Psalm 3 → 140
Reasoning: 12416 Output: 4574 Total: 16990
Argument
Short answer: read Psalm 140 as the “day of battle” continuation of the “night-in-crisis” Psalm 3. Psalm 3 narrates the flight and a night’s rest in trust; Psalm 140 picks up with the weapons, snares, and imprecations of the battle day, using multiple catchwords, motifs, and forms that echo and develop Psalm 3. Arguments by category Form and structure - Both are classic individual laments with the same macro‑movements: address/cry to YHWH → description of hostile many → trust/confidence → petition for intervention → imprecation → confidence/praise. This is evident in Ps 3:2–9 and Ps 140:2–14. - Both are Davidic and carry the same superscription core: מזמור לדוד (Ps 3 title; Ps 140:1). Identical phrase. - Both use Selah three times, placed at structurally telling pauses (Ps 3:3, 5, 9; Ps 140:4, 6, 9). The “triple Selah” profile is not common and marks a shared stylistic template. Narrative sequencing (a plausible life-situation progression) - Psalm 3 is explicitly “in flight” (בברחו) and features night trust: “I lay down and slept; I awoke” (שכבתי ואישנה; היקיצותי, 3:6). - Psalm 140 then speaks of the “day of weapons/battle” (ביום נשק, 140:8), with explicit battlefield protection imagery (“You covered my head,” סכותה לראשי). Read together: night of trust in flight (Ps 3) → day of combat protection (Ps 140). - Psalm 3’s Absalom setting (title) fits Psalm 140’s world: conspirators who “plan evils” (חשבו רעות, 140:3, 5), “stir up wars” (יגורו מלחמות, 140:3), lay snares “by the path” (ליד־מעגל, 140:6)—coherent with an on‑the‑run king navigating traps. - Enemy speech is pivotal in both: in Ps 3 “Many are saying… ‘No salvation for him in God’” (רבים אמרים לנפשי… אין ישועתה לו באלהים, 3:3). Ps 140 intensifies this by focusing on tongues and lips weaponized (שננו לשונם… חמת עכשוב תחת שפתימו, 140:4) and by naming “a man of tongue” (איש לשון, 140:12). That is, Psalm 140 answers the taunt of Psalm 3. High‑value lexical/morphological “catchwords” (rarer or tightly matching forms) - שָׁתוּ “they have set/laid” (Qal perf. 3mp of שׁית) occurs identically in both: • Ps 3:7 אשר סביב שָׁתוּ עלי • Ps 140:6 מוקשים שָׁתוּ־לי This exact finite form is relatively rare and strongly links the encirclement motif. - ראש/ראשי cluster, with tight, motif‑rich reuse: • Ps 3:4 ומרים ראשי “You lift my head” • Ps 140:8 סכותה לראשי “You covered my head” • Ps 140:10 ראש מסבי “the head of those who surround me” The same head that God raises/protects in 3 and 140 contrasts with the head of the surrounders that is targeted in 140:10. This is a crafted head‑motif progression. - ישע “salvation” cluster: • Ps 3:3, 8–9: אין ישועתה… הושיעני… ליהוה הישועה • Ps 140:8: יהוה אדני עז ישועתי Psalm 140’s naming God “strength of my salvation” directly contradicts Ps 3’s enemy claim “no salvation for him in God.” - קו״ם “rise” cluster: • Ps 3:2 רבים קמים עלי; 3:8 קומה יהוה • Ps 140:11 בְּמַהֲמֹרוֹת בַּל־יָקוּמוּ Enemies “rise” in Ps 3; the prayer is “Arise, YHWH”; in Ps 140 the wish is that they “not rise.” The same root frames both psalms’ conflict trajectory. - רו״ם “be high/raise/exalt” cluster: • Ps 3:4 ומרים ראשי “You raise my head” • Ps 140:9 זממו אל תפק—ירומו סלה “do not bring about his plan—lest they be exalted” God may raise the psalmist’s head (Ps 3), but the wicked must not be allowed to be exalted (Ps 140). Same root, adversative theology. - סביב/מסבי “around me”: • Ps 3:7 אשר סביב שָׁתוּ עלי • Ps 140:10 ראש מסבי Same root סבב links the encirclement in both compositions. - קוֹל “voice” in direct prayer: • Ps 3:5 קולי אל־יהוה אקרא • Ps 140:7 האזינה יהוה קול תחנוני Same collocation “קול + prayer to YHWH” marks the personal plea. - Mouth-as-weapon motif, with measured retribution: • Ps 3:8 שִׁנֵּי רשעים שִׁבַּרְתָּ “You broke the teeth of the wicked” • Ps 140:4, 10: tongues sharpened; poison under lips; “May the mischief of their lips cover them” (עמל שפתימו יכסמו) The two psalms target the enemy’s mouth (teeth/lips/tongue) in God’s judgment—rare, vivid, and theologically symmetrical. Shared imagery and protection language - Shield/covering around the head: • Ps 3:4 ואתה יהוה מגן בעדי… ומרים ראשי • Ps 140:8 סכותה לראשי ביום נשק The shieldthat‑surrounds and the helmet/covering for the head are closely related protective metaphors, both centered on “my head.” - Encirclement vs. path traps: • Ps 3:7 “myriads… around me” (מרבבות עם אשר סביב) • Ps 140:6 “the proud have hidden a snare for me… spread a net by the path… snares they set for me” (טמנו… פרשו… ליד־מעגל… מוקשים שָׁתוּ־לי) If Psalm 3 is the flight, Psalm 140 is the same flight described as booby‑trapped roads. Imprecation and closure - Both include explicit, forceful imprecation: • Ps 3:8 “Strike all my enemies on the jaw; break the teeth of the wicked” • Ps 140:9–12 series of negatives and curses (אל־תתן… גחלים… באש יפילם… בל־יקומו…) - Both end with communal/ethical outcomes beyond the “I”: • Ps 3:9 “Upon your people, your blessing” • Ps 140:13–14 “YHWH will do justice for the afflicted… the righteous will give thanks… the upright will dwell before your face” Psalm 140 expands Psalm 3’s closing concern for “your people” into a justice outcome for עני/אביונים and praise by צדיקים/ישרים. Historical/life‑setting plausibility - Absalom’s revolt (Ps 3 title) features conspiracy, slander and violent men (e.g., Absalom’s charm and rhetoric, Ahithophel’s counsel, Shimei’s cursing). Psalm 140’s “men of violence” (איש חמסים), “man of tongue” (איש לשון), and constant plots (חשבו רעות; זממו) map naturally onto that milieu. - “By the path” snares (ליד־מעגל) fit the on‑the‑run royal narrative implied by Ps 3’s superscription. Weighted significance (as requested) - Most significant identical or rare items: the exact finite form שָׁתוּ; the triple‑Selah pattern; the exact superscription phrase מזמור לדוד; the concentrated “head” lexeme cluster; the mouth‑as‑weapon judgment motif; the rare נשק “weapons” (Ps 140:8) that concretizes Ps 3’s martial protection language. - Strong root-level links with semantic coherence: ישע; קום; רום; סביב; קול; ראש; שׁית. These roots are not only shared but reused in parallel or antithetical ways that look editorially intentional. A succinct “logical sequence” reading - Psalm 3: In flight, encircled by many who say “no salvation,” the psalmist cries out at night, sleeps, awakens, trusts the shield‑God who lifts his head, asks God to arise and shatter the mouths of the wicked, and ends with blessing on God’s people. - Psalm 140: The next morning “day of weapons” arrives; the same many are now “men of violence,” setting snares by the path. The psalmist again lifts his voice to YHWH, now naming him “strength of my salvation,” asking that the wicked’s self‑exalting counsel not stand and that their own sharpened lips rebound upon their heads. The psalm closes by widening the lens to God’s justice for the afflicted and the praise of the righteous. Taken together, the formal profile, the rare/shared lexemes (especially שָׁתוּ; the head/surrounding cluster; the salvation and rise/exaltation roots), and the night‑to‑battle‑day progression make a coherent case that Psalm 140 can be read as a logical follow‑on to Psalm 3.
