Psalm 5 → 73
Reasoning: 9536 Output: 6142 Total: 15678
Argument
Short thesis: Psalm 73 can be read as the experiential “answer” to Psalm 5. Psalm 5 prays in the morning for guidance, entry to God’s house, and the downfall of deceitful evildoers; Psalm 73 narrates the day’s crisis when the wicked seem to prosper, then the sanctuary visit that restores perspective and confirms Psalm 5’s theology about the righteous and the wicked. 1) High‑value lexical ties (rarer/identical forms first) - ההוֹלְלִים “the arrogant/boasters” (identical form) - Ps 5:6 לא־יתיצבו הוֹלְלִים לנגד עיניך - Ps 73:3 קנאתי בהוֹלְלִים Significance: this plural noun is comparatively rare and the identical form in both psalms ties their portraits of the wicked together. - לְשׁוֹנָם “their tongue” (identical form) - Ps 5:10 לְשׁוֹנָם יחליקון - Ps 73:9 וּלְשׁוֹנָם תּהלך בארץ Significance: same noun + suffix; both psalms spotlight the speech of the wicked as a defining symptom of their evil. - נחה Hifil with 1cs object “guide/lead me” - Ps 5:9 נְחֵנִי בצדקתך … הַיְשַׁר לפני דרכך - Ps 73:24 בַּעֲצָתְךָ תַנְחֵנִי Significance: same root, same stem, same person/object; in Ps 5 it’s a petition, in Ps 73 it’s a testimony—narrative fulfillment. - אבד “perish/destroy” - Ps 5:7 תְּאַבֵּד דֹּבְרֵי כָזָב - Ps 73:27 יֹאבֵדוּ; cf. 73:18–19 הִפַּלְתָּם … סָפוּ תַמּוּ Significance: Ps 73 affirms the ultimate perishing declared in Ps 5. - קדש “holy place” (sanctuary terminology) - Ps 5:8 אֶשְׁתַּחֲוֶה אֶל־הֵיכַל־קָדְשֶׁךָ - Ps 73:17 עַד־אָבוֹא אֶל־מִקְדְּשֵׁי־אֵל Significance: both locate resolution in the holy space; Ps 5 anticipates reverent entry, Ps 73 narrates it as the turning point. - בקר “morning” - Ps 5:4 בֹּקֶר תשמע קולי … בֹּקֶר אערך־לך ואצפה - Ps 73:14 וְתוֹכַחְתִּי לַבְּקָרִים Significance: morning prayer in Ps 5; morning chastening/reproof in Ps 73—temporal thread through a single day. - חסה “seek refuge” - Ps 5:12 וישמחו כל־חוֹסֵי בך - Ps 73:28 שַׁתִּי בַאדֹנָי יְהוִה מַחְסִי Significance: same root/theme—trusting God as protective refuge. - עצה “counsel/plan” - Ps 5:11 יִפְּלוּ מִמֹּעֲצוֹתֵיהֶם (the wicked “fall by their counsels”) - Ps 73:24 בַּעֲצָתְךָ תַנְחֵנִי (the righteous are led by God’s counsel) Significance: sharp, programmatic antithesis that makes Ps 73 read like a deliberate development of Ps 5. - Speech ethics: כזב/מרמה vs. חמס/אמר/דבר - Ps 5:7 דֹבְרֵי כָזָב; אִישׁ דָּמִים וּמִרְמָה - Ps 73:6–9 חָמָס; וִידַבְּרוּ בְרָע … אָמְרוּ … וּלְשׁוֹנָם Significance: different lexemes but same semantic field—verbal arrogance and violent deceit. 2) Shared motifs and structural moves - Sanctuary pivot: - Ps 5 moves toward the sanctuary in hope and reverent fear; Ps 73’s crisis resolves only “until I entered the sanctuaries of God” (73:17). The sanctuary is the theological horizon in both. - Guidance on the way: - Ps 5 asks God to “make straight your way before me” (הַיְשַׁר … דַּרְכֶּךָ); Ps 73 describes slipping feet (73:2 רַגְלַי … אֲשׁוּרַי) and then God’s guiding counsel (תַנְחֵנִי, 73:24). The imagery of path/steps binds them. - The wicked’s standing vs. falling: - Ps 5:6 “the boastful shall not stand before your eyes”; 5:11 “let them fall by their own counsels.” - Ps 73:18 “you set them in slippery places; you cast them down to