו שִׁנָּיו “he gnashes his teeth at him.” The rare “teeth of the wicked” imagery makes 37 sound like a broader, proverbial unpacking of the violent hostility overcome in 3. - Break/shatter, same root שׁ־ב־ר, applied to the wicked’s instruments: - Psalm 3:8 שִׁבַּרְתָּ “you have broken” (2ms) the teeth of the wicked. - Psalm 37:15 תִּשָּׁבַרְנָה “shall be broken” (3fp); 37:17 תִּשָּׁבַרְנָה “shall be broken” (3fp), of the swords/arms of the wicked. Same root, even if different binyan/number, and the same semantic target (the wicked’s power) = a strong continuity marker. - Save/deliver, same root י־שׁ־ע, and in 3 both noun and verb are programmatic: - Psalm 3:3 אֵין יְשׁוּעָתָהּ לוֹ… “there is no salvation for him…”; 3:8 הוֹשִׁיעֵנִי “save me”; 3:9 לַיהוָה הַיְשׁוּעָה “salvation belongs to the LORD.” - Psalm 37:39–40 וּתְשׁוּעַת צַדִּיקִים מֵיְהוָה… וְיוֹשִׁיעֵם “the salvation of the righteous is from the LORD… he will save them.” Psalm 37 answers the taunt of 3:3 directly, by universalizing 3:9 into wisdom teaching. - Sustain/support, same root ס־מ־ך: - Psalm 3:6 כִּי יְהוָה יִסְמְכֵנִי “for the LORD sustains me.” - Psalm 37:17 וְסוֹמֵךְ צַדִּיקִים יְהוָה “the LORD supports the righteous”; 37:24 כִּי יְהוָה סוֹמֵךְ יָדוֹ “for the LORD upholds his hand.” Same root, same theological point, shifted from a single “me” to a general rule. - Raise/exalt, same root ר־וּ־ם: - Psalm 3:4 …וּמֵרִים רֹאשִׁי “the lifter of my head.” - Psalm 37:34 וִירוֹמִמְךָ לָרֶשֶׁת אָרֶץ “he will exalt you to inherit the land.” The personal “raising of the head” in 3 becomes the public exaltation to inheritance in 37. - Bless, same root ב־ר־ך: - Psalm 3:9 עַל־עַמְּךָ בִרְכָתֶךָ “your blessing be upon your people.” - Psalm 37:22 מְבֹרָכָיו יִירְשׁוּ אָרֶץ…; 37:26 …וְזַרְעוֹ לִבְרָכָה “his offspring is for a blessing.” Psalm 37 concretizes the “blessing” of 3:9 as durable inheritance and posterity. - Enemy/adversary, same lexeme set: - Psalm 3:2–8 צָרַי… אֹיְבַי “my adversaries… my enemies.” - Psalm 37:20 אֹיְבֵי יְהוָה “the enemies of the LORD.” Psalm 37 reframes David’s enemies (Ps 3) as enemies of YHWH (Ps 37), raising the issue from personal to theological. - Land/inheritance versus hill: spatial/theological continuity: - Psalm 3:5 מֵהַר קָדְשׁוֹ “from