Psalm 5 → 55

Reasoning: 10624 Output: 7071 Total: 17695

Argument

Here are lines of evidence that Psalm 55 can be read as a deliberate “follow‑on” to Psalm 5. I’ve grouped them by weight, starting with the strongest lexical ties, then moving to structural/motivic continuities and finally to historical/liturgical logic. I note, per your weighting rules, when we have identical forms, identical collocations, the same lemma, the same root, or only thematic echoes—rare items first.

Highest‑weight verbal correspondences (identical or near‑identical forms/collocations)
- האזִינָה … הַקְשִׁיבָה (identical imperatives; rare as a paired opening):
  - Ps 5:2–3 האזינה … הקשיבה
  - Ps 55:2–3 האזינה … הקשיבה
  Both psalms open with precisely the same two imperatives in the same sequence, framing the initial petition in virtually the same words.

- תשמע/וישמע קוֹלִי (identical lexemes and phrase):
  - Ps 5:4 בֹּקֶר תִּשְׁמַע קוֹלִי
  - Ps 55:18 … וַיִּשְׁמַע קוֹלִי
  Psalm 55 picks up the exact phrase “hear my voice,” now as a narrative assurance that God did hear.

- אִישׁ/אַנְשֵׁי דָּמִים וּמִרְמָה (same rare collocation):
  - Ps 5:7 אִישׁ דָּמִים וּמִרְמָה
  - Ps 55:24 אַנְשֵׁי דָמִים וּמִרְמָה
  This marked pairing is uncommon and strongly ties the enemies in both psalms.

- הַוּוֹת (same rare noun, same “inside” frame):
  - Ps 5:10 קִרְבָּם הַוּוֹת
  - Ps 55:12 הַוּוֹת בְּקִרְבָּהּ
  The same uncommon term for “ruin/woes” appears in the same “inwardness” construction (“in their midst/inside”), marked and memorable.

- בַּיִת/בֵּית אֱלֹהִים (same locus; identical noun, same worship setting):
  - Ps 5:8 אָבוֹא בֵיתֶךָ … אֶשְׁתַּחֲוֶה אֶל־הֵיכַל־קָדְשֶׁךָ
  - Ps 55:15 בְּבֵית אֱלֹהִים נְהַלֵּךְ בְּרָגֶשׁ
  Psalm 55 explicitly recalls walking to God’s house—now with the very person who betrayed him—echoing Psalm 5’s temple approach.

- “Smooth speech” from חלק (same root, same semantic niche of duplicitous talk):
  - Ps 5:10 לְשׁוֹנָם יַחֲלִיקוּן
  - Ps 55:22 חָלְקוּ מַחְמָאוֹת פִּיו … רַכּוּ דְבָרָיו מִשֶּׁמֶן
  The rare “buttery/smoothed” speech metaphor is elaborated in Psalm 55; both passages target deceptive eloquence.

- פתח “open” in the mouth/violence domain (same root in a tightly similar image-field):
  - Ps 5:10 קֶבֶר פָּתוּחַ גְּרוֹנָם
  - Ps 55:22 … וְהֵמָּה פְתִחוֹת (“drawn/openings”—weapons metaphor for words)
  The root פתח underwrites two grim “openings”: an open grave (their throat) and drawn/open weapons (their words).

- צַדִּיק + divine protection, with לעולם (highly similar closure):
  - Ps 5:13 תְּבָרֵךְ צַדִּיק … כַּצִּנָּה רָצוֹן תַּעְטְרֶנּוּ
  - Ps 55:23 לֹא־יִתֵּן לְעוֹלָם מוֹט לַצַּדִּיק
  Both end by affirming durable, protective favor for the righteous; Psalm 55’s wording reads like a doctrinal restatement of Psalm 5’s promise.

- בֹּקֶר and the time‑of‑prayer expansion (identical lemma, extended frame):
  - Ps 5:4 Boker is the time of prayer
  - Ps 55:18 עֶרֶב וָבֹקֶר וְצָהֳרַיִם
  Psalm 55 explicitly widens Psalm 5’s “morning” discipline into a full daily cycle, suggesting a liturgical “continuation.”

Further strong lexical/semantic ties (same lemmas/roots in closely matched contexts)
- לָמְנַצֵּחַ … לְדָוִד (same title formula; musical direction with instrument):
  - Ps 5:1 לַמְנַצֵּחַ … אֶל־הַנְּחִילוֹת … מִזְמוֹר לְדָוִד
  - Ps 55:1 לַמְנַצֵּחַ בִּנְגִינוֹת מַשְׂכִּיל לְדָוִד
  Both are “to the choirmaster” and Davidic; both specify instrumentation (flutes vs. strings)—natural components of a multi‑part service.

- שָׁמַע + קוֹל (repeated in both; same word class):
  - Ps 5:4; 55:18 (noted above)
  An intentional sonic thread.