ruins”; 73:19 “How they are destroyed in a moment.” The verbs of standing/falling are thematically continuous. - Covering/garment imagery: - Ps 5:12–13 “You cover them” (תָסֵךְ עָלֵימוֹ) and “surround/crown” the righteous with favor “as a shield” (כַצִּנָּה רָצוֹן תַּעְטְרֶנּוּ). - Ps 73:6 “Pride is their necklace” (עֲנָקַתְמוֹ גַּאֲוָה); “violence covers them like a garment” (יַעֲטָף … חָמָס). Both use clothing/encircling imagery; in Ps 5, God’s favor enwraps the righteous; in Ps 73, pride and violence enwrap the wicked. - “As for me” contrastive marker: - Ps 5:8 וַאֲנִי בְּרֹב חַסְדְּךָ … - Ps 73:2; 22; 23; 28 וַאֲנִי … Both use וַאֲנִי to pivot from “they” (the wicked) to the worshiper’s posture. - Outcome frames: - Ps 5 ends with confident blessing for the righteous and joy (5:12–13). - Ps 73 ends with “God is my portion forever” and a resolve to “recount all your works” (73:26–28). Both conclude with stabilized trust, protection, and proclamation. 3) A plausible life‑sequence that makes Ps 73 “follow” Ps 5 - Morning: Ps 5 is explicitly a morning prayer (בֹּקֶר) with a plan to enter the house and wait (אֶעֱרָךְ … וַאֲצַפֶּה; 5:4, 8). This fits a worshiper heading to the Temple at daybreak for the daily offering. - Daytime crisis: Ps 73 narrates what the same worshiper might see during the day—arrogant evildoers at ease (73:3–12)—producing inner doubt (73:13–16). - Sanctuary resolution: In the afternoon/evening he “enters the sanctuaries of God” (73:17), hears/receives “counsel” (בעצתך), and finally understands the “end” of the wicked (73:17–20). - Nightfall confidence: He closes with renewed nearness and refuge (73:23–28), matching the trust and joy promised at the end of Ps 5. 4) Theological development: Psalm 73 as an answer to Psalm 5 - Psalm 5 asserts the covenantal norm: God does not tolerate evil, destroys deceitful men, and surrounds the righteous with favor. It prays for guidance and straight paths. - Psalm 73 acknowledges the empirical objection: the wicked seem to flourish and be unpunished. Only in the sanctuary does the psalmist perceive their slippery end—exactly the downfall Psalm 5 prays for—and affirms that God guides the faithful by his counsel. - Thus 73 does not contradict 5; it narrates the faith journey from 5’s morning petition to 73’s evening insight, confirming 5’s theology at a deeper, wisdom‑level. 5) Summary of the strongest linguistic links (highest weight) - Identical rare noun: הוֹלְלִים (5:6; 73:3). - Identical form: לְשׁוֹנָם (5:10; 73:9). - Same root and stem with 1cs object: נחה (נְחֵנִי 5:9; תַנְחֵנִי 73:24). - Same root for destruction: אבד (תְאַבֵּד 5:7; יֹאבֵדוּ 73:27). - Shared sanctuary root קדש (הֵיכַל קָדְשֶׁךָ 5:8; מִקְדְּשֵׁי־אֵל 73:17). - Shared time word בקר (5:4; 73:14). - Shared refuge root חסה (חוסי 5:12; מחסי 73:28). - Antithetical but same noun “counsel”: מִמֹּעֲצוֹתֵיהֶם (5:11) vs. בַּעֲצָתְךָ (73:24). Taken together—especially the rare identical הוֹלְלִים and the matched לְשׁוֹנָם, נחה, אבד, קדש, בקר, חסה, and עצה—there is both a lexical thread and a narrative arc that makes Psalm 73 a natural, logical continuation of Psalm 5: what is prayed and asserted in the morning (Ps 5) is tested, clarified in the sanctuary, and confessed by evening (Ps 73).
