Psalm 5 → 72
Reasoning: 10560 Output: 6006 Total: 16566
Argument
Here are lines of argument that make it plausible to read Psalm 72 as a logical follow‑on to Psalm 5, with attention to genre, rhetoric, and especially Hebrew lexis and morphology (rarer/shared forms first). Shared or closely linked Hebrew lexemes and forms (rarer or more specific first) - שׁוע “cry for help” (rarer root; same semantic field): - Ps 5:3 לְקוֹל שַׁוְעִי “to the sound of my cry” - Ps 72:12 אֶבְיוֹן מְשַׁוֵּעַ “a needy one crying for help” Logical follow: the individual’s “cry” in Ps 5 becomes the social object of the king’s saving action in Ps 72. - השתחוה “prostrate, bow” (same verb, different persons): - Ps 5:8 אֶשְׁתַּחֲוֶה “I will bow down” (to God, in the temple) - Ps 72:11 וְיִשְׁתַּחֲווּ־לוֹ “all kings will bow down to him” (to the king) Logical follow: worship directed to God (Ps 5) gives way to homage before the king who embodies God’s justice (Ps 72:1), a standard ancient Israelite vicegerency move (God → king). - צִדְקָתֶךָ “your righteousness” (identical 2ms form): - Ps 5:9 נְחֵנִי בְּצִדְקָתֶךָ “lead me in your righteousness” - Ps 72:1 וְצִדְקָתְךָ לְבֶן־מֶלֶךְ “your righteousness to the king’s son” Logical follow: the very divine attribute that guides the individual in Ps 5 is transferred to (and institutionalized in) the royal office in Ps 72. - פ־ל־ל “pray” (same root in both): - Ps 5:3 כִּי־אֵלֶיךָ אֶתְפַּלָּל “for to you I pray” - Ps 72:15 וְיִתְפַּלֵּל בַּעֲדוֹ תָמִיד “may they pray for him continually” Logical follow: private prayer to God (Ps 5) → communal intercession for the king (Ps 72), as in temple liturgy. - דם “blood” (linked ethical theme): - Ps 5:7 אִישׁ־דָּמִים וּמִרְמָה “a man of blood and deceit” (abhorrent) - Ps 72:14 וְיֵיקַר דָּמָם בְּעֵינָיו “their blood is precious in his eyes” Logical follow: what God abhors (bloodshed) in Ps 5 is positively reversed by the just ruler, who values and protects life (Ps 72). - עַיִן “eye(s)” (judicial gaze): - Ps 5:6 לֹא־יִתְיַצְּבוּ … לְנֶגֶד עֵינֶיךָ “the boastful shall not stand before your eyes” - Ps 72:14 בְּעֵינָיו “in his eyes” (their blood is precious) Logical follow: the divine “eyes” that refuse the wicked (Ps 5) are mirrored in the king’s valuing gaze (Ps 72). - בָּרַךְ “bless” (shared root, multiple occurrences): - Ps 5:13 אַתָּה תְּבָרֵךְ צַדִּיק “you bless the righteous” - Ps 72:15–17 כָּל־הַיּוֹם יְבָרֲכֶנְהוּ … וְיִתְבָּרְכוּ בוֹ “may they bless him … all nations will bless themselves by him” Logical follow: blessing of the individual righteous (Ps 5) is extended and mediated through the king to the nations (Ps 72). - צַדִּיק “righteous” (same noun): - Ps 5:13 תְּבָרֵךְ צַדִּיק - Ps 72:7 יִפְרַח־בְּיָמָיו צַדִּיק Logical follow: God’s favor on the righteous (Ps 5) blossoms under righteous rule (Ps 72). - מֶלֶךְ “king” (tight thematic hinge): - Ps 5:3 מַלְכִּי וֵאלֹהָי “my King and my God” - Ps 72:1–11 לְמֶלֶךְ … לְבֶן־מֶלֶךְ … וְיִשְׁתַּחֲווּ־לוֹ כָּל־מְלָכִים Logical follow: Psalm 5 confesses divine kingship; Psalm 72 prays that the human king be endowed with God’s justice—classic theological sequence (divine kingship → royal vicegerent). - ירא “fear/awe”: - Ps 5:8 … בְּיִרְאָתֶךָ “in reverent awe of you” - Ps 72:5 יִירָאוּךָ עִם־שָׁמֶשׁ “may they fear you as long as the sun” Logical follow: the psalmist’s personal awe (Ps 5) becomes enduring communal awe (Ps 72). - שֵׁם “name” + לעולם “forever”: - Ps 5:12 … אֹהֲבֵי שְׁמֶךָ … לְעוֹלָם יְרַנֵּנוּ - Ps 72:17–19 יְהִי שְׁמוֹ לְעוֹלָם … וּבָרוּךְ שֵׁם כְּבוֹדוֹ לְעוֹלָם Logical follow: love of God’s name (Ps 5) → the king’s enduring name and God’s glorious name (Ps 72), binding divine and royal reputations. Form and stylistic continuity - Both are prayers dominated by imperatives/jussives addressed to God: - Ps 5 opens with imperatives to God (הַאֲזִינָה, הַקְשִׁיבָה) and a jussive request for straight guidance (הַיְשַׁר). - Ps 72 opens with an imperative to God (תֵּן) followed by