Psalm 3 → 38

Reasoning: 9600 Output: 5187 Total: 14787

Argument

Here are ways to argue that Psalm 38 “follows” Psalm 3, i.e., it reads naturally as a later development of the same voice/situation, both literarily and within a plausible Davidic life-setting. I group the links by form/style, shared lexicon/roots (weighted by rarity and morph proximity), and storyline.

Form and stylistic continuities
- Same heading pattern and persona: both open מִזְמוֹר לְדָוִד (Ps 3:1; 38:1), an individual lament in David’s voice addressing YHWH directly and repeatedly, moving through complaint → petition → confidence.
- Classic lament elements in both: address (יהוה), description of enemies, report of speech against the psalmist, petition for divine intervention, confidence in divine answer/deliverance.
- Both are tightly oral/performative: Ps 3 stresses calling out with the voice (3:5 קוֹלִי… אֶקְרָא); Ps 38 highlights sighs and unspoken cry (38:10–11), silence before men (38:14–15), but appeal to God’s hearing and answer (38:16).

Lexical and root links (rarer/shared items first; identical forms noted)
- Answering (ענה, same verbal root, same function: divine answer to prayer):
  - Ps 3:5 וַיַּֽעֲנֵנִי (“he answered me”).
  - Ps 38:16 אַתָּה תַעֲנֶה (“you will answer”).
- Salvation/deliverance (ישע, same noun/verb family):
  - Ps 3:3 אֵין יְשׁוּעָתָהּ; 3:8 הוֹשִׁיעֵנִי אֱלֹהַי; 3:9 לַיהוָה הַיְשׁוּעָה.
  - Ps 38:23 אֲדֹנָי תְּשׁוּעָתִי.
  - Same lexeme family and same soteriological function; Ps 38’s closing picks up Ps 3’s climax.
- Enemies (אֹיֵב, identical form appears in both):
  - Ps 3:8 אֶת־כָּל־אֹיְבַי.
  - Ps 38:20 וְאֹיְבַי חַיִּים עָצֵמוּ.
- “Many/multitude” (רבב/רבה, same root, similar forms):
  - Ps 3:2 מָה־רַבּוּ…; 3:3 רַבִּים; 3:7 מֵרִבְבוֹת עָם.
  - Ps 38:20 וְרַבּוּ שֹׂנְאַי שֶׁקֶר.
  - This is arguably a catchword linking the two crisis-scenes.
- “Against me/on me” (עָלַי, identical form):
  - Ps 3:2; 3:7.
  - Ps 38:3; 38:17.
- “My soul/life” (נֶפֶשׁ, same noun, closely parallel phrases):
  - Ps 3:3 רַבִּים אֹמְרִים לְנַפְשִׁי.
  - Ps 38:13 מְבַקְשֵׁי נַפְשִׁי.
- “Over/around” and encirclement vocabulary:
  - Ps 3:7 סָבִיב שָׁתוּ עָלַי (“they set themselves around me”).
  - Ps 38:12–13 אֹהֲבַי… יַעַמֹדוּ… קְרוֹבַי מֵרָחוֹק עָמָדוּ; and plotting “all day” (38:13)—the social geometry of a ring of threat recurs, with “standing” verbs (עמד).
- “Head” (רֹאשׁ) in antithetic linkage:
  - Ps 3:4 וּמֵרִים רֹאשִׁי (“you lift my head”).
  - Ps 38:5 עֲוֹנֹתַי עָבְרוּ רֹאשִׁי (“my iniquities have passed over my head”).
  - The same noun marks a deliberate reversal: from God-lifted head to sin-overwhelmed head.
- “Support vs. slipping” (semantic pair):
  - Ps 3:6 כִּי יְהוָה יִסְמְכֵנִי (“the LORD sustains me”).
  - Ps 38:17 בְּמוֹט רַגְלִי (“when my foot slips”).
  - Not the same root, but a pointed antithesis—“support” versus “slip”—showing development of the crisis.
- “From/because of” (מִפְּנֵי, identical preposition with causal sense):
  - Ps 3:1 בְּבָרְחוֹ מִפְּנֵי אַבְשָׁלוֹם.
  - Ps 38:4 מִפְּנֵי זַעְמֶךָ… מִפְּנֵי חַטָּאתִי; 38:6 מִפְּנֵי אִוַּלְתִּי.
  - The danger’s cause shifts from an external pursuer (Absalom) to divine wrath and the psalmist’s sin.
- Divine titles in compact clusters (identical titles, often as a triad):
  - Ps 3:8 קוּמָה יְהוָה הוֹשִׁיעֵנִי אֱלֹהָי.
  - Ps 38:16–23 לְךָ יְהוָה הוֹחָלְתִּי… אֲדֹנָי אֱלֹהָי… אֲדֹנָי תְּשׁוּעָתִי.
  - The same address pattern undergirds both prayers.