- יְהוָה and אֱלֹהִים alternating as addressee:
  - Ps 5 addresses both (יְהוָה … מַלְכִּי וֵאלֹהָי; הַאֲשִׁימֵם אֱלֹהִים)
  - Ps 55 addresses both (הַאֲזִינָה אֱלֹהִים … וַיהוָה יוֹשִׁיעֵנִי … הַשְׁלֵךְ עַל־יְהוָה)
  The alternation itself is an echoing feature.

- Root גור “sojourn/dwell” in a theological statement about proximity:
  - Ps 5:5 לֹא יְגֻרְךָ רָע
  - Ps 55:16 כִּי־רָעוֹת בִּמְגוּרָם בְּקִרְבָּם
  The same root marks who can/cannot “sojourn” (with God vs. within the wicked).

- “Fear” lexeme family in worship vs. terror settings:
  - Ps 5:8 בְּיִרְאָתֶךָ (pious fear in the temple)
  - Ps 55:5–6 אֵימוֹת מָוֶת … יִרְאָה וָרַעַד (existential fear)
  Psalm 55 darkens Psalm 5’s reverent יראה into lived dread—an experiential sequel.

- Speech/tongue as the battleground (same word field):
  - Ps 5:10–11: mouth/throat/tongue; lies; flattering tongue
  - Ps 55:10, 12, 21–22: tongues divided; “deceit” (מִרְמָה); smooth words; violated covenant
  Psalm 55 re‑enters the very discourse-world of Psalm 5 and intensifies it around betrayal.

Structural and form similarity (genre, macro‑moves)
- Identical lament arc:
  - Invocation to “listen” (האֲזִינָה … הַקְשִׁיבָה)
  - Characterization of the wicked (speech, deceit, violence)
  - Petition/imprecation (Ps 5:11; Ps 55:10, 16, 20, 24)
  - Confidence/assurance ending (Ps 5:12–13; Ps 55:17–19, 23–24, capped by “וַאֲנִי אֶבְטַח בָּךְ”)
  Psalm 55 thus reads like a fuller, more didactic (משכִּיל) reprise of the same lament template introduced in Psalm 5.

- Inclusive frame by almost identical opening and convergent closing:
  - Openings: same imperatives and “hear my voice.”
  - Closings: God’s ongoing protection of the righteous (צדיק … לעולם … not slipping; shielding/favor).
  This creates an inter‑psalmic inclusio.

Imagery development (Psalm 55 picks up and escalates Psalm 5’s images)
- From metaphor of the grave to a prayer for literal descent:
  - Ps 5:10 “קבר פתוח גרונם” (their throat is an open grave—metaphor for deadly speech)
  - Ps 55:16 “יֵרְדוּ שְׁאוֹל חַיִּים … לִבְאֵר שַׁחַת” (let them go alive to Sheol; to the pit—Korah‑like)
  The metaphor becomes history/mythicized judgment, signaling a narrative deepening.

- From generic liars to an intimate traitor:
  - Ps 5:7 דֹּבְרֵי כָזָב … אִישׁ דָּמִים וּמִרְמָה
  - Ps 55:13–15 “וְאַתָּה אֱנוֹשׁ כְּעֶרְכִּי … אַלּוּפִי וּמְיֻדָּעִי … בְּבֵית אֱלֹהִים נְהַלֵּךְ בְּרָגֶשׁ”
  Psalm 55 personalizes what Psalm 5 stated in principle: the deceiver is not abstract but a covenant‑partner from the worshiping throng.

- From “morning” prayer to life‑encompassing prayer:
  - Ps 5: “בֹּקֶר תִּשְׁמַע קוֹלִי … אֶצַּפֶּה”
  - Ps 55: “עֶרֶב וָבֹקֶר וְצָהֳרַיִם … וַיִּשְׁמַע קוֹלִי”
  Psalm 55 explicitly installs Psalm 5’s practice into a whole‑day rhythm.

Redactional/liturgical plausibility (why Psalm 55 would be placed “after” Psalm 5)
- Titles and instruments suggest complementary performance:
  - Ps 5: “אֶל־הַנְּחִילוֹת” (flutes)
  - Ps 55: “בִּנְגִינוֹת” (strings)
  A service moving from wind to strings (or different stanzas in a festival sequence) is plausible.

- Didactic follow‑up:
  - Ps 55 is “מַשְׂכִּיל” and includes direct instruction to the audience: “הַשְׁלֵךְ עַל־יְהוָה יְהָבְךָ …” (55:23).
  - Ps 5 is a more purely personal morning plea.
  The second psalm reads like the reflective instruction that grows out of the experience prayed in the first.