a sequence of jussives/wishes (יָדִין, יִשְׁפֹּט, יִירָאוּךָ, יֵרֵד, יִפְרַח). The move from individual supplication to communal royal petition is natural in liturgical sequencing. - Temple posture → royal homage: - Ps 5:8 depicts temple entry and prostration. - Ps 72:10–11 imagines the world’s kings bringing tribute and bowing—homage language that mirrors temple language but now at the royal court. - Morning to “all day/sun–moon” timescale: - Ps 5 is explicitly a morning prayer (בֹּקֶר תִּשְׁמַע קוֹלִי). - Ps 72 stretches the horizon to “with the sun … before the moon … all day” (72:5, 15), i.e., the prayer for the king accompanies the daily rhythm that began with the morning offering in Ps 5. Theological and conceptual development (logic of ideas) - From divine judgment to delegated justice: - Ps 5 insists that YHWH rejects the wicked and loves the righteous; asks God to “make straight” the path. - Ps 72 asks God to give those very “judgments” and “righteousness” to the king so that he judges the people rightly and crushes the oppressor. It is the societal outworking of Ps 5’s personal ethics. - From personal protection to public protection: - Ps 5 seeks protection from deceitful, bloodthirsty men; God shields the righteous “as with a shield” (כַּצִּנָּה). - Ps 72 has the king rescue the needy who cry out, redeem lives from violence, and value their blood—an ethical inversion of “a man of blood” in Ps 5. - From localized worship to universal scope: - Ps 5 centers on the temple (בֵּיתֶךָ … הֵיכַל־קָדְשֶׁךָ). - Ps 72 globalizes the blessing (מִיָּם עַד־יָם … יִתְבָּרְכוּ בוֹ כָּל־גּוֹיִם … וְיִמָּלֵא כְּבוֹדוֹ אֶת־כָּל־הָאָרֶץ). Liturgical–historical plausibility - Daily temple sequence: A morning individual prayer (Ps 5) plausibly precedes (in a service) a standing petition for the king (Ps 72:15 “let them pray for him continually, all the day”). In the ANE and Israel, intercession for the king was a regular temple element (cf. Ps 20; 61). - Kingship theology: Ps 5’s “my King and my God” grounds divine kingship; Ps 72 envisions the Davidic king as vicegerent receiving “your righteousness”—a classic covenantal/dynastic development (2 Sam 7 ideology). - Editorial/dynastic frame: Both psalms are Davidic in superscriptional framing (Ps 5: לְדָוִד; Ps 72: לִשְׁלֹמֹה, then 72:20 “The prayers of David son of Jesse are ended”). Read together, a Davidic personal plea (Ps 5) culminating in a Solomonic royal prayer (Ps 72) traces a father→son, God→king transfer of justice. Additional smaller links - “רֹב X” construction in both: Ps 5:8 בְּרֹב חַסְדֶּךָ; Ps 72:7 וְרֹב שָׁלוֹם. - Enemies cannot “stand” vs are made to “bow/lick dust”: Ps 5:6 לֹא־יִתְיַצְּבוּ … לְנֶגֶד עֵינֶיךָ; Ps 72:9 לְפָנָיו יִכְרְעוּ … עָפָר יְלַחֵכוּ. - Shared temporal term לעולם: Ps 5:12; Ps 72:17, 19. In sum: Psalm 5 sets the theological and ethical template—YHWH the true King hears the morning cry, hates bloodshed and deceit, leads in his righteousness, blesses the righteous. Psalm 72 then “implements” that template at royal/national scale—the king receives God’s own mishpat and tzedakah, answers the cry of the needy, reverses bloodshed, brings flourishing and blessing to all. The lexical matches (especially צִדְקָתֶךָ, השתחוה, שׁוע, בָּרַךְ, צַדִּיק, מֶלֶךְ), the shared forms, and the liturgical logic together make a strong case that Psalm 72 can be read as a logical follow‑on from Psalm 5.
Evaluation
Score: 6.0
Evaluated at: 2025-11-15T03:31:16 (UTC)
Evaluator model: gpt-5
Evaluator version: v2
Reasoning: 5440 Output: 6816 Total: 12256
Checklist
- Has verse refs: Yes
- Factual error detected: No
- Only generic motifs: No
- Counterargument considered: No
- LXX/MT numbering acknowledged: No
Vocabulary specificity: 3.0 / 10
Many verse-anchored links, but largely common vocabulary; no cross-psalm structural marker ties 5 to 72. Ordering rationale is plausible yet generic. No factual errors detected. Moderate, not decisive, evidence.