his holy mountain” (Zion focus). - Psalm 37 (refrain): יִירְשׁוּ־אָרֶץ “shall inherit the land” (vv. 9, 11, 22, 29, 34); וְנַחֲלָתָם לְעוֹלָם תִּהְיֶה (v. 18). Zion (the holy hill) is the royal center; “inherit the land” is the Deuteronomistic expansion of that center’s promise to the faithful. Imagery and motif links - Mouth/face violence neutralized: - Psalm 3:8 jaw/teeth (לֶחִי; שִׁנַּיִם) of the wicked are struck/broken. - Psalm 37:12 the wicked gnash teeth; 37:15–17 their weapons/arms are broken. Same violent imagery, but 37 generalizes the pattern: God causes the wicked’s power to collapse. - Emotional poise in crisis: - Psalm 3:6–7 “I lay down and slept… I will not fear the multitudes.” - Psalm 37:1, 7–8 “Do not fret (אַל־תִּתְחַר)… be still (דּוֹם) before the LORD… let go of anger.” The experiential calm of Psalm 3 becomes explicit pedagogy in Psalm 37. Form and genre as a narrative progression - Psalm 3 is an individual lament with a confidence section. - Psalm 37 is an acrostic wisdom psalm (didactic, full of imperatives: בְּטַח, הִתְעַנַּג, גּוֹל, דּוֹם, קַוֵּה, סוּר). - Read together, 37 reads like the reflective, instructional sequel to the crisis-resolve of 3: what David experienced (3) he now teaches as a general rule (37). Thematic development - From “Do enemies negate God’s salvation?” (3:3) to “No—YHWH invariably saves the righteous” (37:39–40). - From “God lifted my head” (3:4) to “God will exalt you to inherit the land” (37:34). - From immediate deliverance (sleep/wake; not fearing multitudes) to the long view: the transient prosperity of the wicked versus the durable inheritance of the righteous (37:2, 9–11, 18–29, 34–36). Life-stage and historical plausibility (Absalom frame) - Psalm 3’s superscription sets it “when he fled from Absalom his son”—a late-life royal crisis. - Psalm 37:25 “I was young and now am old” fits a retrospective voice looking back on many such crises, including Absalom’s. Thus, 37 plausibly follows 3 in David’s life sequence: from the crisis itself (3) to a seasoned, didactic summing-up (37). - Content fit: David’s return to Zion after Absalom tallies with 37’s promises of “inherit the land,” “not be forsaken,” and the wicked’s self-defeating violence (37:14–17: “their sword shall