Psalm 5 → 43
Reasoning: 8192 Output: 4456 Total: 12648
Argument
Here are several independent lines of argument—lexical, formal, thematic, and cultic—by which one could plausibly claim that Psalm 43 “follows” Psalm 5 in sense or logic. 1) Strong lexical/catchword links (rarer or more specific items first) - מרמה “deceit”: exact and distinctive collocation with אִישׁ - Ps 5:7 אִישׁ־דָּמִים וּמִרְמָה - Ps 43:1 מֵאִישׁ־מִרְמָה וְעַוְלָה תְפַלְּטֵנִי This “ish + mirmah” pattern is a marked link. Both psalms center on deliverance from a deceitful adversary. - נחה Hifil “to lead/guide”: same root, same stem, same guidance motif - Ps 5:9 יְהוָה נְחֵנִי בְצִדְקָתֶךָ … הַיְשַׁר לְפָנַי דַּרְכֶּךָ - Ps 43:3 שְׁלַח־אוֹרְךָ וַאֲמִתְּךָ הֵמָּה יַנְחֻנִי Ps 43 can be heard as the answer or next step to Ps 5’s plea for guidance. - קָדְשְׁךָ “your holy [place]”: identical form with 2ms suffix, applied to sanctuary geography - Ps 5:8 אֶשְׁתַּחֲוֶה אֶל־הֵיכַל־קָדְשְׁךָ - Ps 43:3 אֶל־הַר־קָדְשְׁךָ The matching form highlights a shared sanctuary destination. - בוא “to come/enter” in 1cs toward the sanctuary - Ps 5:8 … אָבוֹא בֵיתֶךָ - Ps 43:4 וְאָב֤וֹאָה ׀ אֶל־מִזְבַּח אֱלֹהִים Same root, same “I will come/enter,” now advanced from “house/temple” to “altar.” - אֱלֹהַי “my God”: shared direct address to God with 1cs suffix - Ps 5:3 מַלְכִּי וֵאלֹהָי - Ps 43:4–5 אֱלֹהִים אֱלֹהָי … וֵאלֹהָי Reinforces continuity of speaker and addressee. - חסד / חסיד (covenant loyalty word-field from same root) - Ps 5:8 בְּרֹב חַסְדְּךָ - Ps 43:1 מִגּוֹי לֹא־חָסִיד The contrast frames the world in covenantal terms: God’s חֶסֶד vs. a people not marked by חסידות. - שׂמח “joy” - Ps 5:12–13 וְיִשְׂמְחוּ … יְרַנֵּנוּ … וְיַעְלְצוּ - Ps 43:4 אֶל־אֵל שִׂמְחַת גִּילִי Both aim at joy-filled worship as the end of the petition. - Protection imagery, different metaphors, same function - Ps 5:13 כַּצִּנָּה רָצוֹן תַּעְטְרֶנּוּ (shielding/favor surrounding) - Ps 43:2 אַתָּה … אֱלֹהֵי מָעוּזִּי (God as stronghold) - Legal-judicial lexicon in both - Ps 5:11 הַאֲשִׁימֵם אֱלֹהִים … (declare them guilty) - Ps 43:1 שָׁפְטֵנִי אֱלֹהִים; וְרִיבָה רִיבִי (judge me; plead my cause) Psalm 43 focuses on vindication of the petitioner; Psalm 5 focuses on the condemnation of the deceitful—two sides of the same legal drama. - Musical linkage - Ps 5 superscription: אֶל־הַנְּחִילוֹת (to/for flutes; very rare term) - Ps 43:4 בְכִנּוֹר (with the lyre) Both are explicitly musical; Psalm 5 begins the day “to the conductor” with a specified instrument family, Psalm 43 climaxes at the altar with lyre-accompanied praise. 2) Shared form and rhetoric - Both are individual laments with classic elements: direct address, complaint about hostile/deceitful opponents, petition for guidance/deliverance, vow or confidence of praise. - Both open with volleys of imperatives/petitions (Ps 5:2–3; 5:9; Ps 43:1, 3) and end with confidence/praise (Ps 5:12–13; Ps 43:5). - The “I/they/I” movement occurs in both: first-person plea, description of the wicked, then a return to personal trust and worship. 3) Temple-movement logic (from house to altar) - Psalm 5 is the morning prayer: “בֹּקֶר תִּשְׁמַע קוֹלִי … אָבוֹא בֵיתֶךָ … אֶשְׁתַּחֲוֶה אֶל־הֵיכַל־קָדְשְׁךָ” (vv. 4, 8). - Psalm 43 develops that intention into a fuller arrival: “שְׁלַח־אוֹרְךָ וַאֲמִתְּךָ … יְבִיאוּנִי אֶל־הַר־קָדְשְׁךָ … וְאָב֤וֹאָה ׀ אֶל־מִזְבַּח אֱלֹהִים” (vv. 3–4). - So the logic is: desire to be guided to worship in Ps 5 → guidance actually requested/received and culminates in altar-based praise in Ps 43. The movement is spatial (outer approach → inner altar) and temporal (morning vow → later fulfillment and musical thanksgiving). 