Prompt
Consider Psalm 5 and Psalm 72 (reproduced below). What arguments could you make to justify that Psalm 72 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 72:
Psalm 72
1. לִשְׁלֹמֹ֨ה ׀
אֱֽלֹהִ֗ים
מִ֭שְׁפָּטֶיךָ
לְמֶ֣לֶךְ
תֵּ֑ן
וְצִדְקָתְךָ֥
לְבֶן־
מֶֽלֶךְ׃
2. יָדִ֣ין
עַמְּךָ֣
בְצֶ֑דֶק
וַעֲנִיֶּ֥יךָ
בְמִשְׁפָּֽט׃
3. יִשְׂא֤וּ
הָרִ֓ים
שָׁ֘ל֥וֹם
לָעָ֑ם
וּ֝גְבָע֗וֹת
בִּצְדָקָֽה׃
4. יִשְׁפֹּ֤ט ׀
עֲֽנִיֵּי־
עָ֗ם
י֭וֹשִׁיעַ
לִבְנֵ֣י
אֶבְי֑וֹן
וִֽידַכֵּ֣א
עוֹשֵֽׁק׃
5. יִֽירָא֥וּךָ
עִם־
שָׁ֑מֶשׁ
וְלִפְנֵ֥י
יָ֝רֵ֗חַ
דּ֣וֹר
דּוֹרִֽים׃
6. יֵ֭רֵד
כְּמָטָ֣ר
עַל־
גֵּ֑ז
כִּ֝רְבִיבִ֗ים
זַרְזִ֥יף
אָֽרֶץ׃
7. יִֽפְרַח־
בְּיָמָ֥יו
צַדִּ֑יק
וְרֹ֥ב
שָׁ֝ל֗וֹם
עַד־
בְּלִ֥י
יָרֵֽחַ׃
8. וְ֭יֵרְדְּ
מִיָּ֣ם
עַד־
יָ֑ם
וּ֝מִנָּהָ֗ר
עַד־
אַפְסֵי־
אָֽרֶץ׃
9. לְ֭פָנָיו
יִכְרְע֣וּ
צִיִּ֑ים
וְ֝אֹיְבָ֗יו
עָפָ֥ר
יְלַחֵֽכוּ׃
10. מַלְכֵ֬י
תַרְשִׁ֣ישׁ
וְ֭אִיִּים
מִנְחָ֣ה
יָשִׁ֑יבוּ
מַלְכֵ֥י
שְׁבָ֥א
וּ֝סְבָ֗א
אֶשְׁכָּ֥ר
יַקְרִֽיבוּ׃
11. וְיִשְׁתַּחֲווּ־
ל֥וֹ
כָל־
מְלָכִ֑ים
כָּל־
גּוֹיִ֥ם
יַֽעַבְדֽוּהוּ׃
12. כִּֽי־
יַ֭צִּיל
אֶבְי֣וֹן
מְשַׁוֵּ֑עַ
וְ֝עָנִ֗י
וְֽאֵין־
עֹזֵ֥ר
לֽוֹ׃
13. יָ֭חֹס
עַל־
דַּ֣ל
וְאֶבְי֑וֹן
וְנַפְשׁ֖וֹת
אֶבְיוֹנִ֣ים
יוֹשִֽׁיעַ׃
14. מִתּ֣וֹךְ
וּ֖dמֵחָמָס
יִגְאַ֣ל
נַפְשָׁ֑ם
וְיֵיקַ֖ר
דָּמָ֣ם
בְּעֵינָֽיו׃
15. וִיחִ֗י
וְיִתֶּן־
לוֹ֮
מִזְּהַ֢ב
שְׁ֫בָ֥א
וְיִתְפַּלֵּ֣ל
בַּעֲד֣וֹ
תָמִ֑יד
כָּל־
הַ֝יּ֗וֹם
יְבָרֲכֶֽנְהֽוּ׃
16. יְהִ֤י
פִסַּת־
בַּ֨ר ׀
בָּאָרֶץ֮
בְּרֹ֢אשׁ
הָ֫רִ֥ים
יִרְעַ֣שׁ
כַּלְּבָנ֣וֹן
פִּרְי֑וֹ
וְיָצִ֥יצוּ
מֵ֝עִ֗יר
כְּעֵ֣שֶׂב
הָאָֽרֶץ׃
17. יְהִ֤י
שְׁמ֨וֹ ׀
לְֽעוֹלָ֗ם
לִפְנֵי־
שֶׁמֶשׁ֮
ינין
יִנּ֢וֹן
שְׁ֫מ֥וֹ
וְיִתְבָּ֥רְכוּ
ב֑וֹ
כָּל־
גּוֹיִ֥ם
יְאַשְּׁרֽוּהוּ׃
18. בָּר֤וּךְ ׀
יְהוָ֣ה
אֱ֭לֹהִים
אֱלֹהֵ֣י
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל
עֹשֵׂ֖ה
נִפְלָא֣וֹת
לְבַדּֽוֹ׃
19. וּבָר֤וּךְ ׀
שֵׁ֥ם
כְּבוֹד֗וֹ
לְע֫וֹלָ֥ם
וְיִמָּלֵ֣א
כְ֭בוֹדוֹ
אֶת־
כֹּ֥ל
הָאָ֗רֶץ
אָ֘מֵ֥ן ׀
וְאָמֵֽן׃
20. כָּלּ֥וּ
תְפִלּ֑וֹת
דָּ֝וִ֗ד
בֶּן־
יִשָֽׁי׃