Psalm 5 → 14
Reasoning: 9536 Output: 4258 Total: 13794
Argument
Thesis: Psalm 14 can be read as the community-wide, Zion-focused expansion and answer to the personal, morning lament of Psalm 5. The two psalms are linked by exact phrases, shared roots, matching motifs, and a plausible cultic/liturgical sequence (individual prayer at the temple → God’s survey of humanity → communal hope for Zion’s deliverance). Strongest lexical links (identical strings or same root, rarer items first) - כל־פֹּעֲלֵי אָוֶן “all workers of iniquity” (Ps 5:6; Ps 14:4). Exact phrase, same words, same word-class. This is a signature link. - תעב “abhor”: יְתָעֵב (Ps 5:7) ~ הִתְעִיבוּ (Ps 14:1). Same rare root, different stems; both mark God’s/ethical abhorrence. - חסה “seek refuge”: חֹוסֵי בָךְ (Ps 5:12) ~ מַחְסֵהוּ (Ps 14:6). Same root; moves from those who take refuge to YHWH as refuge. - עצה “counsel”: מִמֹּעֲצוֹתֵיהֶם (Ps 5:11) ~ עֲצַת־עָנִי (Ps 14:6). Same root; in Ps 5 the wicked fall by their own counsels, in Ps 14 they shame the poor’s counsel—but YHWH is his refuge. - צדק/צדיק: בְצִדְקָתֶךָ; צַדִּיק (Ps 5:9,13) ~ דּוֹר צַדִּיק (Ps 14:5). Shared righteousness vocabulary. - Joy lexemes at the close: וְיִשְׂמְחוּ … יְרַנֵּנוּ … וְיַעְלְצוּ (Ps 5:12) ~ יָגֵל … יִשְׂמַח (Ps 14:7). Same closing affect: joy for the faithful. - Name/relation to God by speech: Ps 5 is full of calling/listening language (הַאֲזִינָה, הַקְשִׁיבָה, תִּשְׁמַע קוֹלִי), while Ps 14 marks the wicked as those who “do not call” on YHWH (לֹא קָרָאוּ; 14:4). Not the same root, but a pointed antithesis in the same semantic field of addressing God. - Mouth imagery of the wicked: “קבר פתוח גרונם … לשונם יחליקון” (Ps 5:10) matches Ps 14’s “אֹכְלֵי עַמִּי … אָכְלוּ לֶחֶם … יְהוָה לֹא קָרָאוּ” (14:4): both depict corrupt mouths—deceptive speech vs devouring the poor. Stylistic and structural parallels - Matching superscriptions: לַמְנַצֵּחַ … לְדָוִד in both (Ps 5:1; 14:1). Same performance note and Davidic attribution. - Triads of negation: Ps 5: “לֹא … לֹא … לֹא …” (5:5–6) and Ps 14: “אֵין … אֵין … אֵין גַּם אֶחָד” (14:1–3). Same intensifying style to denounce the wicked. - “Righteous vs. wicked” polarization in both, with the rare shared label פֹעֲלֵי אָוֶן providing a precise, repeated category marker. - Parallel closings that move from protection to joy: Ps 5 ends with protection and blessing for the righteous (תָּסֵךְ עֲלֵימֹו; כַּצִּנָּה רָצוֹן) and joy; Ps 14 ends with communal salvation from Zion and joy (מִצִּיּוֹן יְשׁוּעַת יִשְׂרָאֵל … יָגֵל … יִשְׂמַח). Conceptual and motif-level links - Hearing vs. seeing: The suppliant in Ps 5 asks God to hear (הַאֲזִינָה; הַקְשִׁיבָה; תִּשְׁמַע), to which Ps 14 presents the complementary divine action—God “looks down from heaven” (יִ־הוָה … הִשְׁקִיף; 14:2). Human “I will