Psalm 4 → 3

Reasoning: 12416 Output: 3494 Total: 15910

Argument

Short answer: read Psalm 4 as the evening prayer and Psalm 3 as the morning prayer that follows it. In Israelite timekeeping the day runs “evening–morning” (Genesis 1), so the night of Psalm 4 naturally precedes the morning of Psalm 3. That macro-move is then reinforced by dense lexical, formulaic, and structural links.

Details

1) Time-of-day sequence that makes Psalm 3 the next moment after Psalm 4
- Psalm 4 closes with going to bed: “בשלום יחדו אשכבה ואישן” (4:9).
- Psalm 3 opens with the next step after that sleep: “אני שכבתי ואישנה הקיצותי כי יהוה יסמכני” (3:6).
- The rare collocation of the two roots שׁכב + ישׁן occurs in both psalms in nearly identical forms (אשכבה/שכבתי; ואישן/ואישנה), moving from intention in 4 to fulfillment in 3. That is exactly the logical progression night → sleep → waking.

2) Call-and-answer sequence carried across the two psalms
- Psalm 4 twice articulates the expectation: “בקרֹאי עֲנֵנִי… ושְׁמַע תְּפִלָּתִי” (4:2); “יְהוָה יִשְׁמַע בְּקָרְאִי אֵלָיו” (4:4).
- Psalm 3 narrates the fulfillment: “קוֹלִי אֶל־יְהוָה אֶקְרָא וַיַּעֲנֵנִי” (3:5).
- The exact roots קרא and ענה bind them: 4 anticipates hearing/answer; 3 reports that God has answered. Conceptually: trust voiced at night, testimony given in the morning.

3) Identical rare formula knitting them together
- The phrase רַבִּים אֹמְרִים appears verbatim in both psalms (4:7; 3:3), and in each case is followed by סֶלָה, marking parallel strophic position. This exact two-word formula is uncommon and weighty.
- In both, what “many say” challenges faith (4:7 “מִי יַרְאֵנוּ טוֹב”; 3:3 “אֵין יְשׁוּעָתָהּ לוֹ בֵאלֹהִים”), which the psalmist immediately counters.

4) “My glory” in identical form, moving from shame to restoration
- Psalm 4 laments: “כְבוֹדִי לִכְלִמָּה” (4:3).
- Psalm 3 answers: “וְאַתָּה יְהוָה מָגֵן בַּעֲדִי, כְּבוֹדִי וּמֵרִים רֹאשִׁי” (3:4).
- The identical noun with 1cs suffix כבודי appears in both; Psalm 3 reverses the humiliation of 4 by presenting YHWH as the one who restores and “lifts” the psalmist’s head.

5) Shared roots and tight semantic oppositions
- צר “narrowness/adversary”: “בַצָּר הִרְחַבְתָּ לִּי” (4:2) vs. “מָה־רַבּוּ צָרָי” (3:2). The relief from narrowness in 4 meets the multitude of adversaries in 3.
- לבדד “alone” (rare in Psalms): “אַתָּה יְהוָה לְבָדָד לָבֶטַח תּוֹשִׁיבֵנִי” (4:9) stands over against the “סָבִיב שָׁתוּ עָלַי” (3:7). YHWH alone vs. enemies all around is a purposeful antithesis.
- “על” as a hinge: 4:7 “נְשָׂא עָלֵינוּ אוֹר פָּנֶיךָ” → 3:2 “רַבִּים קָמִים עָלַי” → 3:9 “עַל־עַמְּךָ בִרְכָתֶךָ”. The same preposition threads the movement from God’s face upon us, to enemies upon me, to God’s blessing upon your people.

6) Priestly-blessing (Num 6:24–26) motif ties the conclusions
- Psalm 4 explicitly echoes the blessing: “נְשָׂא עָלֵינוּ אוֹר פָּנֶיךָ יְהוָה” (lift up… light of your face) and ends with “בשלום… אשכבה” (peace), both signature words of Num 6.
- Psalm 3 closes: “לַיהוָה הַיְשׁוּעָה; עַל־עַמְּךָ בִרְכָתֶךָ” (3:9). The move is from invoking the shining/lifted face and peace in 4 to pronouncing God’s blessing on the people in 3. Same liturgical field, now consummated.