Conceptual/motivic development (why 38 “follows” 3)
- From external siege to internal affliction: Ps 3 is a war-camp/mobilization psalm—enemies rise, the king sleeps safely, calls for God to “arise,” and declares that “deliverance belongs to YHWH.” Ps 38 is the same voice under God’s hand: arrows in me (38:3), no soundness (38:4, 8), social isolation (38:12), plots (38:13). The threat that was “around me” (3:7) has moved “into me” (38:3–4).
- From confident taunt-silencing to chosen silence: In Ps 3, the opponents say, “There is no salvation for him in God” (3:3), and the psalmist counters by crying out and being answered (3:5). In Ps 38, the opponents again speak endlessly (38:13), but the psalmist becomes “deaf and mute” (38:14–15), entrusting the answer to God alone (38:16). This is a deepened, chastened response.
- From public vindication to penitence: Ps 3 asks God to break the teeth of the wicked (3:8) and to bless the people (3:9). Ps 38 confesses sin explicitly (38:4–6, 18–19) and accepts God’s discipline, begging only for measured wrath and nearness (38:2, 22–23). This is a natural sequel if the Absalom crisis (Ps 3 title) is read as outworking of David’s earlier sin (2 Sam 12:10–12): first the emergency cry (Ps 3), then the penitential reckoning (Ps 38).
- Spatial/logical progression:
  - Ps 3:5 “He answered me from his holy mountain” (divine answer from “far” yet effective).
  - Ps 38:22 “Do not be far from me” (plea against divine distance).
  - The earlier experience of being answered undergirds the later plea for nearness.
- Editorially plausible within Book I: Ps 3–41 form a Davidic lament cluster. Ps 38 (marked לְהַזְכִּיר, a liturgical “memorial/remembrance” term echoing cultic usage in Lev 2:2; 24:7) reads as a later, temple-facing prayer that recalls earlier deliverances (“you will answer,” 38:16) while processing ongoing enmity and now, confessed guilt.

Event-sequence plausibility in an ancient Israelite setting
- Crisis (rebellion/flight: Ps 3 superscription) → initial confident deliverance prayer (Ps 3) → prolonged aftermath with illness, social estrangement, and introspection under divine discipline (Ps 38) → renewed appeal for salvation. This maps well onto royal experience: military danger, survival, then the personal/communal costs and penitence that follow.

In short: the same speaker, same lament form, and a mesh of shared lexemes (ישע; ענה; אֹיְבַי; רַבּוּ; נֶפֶשׁ; עָלַי; מִפְּנֵי), together with pointed antitheses (lifted head vs. over-whelmed head; sustained vs. slipping; shield-around vs. hand-upon) make Ps 38 a credible “next chapter” after Ps 3—moving from the battlefield confidence of deliverance to the sickbed humility of confession, without abandoning the same theology of YHWH’s answering salvation.

Evaluation

No evaluation has been recorded for this pair yet.