watch” (אֶצַּפֶּה; 5:4) balances God’s “looking down” (14:2). - Way imagery: Ps 5 asks God to “make straight before me your way” (הַיְשַׁר … דַּרְכֶּךָ; 5:9); Ps 14 diagnoses humanity as having “turned aside” (הַכֹּל סָר; 14:3). The prayer for a straight way is warranted by the reality that people have deviated. - Fear in its right and wrong forms: The worshiper bows “in fear of you” (בְּיִרְאָתֶךָ; 5:8), a pious fear; the wicked experience dread (שָׁם פָּחֲדוּ פָחַד; 14:5), a punitive fear. - Protection imagery: Ps 5 “cover them … favor as a shield” (וְתָסֵךְ עָלֵימוֹ … כַּצִּנָּה רָצוֹן; 5:12–13) corresponds to Ps 14 “YHWH is his refuge” (יְהוָה מַחְסֵהוּ; 14:6). - Temple/Zion axis: Ps 5’s worship “toward your holy temple” (אֶל־הֵיכַל־קָדְשֶׁךָ; 5:8) develops in Ps 14 into salvation “from Zion” (מִצִּיּוֹן; 14:7). The cultic center first receives the prayer (Ps 5), then becomes the source of national deliverance (Ps 14). Form-critical and narrative logic - Form: Ps 5 is an individual morning lament/trust psalm; Ps 14 is a communal wisdom-lament. Reading them in sequence gives a natural movement from an individual’s morning plea in the sanctuary to God’s global moral assessment and a communal hope for restoration. - Logical progression: 1) Ps 5: The righteous petitioner prays, contrasts himself with “workers of iniquity,” asks for guidance, and invokes judgment on the wicked and joy for all who take refuge. 2) Ps 14: God’s “answer” or commentary—he surveys humanity, confirms the pervasiveness of the very iniquity Ps 5 described (note the exact reprise פֹעֲלֵי אָוֶן), identifies the true righteous as those for whom YHWH is refuge, and promises Zion-based deliverance that universalizes Ps 5’s closing blessing from the individual to the nation. - Liturgical plausibility: In ancient Israelite worship, an individual might “arrange” his prayer/offering in the morning (אֶעֱרָךְ; 5:4), await a divine word, and the community then receives a proclamation of God’s stance and hope. Ps 14 reads like that proclamation: a wisdom-like oracle that justifies judgment on the wicked, affirms God’s presence “with the generation of the righteous,” and projects salvation for all Israel. Additional corroboration - Later canonical stitching: Paul’s catena in Romans 3:10–18 interweaves Ps 14:1–3 with Ps 5:10 (among others), indicating that early readers already sensed these psalms speak in concert about universal sinfulness and corrupt speech. While not decisive for original sequencing, it supports reading Ps 14 as thematically following Ps 5. Bottom line: The two psalms share rare and exact vocabulary (especially כל־פֹעֲלֵי אָוֶן; תעב; חסה; עצה), parallel structures and motifs (hearing/seeing; way vs. turning aside; proper vs. punitive fear; protection; joy), and a cultic storyline (temple approach → divine survey → Zionic salvation). These features together make a strong case that Ps 14 “logically follows” Ps 5 as a broader, communal amplification and validation of the plea and promises articulated in Ps 5.