7) Structural and formal affinities
- Both have the superscription מזמור לדוד and comprise nine verses; both employ סלה at matching turning points, notably after the “רבים אומרים” line.
- Both follow the same psalm-type arc: complaint about many adversaries → confession of trust → direct petition → assurance/confidence for the community. Psalm 4 is more admonitory toward opponents (4:3–6), with a bedtime resolve; Psalm 3 is a report of preservation and a morning battle-cry.

8) Narrative/historical plausibility (Absalom frame)
- Psalm 3’s superscription locates it “when he fled from Absalom his son.” Psalm 4’s address to “בְּנֵי אִישׁ,” the charge “תֶּאֱהָבוּן רִיק, תְּבַקְשׁוּ כָזָב,” and the call to “זִבְחוּ זִבְחֵי־צֶדֶק” fit David’s appeal to wavering elites in a rebellion. As a prelude, Psalm 4 reads like an evening admonition to conspirators and a personal entrusting to God; Psalm 3 is the next-morning report from the same crisis.

In sum: if you read with Israel’s evening→morning day, Psalm 4’s “I will lie down and sleep” naturally precedes Psalm 3’s “I lay down and slept; I awoke.” That macro-sequence is tightened by exact formulas (רבים אומרים; כבודי), matched roots (קרא/ענה; צר; שכב/ישן), parallel structure and Selah placement, and a shared priestly-blessing frame (face/light/peace → blessing on the people). All of this makes a strong case that Psalm 3 is the logical sequel to Psalm 4.

Evaluation

No evaluation has been recorded for this pair yet.

Prompt

Consider Psalm 4 and Psalm 3 (reproduced below). What arguments could you make to justify that Psalm 3 logically follows on from Psalm 4? 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 4:
Psalm 4
1. לַמְנַצֵּ֥חַ
        בִּנְגִינ֗וֹת
        מִזְמ֥וֹר
        לְדָוִֽד׃
2. בְּקָרְאִ֡י
        עֲנֵ֤נִי ׀
        אֱלֹ֘הֵ֤י
        צִדְקִ֗י
        בַּ֭צָּר
        הִרְחַ֣בְתָּ
        לִּ֑י
        חָ֝נֵּ֗נִי
        וּשְׁמַ֥ע
        תְּפִלָּתִֽי׃
3. בְּנֵ֥י
        אִ֡ישׁ
        עַד־
        מֶ֬ה
        כְבוֹדִ֣י
        לִ֭כְלִמָּה
        תֶּאֱהָב֣וּן
        רִ֑יק
        תְּבַקְשׁ֖וּ
        כָזָ֣ב
        סֶֽלָה׃
4. וּדְע֗וּ
        כִּֽי־
        הִפְלָ֣ה
        יְ֭הוָה
        חָסִ֣יד
        ל֑וֹ
        יְהוָ֥ה
        יִ֝שְׁמַ֗ע
        בְּקָרְאִ֥י
        אֵלָֽיו׃
5. רִגְז֗וּ
        וְֽאַל־
        תֶּ֫חֱטָ֥אוּ
        אִמְר֣וּ
        בִ֭לְבַבְכֶם
        עַֽל־
        מִשְׁכַּבְכֶ֗ם
        וְדֹ֣מּוּ
        סֶֽלָה׃
6. זִבְח֥וּ
        זִבְחֵי־
        צֶ֑דֶק
        וּ֝בִטְח֗וּ
        אֶל־
        יְהוָֽה׃
7. רַבִּ֥ים
        אֹמְרִים֮
        מִֽי־
        יַרְאֵ֢נ֫וּ
        ט֥וֹב
        נְֽסָה־
        עָ֭לֵינוּ
        א֨וֹר
        פָּנֶ֬יךָ
        יְהוָֽה׃
8. נָתַ֣תָּה
        שִׂמְחָ֣ה
        בְלִבִּ֑י
        מֵעֵ֬ת
        דְּגָנָ֖ם
        וְתִֽירוֹשָׁ֣ם
        רָֽבּוּ׃
9. בְּשָׁל֣וֹם
        יַחְדָּו֮
        אֶשְׁכְּבָ֢ה
        וְאִ֫ישָׁ֥ן
        כִּֽי־
        אַתָּ֣ה
        יְהוָ֣ה
        לְבָדָ֑ד
        לָ֝בֶ֗טַח
        תּוֹשִׁיבֵֽנִי׃

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׃