4) Courtroom-to-sanctuary sequence - Psalm 5 asks God to “make straight” the way and to declare the deceitful guilty (הַאֲשִׁימֵם), framing the day as a contest with false accusers. - Psalm 43 continues the juridical thread explicitly: “שָׁפְטֵנִי … וְרִיבָה רִיבִי … מֵאִישׁ־מִרְמָה … תְפַלְּטֵנִי.” - Then 43 asks for “אוֹרְךָ וַאֲמִתְּךָ” to lead to the sanctuary. Many have heard here an allusion to priestly oracular means (light/truth ~ אורים/תמים) by which YHWH/’Elohim renders verdicts. That fits naturally after Ps 5’s call for a just, divinely guided outcome. Verdict leads to thanksgiving at the altar (Ps 43:4). 5) Thematic stitching of emotion and posture - Waiting/expectation: Ps 5:4 “וַאֲצַפֶּה” (I will watch) pairs with Ps 43:5 “הוֹחִילִי לֵאלֹהִים” (hope/wait for God). Same stance of patient expectancy, now resolved in praise (Ps 43:4–5). - From gloom to joy: Ps 43:2 “לָמָּה־קֹדֵר אֶתְהַלֵּךְ” is answered by 43:4 “שִׂמְחַת גִּילִי” and echoes Ps 5:12–13’s triple joy terms (ישמחו/ירננו/יעלצו). 6) Stylistic continuity despite the divine-name shift - Psalm 5 uses both YHWH and אֱלֹהַי; Psalm 43 uses אֱלֹהִים/אֱלֹהַי. The continuity of “my God” language links the speakers, and the Elohistic preference in 43 is consistent with Psalms 42–83 generally, so the switch does not break the logic of a two-stage prayer-and-fulfillment sequence. 7) A plausible day-in-the-life (ancient Israelite) scenario - Morning (Ps 5): A supplicant, threatened by deceitful, violent men, prays at dawn, asks for legal redress and guidance, and resolves to bow toward God’s holy temple. - Day’s progression (Ps 43): In the midst of legal pressure (רִיב, “plead my cause”), the supplicant asks for divine light and truth to lead him to God’s holy mountain/dwellings, culminating in arrival at the altar with lyre-accompanied praise—the expected thanksgiving after vindication. In short, several specific catchwords (especially אִישׁ … מִרְמָה; the Hifil of נחה; the identical קָדְשְׁךָ forms; parallel 1cs בוא forms), tightly overlapping motifs (legal vindication → guided approach → sanctuary worship), and a coherent cultic “plot” (morning plea in Ps 5 → guided arrival and altar-praise in Ps 43) make a strong case that Psalm 43 can be read as a logical continuation or fulfillment of Psalm 5.
Evaluation
Score: 6.5
Evaluated at: 2025-11-14T04:07:27 (UTC)
Evaluator model: gpt-5
Evaluator version: v2
Reasoning: 4672 Output: 5291 Total: 9963
Checklist
- Has verse refs: Yes
- Factual error detected: No
- Only generic motifs: No
- Counterargument considered: Yes
- LXX/MT numbering acknowledged: No
Vocabulary specificity: 4.0 / 10
Multiple, text-anchored links (איש–מרמה; נחה Hif.; בוא to sanctuary; קָדְשְׁךָ) and plausible temple/legal progression. But most motifs/lexemes are common, and it ignores the stronger 42–43 editorial linkage. Moderate support, not decisive.
Prompt
Consider Psalm 5 and Psalm 43 (reproduced below). What arguments could you make to justify that Psalm 43 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 43:
Psalm 43
1. שָׁפְטֵ֤נִי
אֱלֹהִ֨ים ׀
וְרִ֘יבָ֤ה
רִיבִ֗י
מִגּ֥וֹי
לֹא־
חָסִ֑יד
מֵ֤אִישׁ־
מִרְמָ֖ה
וְעַוְלָ֣ה
תְפַלְּטֵֽנִי׃
2. כִּֽי־
אַתָּ֤ה ׀
אֱלֹהֵ֣י
מָֽעוּזִּי֮
לָמָ֢ה
זְנַ֫חְתָּ֥נִי
לָֽמָּה־
קֹדֵ֥ר
אֶתְהַלֵּ֗ךְ
בְּלַ֣חַץ
אוֹיֵֽב׃
3. שְׁלַח־
אוֹרְךָ֣
וַ֭אֲמִתְּךָ
הֵ֣מָּה
יַנְח֑וּנִי
יְבִיא֥וּנִי
אֶל־
הַֽר־
קָ֝דְשְׁךָ֗
וְאֶל־
מִשְׁכְּנוֹתֶֽיךָ׃
4. וְאָב֤וֹאָה ׀
אֶל־
מִזְבַּ֬ח
אֱלֹהִ֗ים
אֶל־
אֵל֮
שִׂמְחַ֢ת
גִּ֫ילִ֥י
וְאוֹדְךָ֥
בְכִנּ֗וֹר
אֱלֹהִ֥ים
אֱלֹהָֽי׃
5. מַה־
תִּשְׁתּ֬וֹחֲחִ֨י ׀
נַפְשִׁי֮
וּֽמַה־
תֶּהֱמִ֢י
עָ֫לָ֥י
הוֹחִ֣ילִי
לֵֽ֭אלֹהִים
כִּי־
ע֣וֹד
אוֹדֶ֑נּוּ
יְשׁוּעֹ֥ת
פָּ֝נַ֗י
וֵֽאלֹהָֽי׃