Prompt

Consider Psalm 3 and Psalm 38 (reproduced below). What arguments could you make to justify that Psalm 38 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 38:
Psalm 38
1. מִזְמ֖וֹר
        לְדָוִ֣ד
        לְהַזְכִּֽיר׃
2. יְֽהוָ֗ה
        אַל־
        בְּקֶצְפְּךָ֥
        תוֹכִיחֵ֑נִי
        וּֽבַחֲמָתְךָ֥
        תְיַסְּרֵֽנִי׃
3. כִּֽי־
        חִ֭צֶּיךָ
        נִ֣חֲתוּ
        בִ֑י
        וַתִּנְחַ֖ת
        עָלַ֣י
        יָדֶֽךָ׃
4. אֵין־
        מְתֹ֣ם
        בִּ֭בְשָׂרִי
        מִפְּנֵ֣י
        זַעְמֶ֑ךָ
        אֵין־
        שָׁל֥וֹם
        בַּ֝עֲצָמַ֗י
        מִפְּנֵ֥י
        חַטָּאתִֽי׃
5. כִּ֣י
        עֲ֭וֺנֹתַי
        עָבְר֣וּ
        רֹאשִׁ֑י
        כְּמַשָּׂ֥א
        כָ֝בֵ֗ד
        יִכְבְּד֥וּ
        מִמֶּֽנִּי׃
6. הִבְאִ֣ישׁוּ
        נָ֭מַקּוּ
        חַבּוּרֹתָ֑י
        מִ֝פְּנֵ֗י
        אִוַּלְתִּֽי׃
7. נַעֲוֵ֣יתִי
        שַׁחֹ֣תִי
        עַד־
        מְאֹ֑ד
        כָּל־
        הַ֝יּ֗וֹם
        קֹדֵ֥ר
        הִלָּֽכְתִּי׃
8. כִּֽי־
        כְ֭סָלַי
        מָלְא֣וּ
        נִקְלֶ֑ה
        וְאֵ֥ין
        מְ֝תֹ֗ם
        בִּבְשָׂרִֽי׃
9. נְפוּג֣וֹתִי
        וְנִדְכֵּ֣יתִי
        עַד־
        מְאֹ֑ד
        שָׁ֝אַ֗גְתִּי
        מִֽנַּהֲמַ֥ת
        לִבִּֽי׃
10. אֲ‍ֽדנָ֗tי
        נֶגְדְּךָ֥
        כָל־
        תַּאֲוָתִ֑י
        וְ֝אַנְחָתִ֗י
        מִמְּךָ֥
        לֹא־
        נִסְתָּֽרָה׃
11. לִבִּ֣י
        סְ֭חַרְחַר
        עֲזָבַ֣נִי
        כֹחִ֑י
        וְֽאוֹר־
        עֵינַ֥י
        גַּם־
        הֵ֝֗ם
        אֵ֣ין
        אִתִּֽי׃
12. אֹֽהֲבַ֨י ׀
        וְרֵעַ֗י
        מִנֶּ֣גֶד
        נִגְעִ֣י
        יַעֲמֹ֑דוּ
        וּ֝קְרוֹבַ֗י
        מֵרָחֹ֥ק
        עָמָֽדוּ׃
13. וַיְנַקְשׁ֤וּ ׀
        מְבַקְשֵׁ֬י
        נַפְשִׁ֗י
        וְדֹרְשֵׁ֣י
        רָ֭עָתִי
        דִּבְּר֣וּ
        הַוּ֑וֹת
        וּ֝מִרְמ֗וֹת
        כָּל־
        הַיּ֥וֹם
        יֶהְגּֽוּ׃
14. וַאֲנִ֣י
        כְ֭חֵרֵשׁ
        לֹ֣א
        אֶשְׁמָ֑ע
        וּ֝כְאִלֵּ֗ם
        לֹ֣א
        יִפְתַּח־
        פִּֽיו׃
15. וָאֱהִ֗י
        כְּ֭אִישׁ
        אֲשֶׁ֣ר
        לֹא־
        שֹׁמֵ֑עַ
        וְאֵ֥ין
        בְּ֝פִ֗יו
        תּוֹכָֽחוֹת׃
16. כִּֽי־
        לְךָ֣
        יְהוָ֣ה
        הוֹחָ֑לְתִּי
        אַתָּ֥ה
        תַ֝עֲנֶ֗ה
        אֲדֹנָ֥י
        אֱלֹהָֽי׃
17. כִּֽי־
        אָ֭מַרְתִּי
        פֶּן־
        יִשְׂמְחוּ־
        לִ֑י
        בְּמ֥וֹט
        רַ֝גְלִ֗י
        עָלַ֥י
        הִגְדִּֽילוּ׃
18. כִּֽי־
        אֲ֭נִי
        לְצֶ֣לַע
        נָכ֑וֹן
        וּמַכְאוֹבִ֖י
        נֶגְדִּ֣י
        תָמִֽיד׃
19. כִּֽי־
        עֲוֺנִ֥י
        אַגִּ֑יד
        אֶ֝דְאַ֗ג
        מֵ֖חַטָּאתִֽי׃
20. וְֽ֭אֹיְבַי
        חַיִּ֣ים
        עָצֵ֑מוּ
        וְרַבּ֖וּ
        שֹׂנְאַ֣י
        שָֽׁקֶר׃
21. וּמְשַׁלְּמֵ֣י
        רָ֭עָה
        תַּ֣חַת
        טוֹבָ֑ה
        יִ֝שְׂטְנ֗וּנִי
        תַּ֣חַת
        רדופי־
        רָֽדְפִי־
        טֽוֹב׃
22. אַל־
        תַּֽעַזְבֵ֥נִי
        יְהוָ֑ה
        אֱ֝לֹהַ֗י
        אַל־
        תִּרְחַ֥ק
        מִמֶּֽנִּי׃
23. ח֥וּשָׁה
        לְעֶזְרָתִ֑י
        אֲ֝דֹנָ֗י
        תְּשׁוּעָתִֽי׃