- Temple/festival life sequence:
  - Psalm 5: morning entrance to the temple (אבוא ביתך … אשתחוה) with a plea for guidance “נְחֵנִי בְצִדְקָתֶךָ.”
  - Psalm 55: the city is now in view (55:10–12), with a memory of processing to the temple “בְּרָגֶשׁ,” and the pain of betrayal within the worshiping community.
  This maps naturally onto Jerusalem court/temple life (Davidic setting), and—historically—onto the Ahithophel betrayal during Absalom’s revolt (a common reading of Ps 55), which would concretize the general enemies of Psalm 5.

- Mythic/historical allusion builds on Psalm 5’s cues:
  - Ps 55:10 “פַּלַּג לְשׁוֹנָם” (divide their tongue) recalls Babel and targets the same “tongue” motif as Ps 5’s slick speech.
  - Ps 55:16 “יֵרְדוּ שְׁאוֹל חַיִּים” evokes Korah’s fate; Psalm 5’s “open grave” throat now faces an actually opened earth.

From principle to case study to exhortation (a logical narrative)
- Principle (Ps 5): God will not host evil (לא יגורך רע); he loathes blood/deceit; he will judge liars and surround the righteous with favor.
- Case (Ps 55): The evil is inside the city and the congregation; the deceiver is intimate; God is asked to enact precisely the judgment anticipated in Ps 5 (אשימם/תּוֹרִדֵם).
- Exhortation (Ps 55): Having lived through the crisis, the psalmist turns to the hearer: “Cast your burden on the LORD … he will never allow the righteous to totter”—the experiential corollary to Ps 5’s “as with a shield, you encompass him with favor.”

In sum
- Lexically, the two psalms share unusually marked items (הַוּוֹת; אִישׁ/אַנְשֵׁי דָּמִים וּמִרְמָה; the paired imperatives האזינה/הקשיבה; “שׁמע קולי”; חלק‑speech; פתח imagery; the גור root) and even identical phrases.
- Formally, they run the same lament pattern and end with near‑matching assurances for the צדיק.
- Liturgically and narratively, Psalm 55 reads as the concrete, day‑long, didactic sequel to Psalm 5’s morning temple prayer: what was prayed in principle in Psalm 5 is suffered, narrated, and taught to others in Psalm 55.

Evaluation

Score: 7.5

Evaluated at: 2025-11-14T04:28:53 (UTC)

Evaluator model: gpt-5

Evaluator version: v2

Reasoning: 5184 Output: 7921 Total: 13105

Vocabulary specificity: 6.5 / 10

Strong lexical overlaps (הַוּוֹת; אִישׁ/אַנְשֵׁי דָּמִים וּמִרְמָה; paired האזינה/הקשיבה). But many are stock lament features, and the psalms are non‑adjacent (Book I vs II), weakening deliberate sequence claim. No cap.