enter their own heart”). Canonical/editorial logic inside Book I (Pss 3–41) - Both psalms are Davidic. Book I features repeated “righteous vs. wicked” and “enemies” motifs that crest in wisdom reflections (Ps 1; 37). Psalm 37 can be read as the wisdom capstone that draws out the theological principles behind the personal laments like Psalm 3. Relative significance under your criteria - Highest-weight items: shared rare imagery (teeth of the wicked; gnashing teeth) and identical roots used with the same moral target: שׁבר (break) applied to the wicked’s power; סמך (sustain/support) for divine help; ישע (save) for the soteriological claim. - Next: shared roots mapping the same idea in different but coherent forms (רום lift/exalt; ברך blessing moving from people-wide benediction to concrete inheritance; adversary/צָר ~ distress/צָרָה). - Form/theme: a natural move from crisis-lament to didactic-wisdom response. In sum: Psalm 37 reads like the mature, wisdom-shaped answer to the questions and experiences of Psalm 3: the same God who sustained, lifted, and saved David in the Absalom crisis (3) is the God who, as a rule, breaks the wicked’s power, supports the righteous, and grants them enduring inheritance (37).
Evaluation
No evaluation has been recorded for this pair yet.
Prompt
Consider Psalm 3 and Psalm 37 (reproduced below). What arguments could you make to justify that Psalm 37 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 37:
Psalm 37
1. לְדָוִ֨ד ׀
אַל־
תִּתְחַ֥ר
בַּמְּרֵעִ֑ים
אַל־
תְּ֝קַנֵּ֗א
בְּעֹשֵׂ֥י
עַוְלָֽה׃
2. כִּ֣י
כֶ֭חָצִיר
מְהֵרָ֣ה
יִמָּ֑לוּ
וּכְיֶ֥רֶק
דֶּ֝֗שֶׁא
יִבּוֹלֽוּן׃
3. בְּטַ֣ח
בַּֽ֭יהוָה
וַעֲשֵׂה־
ט֑וֹב
שְׁכָן־
אֶ֝֗רֶץ
וּרְעֵ֥ה
אֱמוּנָֽה׃
4. וְהִתְעַנַּ֥ג
עַל־
יְהוָ֑ה
וְיִֽתֶּן־
לְ֝ךָ֗
מִשְׁאֲלֹ֥ת
לִבֶּֽךָ׃
5. גּ֣וֹל
עַל־
יְהוָ֣ה
דַּרְכֶּ֑ךָ
וּבְטַ֥ח
עָ֝לָ֗יו
וְה֣וּא
יַעֲשֶֽׂה׃
6. וְהוֹצִ֣יא
כָא֣וֹר
צִדְקֶ֑ךָ
וּ֝מִשְׁפָּטֶ֗ךָ
כַּֽצָּהֳרָֽיִם׃
7. דּ֤וֹם ׀
לַיהוָה֮
וְהִתְח֢וֹלֵ֫ל
ל֥וֹ
אַל־
תִּ֭תְחַר
בְּמַצְלִ֣יחַ
דַּרְכּ֑וֹ
בְּ֝אִ֗ישׁ
עֹשֶׂ֥ה
מְזִמּֽוֹת׃
8. הֶ֣רֶף
מֵ֭אַף
וַעֲזֹ֣ב
חֵמָ֑ה
אַל־
תִּ֝תְחַ֗ר
אַךְ־
לְהָרֵֽעַ׃
9. כִּֽי־
מְ֭רֵעִים
יִכָּרֵת֑וּן
וְקֹוֵ֥י
יְ֝הוָ֗ה
הֵ֣מָּה
יִֽירְשׁוּ־
אָֽרֶץ׃
10. וְע֣וֹד
מְ֭עַט
וְאֵ֣ין
רָשָׁ֑ע
וְהִתְבּוֹנַ֖נְתָּ
עַל־
מְקוֹמ֣וֹ
וְאֵינֶֽנּוּ׃
11. וַעֲנָוִ֥ים
יִֽירְשׁוּ־