Evaluation
No evaluation has been recorded for this pair yet.
Prompt
Consider Psalm 3 and Psalm 140 (reproduced below). What arguments could you make to justify that Psalm 140 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 140:
Psalm 140
1. לַמְנַצֵּ֗חַ
מִזְמ֥וֹר
לְדָוִֽד׃
2. חַלְּצֵ֣נִי
יְ֭הוָה
מֵאָדָ֣ם
רָ֑ע
מֵאִ֖ישׁ
חֲמָסִ֣ים
תִּנְצְרֵֽנִי׃
3. אֲשֶׁ֤ר
חָשְׁב֣וּ
רָע֣וֹת
בְּלֵ֑ב
כָּל־
י֝֗וֹם
יָג֥וּרוּ
מִלְחָמֽוֹת׃
4. שָֽׁנֲנ֣וּ
לְשׁוֹנָם֮
כְּֽמוֹ
נָ֫חָ֥שׁ
חֲמַ֥ת
עַכְשׁ֑וּב
תַּ֖חַת
שְׂפָתֵ֣ימוֹ
סֶֽלָה׃
5. שָׁמְרֵ֤נִי
יְהוָ֨ה ׀
מִ֘ידֵ֤י
רָשָׁ֗ע
מֵאִ֣ישׁ
חֲמָסִ֣ים
תִּנְצְרֵ֑נִי
אֲשֶׁ֥ר
חָ֝שְׁב֗וּ
לִדְח֥וֹת
פְּעָמָֽי׃
6. טָֽמְנֽוּ־
גֵאִ֨ים ׀
פַּ֡ח
לִ֗י
וַחֲבָלִ֗ים
פָּ֣רְשׂוּ
רֶ֭שֶׁת
לְיַד־
מַעְגָּ֑ל
מֹקְשִׁ֖ים
שָֽׁתוּ־
לִ֣י
סֶֽלָה׃
7. אָמַ֣רְתִּי
לַ֭יהוָה
אֵ֣לִי
אָ֑תָּה
הַאֲזִ֥ינָה
יְ֝הוָ֗ה
ק֣וֹל
תַּחֲנוּנָֽי׃
8. יְהֹוִ֣ה
אֲ֭דֹנָי
עֹ֣ז
יְשׁוּעָתִ֑י
סַכֹּ֥תָה
לְ֝רֹאשִׁ֗י
בְּי֣וֹם
נָֽשֶׁק׃
9. אַל־
תִּתֵּ֣ן
יְ֭הוָה
מַאֲוַיֵּ֣י
רָשָׁ֑ע
זְמָמ֥וֹ
אַל־
תָּ֝פֵ֗ק
יָר֥וּמוּ
סֶֽלָה׃
10. רֹ֥אשׁ
מְסִבָּ֑י
עֲמַ֖ל
שְׂפָתֵ֣ימוֹ
יכסומו
יְכַסֵּֽמוֹ׃
11. ימיטו
יִמּ֥וֹטוּ
עֲלֵיהֶ֗ם
גֶּֽחָ֫לִ֥ים
בָּאֵ֥שׁ
יַפִּלֵ֑ם
בְּ֝מַהֲמֹר֗וֹת
בָּל־
יָקֽוּמוּ׃
12. אִ֥ישׁ
לָשׁוֹן֮
בַּל־
יִכּ֢וֹן
בָּ֫אָ֥רֶץ
אִישׁ־
חָמָ֥ס
רָ֑ע
יְ֝צוּדֶ֗נּוּ
לְמַדְחֵפֹֽת׃
13. ידעת
יָדַ֗עְתִּי
כִּֽי־
יַעֲשֶׂ֣ה
יְ֭הוָה
דִּ֣ין
עָנִ֑י
מִ֝שְׁפַּ֗ט
אֶבְיֹנִֽים׃
14. אַ֣ךְ
צַ֭דִּיקִים
יוֹד֣וּ
לִשְׁמֶ֑ךָ
יֵשְׁב֥וּ
יְ֝שָׁרִ֗ים
אֶת־
פָּנֶֽיךָ׃