Evaluation
Score: 7.2
Evaluated at: 2025-11-13T03:58:37 (UTC)
Evaluator model: gpt-5
Evaluator version: v2
Reasoning: 3520 Output: 5104 Total: 8624
Checklist
- Has verse refs: Yes
- Factual error detected: No
- Only generic motifs: No
- Counterargument considered: No
- LXX/MT numbering acknowledged: No
Vocabulary specificity: 5.0 / 10
Multiple precise links: exact כל־פֹעֲלֵי־אָוֶן (5:6;14:4), rare תעב (5:7;14:1), plus חסה/עצה and coherent individual→communal arc. Weakness: many lexemes are common; Ps 14 also pairs with 53/15. No caps.
Prompt
Consider Psalm 5 and Psalm 14 (reproduced below). What arguments could you make to justify that Psalm 14 logically follows on from Psalm 5? 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 5:
Psalm 5
1. לַמְנַצֵּ֥חַ
אֶֽל־
הַנְּחִיל֗וֹת
מִזְמ֥וֹר
לְדָוִֽד׃
2. אֲמָרַ֖י
הַאֲזִ֥ינָה ׀
יְהוָ֗ה
בִּ֣ינָה
הֲגִֽיגִי׃
3. הַקְשִׁ֤יבָה ׀
לְק֬וֹל
שַׁוְעִ֗י
מַלְכִּ֥י
וֵאלֹהָ֑י
כִּֽי־
אֵ֝לֶ֗יךָ
אֶתְפַּלָּֽל׃
4. יְֽהוָ֗ה
בֹּ֭קֶר
תִּשְׁמַ֣ע
קוֹלִ֑י
בֹּ֥קֶר
אֶֽעֱרָךְ־
לְ֝ךָ֗
וַאֲצַפֶּֽה׃
5. כִּ֤י ׀
לֹ֤א
אֵֽל־
חָפֵ֘ץ
רֶ֥שַׁע ׀
אָ֑תָּה
לֹ֖א
יְגֻרְךָ֣
רָֽע׃
6. לֹֽא־
יִתְיַצְּב֣וּ
הֽ֭וֹלְלִים
לְנֶ֣גֶד
עֵינֶ֑יךָ
שָׂ֝נֵ֗אתָ
כָּל־
פֹּ֥עֲלֵי
אָֽוֶן׃
7. תְּאַבֵּד֮
דֹּבְרֵ֢י
כָ֫זָ֥ב
אִישׁ־
דָּמִ֥ים
וּמִרְמָ֗ה
יְתָ֘עֵ֥ב ׀
יְהוָֽה׃
8. וַאֲנִ֗י
בְּרֹ֣ב
חַ֭סְדְּךָ
אָב֣וֹא
בֵיתֶ֑ךָ
אֶשְׁתַּחֲוֶ֥ה
אֶל־
הֵֽיכַל־
קָ֝דְשְׁךָ֗
בְּיִרְאָתֶֽךָ׃
9. יְהוָ֤ה ׀
נְחֵ֬נִי
בְצִדְקָתֶ֗ךָ
לְמַ֥עַן
שׁוֹרְרָ֑י
הושר
הַיְשַׁ֖ר
לְפָנַ֣י
דַּרְכֶּֽךָ׃
10. כִּ֤י
אֵ֪ין
בְּפִ֡יהוּ
נְכוֹנָה֮
קִרְבָּ֢ם
הַ֫וּ֥וֹת
קֶֽבֶר־
פָּת֥וּחַ
גְּרוֹנָ֑ם
לְ֝שׁוֹנָ֗ם
יַחֲלִֽיקוּן׃
11. הַֽאֲשִׁימֵ֨ם ׀
אֱֽלֹהִ֗ים
יִפְּלוּ֮
מִֽמֹּעֲצ֢וֹתֵ֫יהֶ֥ם
בְּרֹ֣ב
פִּ֭שְׁעֵיהֶם
הַדִּיחֵ֑מוֹ
כִּי־
מָ֥רוּ
בָֽךְ׃
12. וְיִשְׂמְח֨וּ
כָל־
ח֪וֹסֵי
בָ֡ךְ
לְעוֹלָ֣ם
יְ֭רַנֵּנוּ
וְתָסֵ֣ךְ
עָלֵ֑ימוֹ
וְֽיַעְלְצ֥וּ
בְ֝ךָ֗
אֹהֲבֵ֥י
שְׁמֶֽךָ׃
13. כִּֽי־
אַתָּה֮
תְּבָרֵ֢ךְ
צַ֫דִּ֥יק
יְהוָ֑ה
כַּ֝צִּנָּ֗ה
רָצ֥וֹן
תַּעְטְרֶֽנּוּ׃
Psalm 14:
Psalm 14
1. לַמְנַצֵּ֗חַ
לְדָ֫וִ֥ד
אָ֘מַ֤ר
נָבָ֣ל
בְּ֭לִבּוֹ
אֵ֣ין
אֱלֹהִ֑ים
הִֽשְׁחִ֗יתוּ
הִֽתְעִ֥יבוּ
עֲלִילָ֗ה
אֵ֣ין
עֹֽשֵׂה־
טֽוֹב׃
2. יְֽהוָ֗ה
מִשָּׁמַיִם֮
הִשְׁקִ֢יף
עַֽל־
בְּנֵי־
אָcדָ֥ם
לִ֭רְאוֹת
הֲיֵ֣שׁ
מַשְׂכִּ֑יל
דֹּ֝רֵשׁ
אֶת־
אֱלֹהִֽים׃
3. הַכֹּ֥ל
סָר֮
יַחְדָּ֢ו
נֶ֫אֱלָ֥חוּ
אֵ֤ין
עֹֽשֵׂה־
ט֑וֹב
אֵ֝֗ין
גַּם־
אֶחָֽד׃
4. הֲלֹ֥א
יָדְעוּ֮
כָּל־
פֹּ֢עֲלֵ֫י
אָ֥וֶן
אֹכְלֵ֣י
עַ֭מִּי
אָ֣כְלוּ
לֶ֑חֶם
יְ֝הוָ֗ה
לֹ֣א
קָרָֽאוּ׃
5. שָׁ֤ם ׀
פָּ֣חֲדוּ
פָ֑חַד
כִּֽי־
אֱ֝לֹהִ֗ים
בְּד֣וֹר
צַדִּֽיק׃
6. עֲצַת־
עָנִ֥י
תָבִ֑ישׁוּ
כִּ֖י
יְהוָ֣ה
מַחְסֵֽהוּ׃
7. מִ֥י
יִתֵּ֣ן
מִצִיּוֹן֮
יְשׁוּעַ֢ת
יִשְׂרָ֫אֵ֥ל
בְּשׁ֣וּב
יְ֭הוָה
שְׁב֣וּת
עַמּ֑וֹ
יָגֵ֥ל
יַ֝עֲקֹ֗ב
יִשְׂמַ֥ח
יִשְׂרָֽאֵל׃