אָ֑רֶץ
וְ֝הִתְעַנְּג֗וּ
עַל־
רֹ֥ב
שָׁלֽוֹם׃
12. זֹמֵ֣ם
רָ֭שָׁע
לַצַּדִּ֑יק
וְחֹרֵ֖ק
עָלָ֣יו
שִׁנָּֽיו׃
13. אֲדֹנָ֥י
יִשְׂחַק־
ל֑וֹ
כִּֽי־
רָ֝אָ֗ה
כִּֽי־
יָבֹ֥א
יוֹמֽוֹ׃
14. חֶ֤רֶב ׀
פָּֽתְח֣וּ
רְשָׁעִים֮
וְדָרְכ֢וּ
קַ֫שְׁתָּ֥ם
לְ֭הַפִּיל
עָנִ֣י
וְאֶבְי֑וֹן
לִ֝טְב֗וֹחַ
יִשְׁרֵי־
דָֽרֶךְ׃
15. חַ֭רְבָּם
תָּב֣וֹא
בְלִבָּ֑ם
וְ֝קַשְּׁתוֹתָ֗ם
תִּשָּׁבַֽרְנָה׃
16. טוֹב־
מְ֭עַט
לַצַּדִּ֑יק
מֵ֝הֲמ֗וֹן
רְשָׁעִ֥ים
רַבִּֽים׃
17. כִּ֤י
זְרוֹע֣וֹת
רְ֭שָׁעִים
תִּשָּׁבַ֑רְנָה
וְסוֹמֵ֖ךְ
צַדִּיקִ֣ים
יְהוָֽה׃
18. יוֹדֵ֣עַ
יְ֭הוָה
יְמֵ֣י
תְמִימִ֑ם
וְ֝נַחֲלָתָ֗ם
לְעוֹלָ֥ם
תִּהְיֶֽה׃
19. לֹֽא־
יֵ֭בֹשׁוּ
בְּעֵ֣ת
רָעָ֑ה
וּבִימֵ֖י
רְעָב֣וֹן
יִשְׂבָּֽעוּ׃
20. כִּ֤י
רְשָׁעִ֨ים ׀
יֹאבֵ֗דוּ
וְאֹיְבֵ֣י
יְ֭הוָה
כִּיקַ֣ר
כָּרִ֑ים
כָּל֖וּ
בֶעָשָׁ֣ן
כָּֽלוּ׃
21. לֹוֶ֣ה
רָ֭שָׁע
וְלֹ֣א
יְשַׁלֵּ֑ם
וְ֝צַדִּ֗יק
חוֹנֵ֥ן
וְנוֹתֵֽן׃
22. כִּ֣י
מְ֭בֹרָכָיו
יִ֣ירְשׁוּ
אָ֑רֶץ
וּ֝מְקֻלָּלָ֗יו
יִכָּרֵֽתוּ׃
23. מֵ֭יְהוָה
מִֽצְעֲדֵי־
גֶ֥בֶר
כּוֹנָ֗נוּ
וְדַרְכּ֥וֹ
יֶחְפָּֽץ׃
24. כִּֽי־
יִפֹּ֥ל
לֹֽא־
יוּטָ֑ל
כִּֽי־
יְ֝הוָ֗ה
סוֹמֵ֥ךְ
יָדֽוֹ׃
25. נַ֤עַר ׀
הָיִ֗יתִי
גַּם־
זָ֫קַ֥נְתִּי
וְֽלֹא־
רָ֭אִיתִי
צַדִּ֣יק
נֶעֱזָ֑ב
וְ֝זַרְע֗וֹ
מְבַקֶּשׁ־
לָֽחֶם׃
26. כָּל־
הַ֭יּוֹם
חוֹנֵ֣ן
וּמַלְוֶ֑ה
וְ֝זַרְע֗וֹ
לִבְרָכָֽה׃
27. ס֣וּר
מֵ֭רָע
וַעֲשֵׂה־
ט֗וֹב
וּשְׁכֹ֥ן
לְעוֹלָֽם׃
28. כִּ֤י
יְהוָ֨ה ׀
אֹ֘הֵ֤ב
מִשְׁפָּ֗ט
וְלֹא־
יַעֲזֹ֣ב
אֶת־
חֲ֭סִידָיו
לְעוֹלָ֣ם
נִשְׁמָ֑רוּ
וְזֶ֖רַע
רְשָׁעִ֣ים
נִכְרָֽת׃
29. צַדִּיקִ֥ים
יִֽירְשׁוּ־
אָ֑רֶץ
וְיִשְׁכְּנ֖וּ
לָעַ֣ד
עָלֶֽיהָ׃
30. פִּֽי־
צַ֭דִּיק
יֶהְגֶּ֣ה
חָכְמָ֑ה
וּ֝לְשׁוֹנ֗וֹ
תְּדַבֵּ֥ר
מִשְׁפָּֽט׃
31. תּוֹרַ֣ת
אֱלֹהָ֣יו
בְּלִבּ֑וֹ
לֹ֖א
תִמְעַ֣ד
אֲשֻׁרָיו׃c
32. צוֹפֶ֣ה
רָ֭שָׁע
לַצַּדִּ֑יק
וּ֝מְבַקֵּ֗שׁ
לַהֲמִיתוֹ׃
33. יְ֭הוָה
לֹא־
יַעַזְבֶ֣נּוּ
בְיָד֑וֹ
וְלֹ֥א
יַ֝רְשִׁיעֶ֗נּוּ
בְּהִשָּׁפְטֽוֹ׃
34. קַוֵּ֤ה
אֶל־
יְהוָ֨ה ׀
וּשְׁמֹ֬ר
דַּרְכּ֗וֹ
וִֽ֭ירוֹמִמְךָ
לָרֶ֣שֶׁת
אָ֑רֶץ
בְּהִכָּרֵ֖ת
רְשָׁעִ֣ים
תִּרְאֶֽה׃
35. רָ֭אִיתִי
רָשָׁ֣ע
עָרִ֑יץ
וּ֝מִתְעָרֶ֗ה
כְּאֶזְרָ֥ח
רַעֲנָֽן׃
36. וַ֭יַּֽעֲבֹר
וְהִנֵּ֣ה
אֵינֶ֑נּוּ
וָֽ֝אֲבַקְשֵׁ֗הוּ
וְלֹ֣א
נִמְצָֽא׃
37. שְׁמָר־
תָּ֭ם
וּרְאֵ֣ה
יָשָׁ֑ר
כִּֽי־
אַחֲרִ֖ית
לְאִ֣ישׁ
שָׁלֽוֹם׃
38. וּֽ֭פֹשְׁעִים
נִשְׁמְד֣וּ
יַחְדָּ֑ו
אַחֲרִ֖ית
רְשָׁעִ֣ים
נִכְרָֽתָה׃
39. וּתְשׁוּעַ֣ת
צַ֭דִּיקִים
מֵיְהוָ֑ה
מָֽ֝עוּזָּ֗ם
בְּעֵ֣ת
צָרָֽה׃
40. וַֽיַּעְזְרֵ֥ם
יְהוָ֗ה
וַֽיְפַלְּ֫טֵ֥ם
יְפַלְּטֵ֣ם
מֵ֭רְשָׁעִים
וְיוֹשִׁיעֵ֑ם
כִּי־
חָ֥סוּ
בֽוֹ׃