Prompt

Consider Psalm 5 and Psalm 55 (reproduced below). What arguments could you make to justify that Psalm 55 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 55:
Psalm 55
1. לַמְנַצֵּ֥חַ
        בִּנְגִינֹ֗ת
        מַשְׂכִּ֥יל
        לְדָוִֽד׃
2. הַאֲזִ֣ינָה
        אֱ֭לֹהִים
        תְּפִלָּתִ֑י
        וְאַל־
        תִּ֝תְעַלַּ֗ם
        מִתְּחִנָּתִֽי׃
3. הַקְשִׁ֣יבָה
        לִּ֣י
        וַעֲנֵ֑נִי
        אָרִ֖יד
        בְּשִׂיחִ֣י
        וְאָהִֽימָה׃
4. מִקּ֤וֹל
        אוֹיֵ֗ב
        מִפְּנֵ֣י
        עָקַ֣ת
        רָשָׁ֑ע
        כִּי־
        יָמִ֥יטוּ
        עָלַ֥י
        אָ֝֗וֶן
        וּבְאַ֥ף
        יִשְׂטְמֽוּנִי׃
5. לִ֭בִּי
        יָחִ֣יל
        בְּקִרְבִּ֑י
        וְאֵימ֥וֹת
        מָ֝֗וֶת
        נָפְל֥וּ
        עָלָֽי׃
6. יִרְאָ֣ה
        וָ֭רַעַד
        יָ֣בֹא
        בִ֑י
        וַ֝תְּכַסֵּ֗נִי
        פַּלָּצֽוּת׃
7. וָאֹמַ֗ר
        מִֽי־
        יִתֶּן־
        לִּ֣י
        אֵ֭בֶר
        כַּיּוֹנָ֗ה
        אָע֥וּפָה
        וְאֶשְׁכֹּֽנָה׃
8. הִ֭נֵּה
        אַרְחִ֣יק
        נְדֹ֑ד
        אָלִ֖ין
        בַּמִּדְבָּ֣ר
        סֶֽלָה׃
9. אָחִ֣ישָׁה
        מִפְלָ֣ט
        לִ֑י
        מֵר֖וּחַ
        סֹעָ֣ה
        מִסָּֽעַר׃
10. בַּלַּ֣ע
        אֲ֭דֹנָי
        פַּלַּ֣ג
        לְשׁוֹנָ֑ם
        כִּֽי־
        רָאִ֨יתִי
        חָמָ֖ס
        וְרִ֣יב
        בָּעִֽיר׃
11. יוֹמָ֤ם
        וָלַ֗יְלָה
        יְסוֹבְבֻ֥הָ
        עַל־
        חוֹמֹתֶ֑יהָ
        וְאָ֖וֶן
        וְעָמָ֣ל
        בְּקִרְבָּֽהּ׃
12. הַוּ֥וֹת
        בְּקִרְבָּ֑הּ
        וְֽלֹא־
        יָמִ֥ישׁ
        מֵ֝רְחֹבָ֗הּ
        תֹּ֣ךְ
        וּמִרְמָֽה׃
13. כִּ֤י
        לֹֽא־
        אוֹיֵ֥ב
        יְחָֽרְפֵ֗נִי
        וְאֶ֫שָּׂ֥א
        לֹֽא־
        מְ֭שַׂנְאִי
        עָלַ֣י
        הִגְדִּ֑יל
        וְאֶסָּתֵ֥ר
        מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃
14. וְאַתָּ֣ה
        אֱנ֣וֹשׁ
        כְּעֶרְכִּ֑י
        אַ֝לּוּפִ֗י
        וּמְיֻדָּֽעִי׃
15. אֲשֶׁ֣ר
        יַ֭חְדָּו
        נַמְתִּ֣יק
        ס֑וֹד
        בְּבֵ֥ית
        אֱ֝לֹהִ֗ים
        נְהַלֵּ֥ךְ
        בְּרָֽגֶשׁ׃
16. ישימות
        יַשִּׁ֤י
        מָ֨וֶת ׀
        עָלֵ֗ימוֹ
        יֵרְד֣וּ
        שְׁא֣וֹל
        חַיִּ֑ים
        כִּֽי־
        רָע֖וֹת
        בִּמְגוּרָ֣ם
        בְּקִרְבָּֽם׃
17. אֲ֭נִי
        אֶל־
        אֱלֹהִ֣ים
        אֶקְרָ֑א
        וַ֝יהוָ֗ה
        יוֹשִׁיעֵֽנִי׃
18. עֶ֤רֶב
        וָבֹ֣קֶר
        וְ֭צָהֳרַיִם
        אָשִׂ֣יחָה
        וְאֶהֱמֶ֑ה
        וַיִּשְׁמַ֥ע
        קוֹלִֽי׃
19. פָּ֘דָ֤ה
        בְשָׁל֣וֹם
        נַ֭פְשִׁי
        מִקֲּרָב־
        לִ֑י
        כִּֽי־
        בְ֝רַבִּ֗ים
        הָי֥וּ
        עִמָּדִֽי׃
20. יִשְׁמַ֤ע ׀
        אֵ֨ל ׀
        וְֽיַעֲנֵם֮
        וְיֹ֤שֵׁ֥ב
        קֶ֗דֶם
        סֶ֥לָה
        אֲשֶׁ֤ר
        אֵ֣ין
        חֲלִיפ֣וֹת
        לָ֑מוֹ
        וְלֹ֖א
        יָרְא֣וּ
        אֱלֹהִֽים׃
21. שָׁלַ֣ח
        יָ֭דָיו
        בִּשְׁלֹמָ֗יו
        חִלֵּ֥ל
        בְּרִיתֽוֹ׃
22. חָלְק֤וּ ׀
        מַחְמָאֹ֣ת
        פִּיו֮
        וּֽקֲרָב־
        לִ֫בּ֥וֹ
        רַכּ֖וּ
        דְבָרָ֥יו
        מִשֶּׁ֗מֶן
        וְהֵ֣מָּה
        פְתִחֽוֹת׃
23. הַשְׁלֵ֤ךְ
        עַל־
        יְהוָ֨ה ׀
        יְהָבְךָ֮
        וְה֢וּא
        יְכַ֫לְכְּלֶ֥ךָ
        לֹא־
        יִתֵּ֖ן
        לְעוֹלָ֥ם
        מ֗וֹט
        לַצַּדִּֽיק׃
24. וְאַתָּ֤ה
        אֱלֹהִ֨ים ׀
        תּוֹרִדֵ֬ם ׀
        לִבְאֵ֬ר
        שַׁ֗חַת
        אַנְשֵׁ֤י
        דָמִ֣ים
        וּ֖dמִרְמָה
        לֹא־
        יֶחֱצ֣וּ
        יְמֵיהֶ֑ם
        וַ֝אֲנִ֗י
        אֶבְטַח־
        בָּֽךְ׃