Evaluation
Score: 6.5
Evaluated at: 2025-11-15T03:32:13 (UTC)
Evaluator model: gpt-5
Evaluator version: v2
Reasoning: 4480 Output: 6968 Total: 11448
Checklist
- Has verse refs: Yes
- Factual error detected: No
- Only generic motifs: No
- Counterargument considered: No
- LXX/MT numbering acknowledged: No
Vocabulary specificity: 4.5 / 10
Many correct, specific links (הוללים, לשונם, נחה; sanctuary/morning) and a coherent arc. But most lexemes are common, and cross‑book distance (Ps 5 vs 73) weakens editorial pairing. H₀ not defeated.
Prompt
Consider Psalm 5 and Psalm 73 (reproduced below). What arguments could you make to justify that Psalm 73 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 73:
Psalm 73
1. מִזְמ֗וֹר
לְאָ֫סָ֥ף
אַ֤ךְ
ט֖וֹב
לְיִשְׂרָאֵ֥ל
אֱלֹהִ֗ים
לְבָרֵ֥י
לֵבָֽב׃
2. וַאֲנִ֗י
כִּ֭מְעַט
נטוי
נָטָ֣יוּ
רַגְלָ֑י
כְּ֝אַ֗יִן
שפכה
שֻׁפְּכ֥וּ
אֲשֻׁרָֽי׃
3. כִּֽי־
קִ֭נֵּאתִי
בַּֽהוֹלְלִ֑ים
שְׁל֖וֹם
רְשָׁעִ֣ים
אֶרְאֶֽה׃
4. כִּ֤י
אֵ֖ין
חַרְצֻבּ֥וֹת
לְמוֹתָ֗ם
וּבָרִ֥יא
אוּלָֽם׃
5. בַּעֲמַ֣ל
אֱנ֣וֹשׁ
אֵינֵ֑מוֹ
וְעִם־
אָ֝דָ֗ם
לֹ֣א
יְנֻגָּֽעוּ׃
6. לָ֭כֵן
עֲנָקַ֣תְמוֹ
גַאֲוָ֑ה
יַעֲטָף־
שִׁ֝֗ית
חָמָ֥ס
לָֽמוֹ׃
7. יָ֭צָא
מֵחֵ֣לֶב
עֵינֵ֑מוֹ
עָ֝בְר֗וּ
מַשְׂכִּיּ֥וֹת
לֵבָֽב׃
8. יָמִ֤יקוּ ׀
וִידַבְּר֣וּ
בְרָ֣ע
עֹ֑שֶׁק
מִמָּר֥וֹם
יְדַבֵּֽרוּ׃
9. שַׁתּ֣וּ
בַשָּׁמַ֣יִם
פִּיהֶ֑ם
וּ֝לְשׁוֹנָ֗ם
תִּֽהֲלַ֥ךְ
בָּאָֽרֶץ׃
10. לָכֵ֤ן ׀
ישיב
יָשׁ֣וּב
עַמּ֣וֹ
הֲלֹ֑ם
וּמֵ֥י
מָ֝לֵ֗א
יִמָּ֥צוּ
לָֽמוֹ׃
11. וְֽאָמְר֗וּ
אֵיכָ֥ה
יָדַֽע־
אֵ֑ל
וְיֵ֖שׁ
דֵּעָ֣ה
בְעֶלְיֽוֹן׃
12. הִנֵּה־
אֵ֥לֶּה
רְשָׁעִ֑ים
וְשַׁלְוֵ֥י
ע֝וֹלָ֗ם
הִשְׂגּוּ־
חָֽיִל׃
13. אַךְ־
רִ֭יק
זִכִּ֣יתִי
לְבָבִ֑י
וָאֶרְחַ֖ץ
בְּנִקָּי֣וֹן
כַּפָּֽי׃
14. וָאֱהִ֣י
נָ֭גוּעַ
כָּל־
הַיּ֑וֹם
וְ֝תוֹכַחְתִּ֗י
לַבְּקָרִֽים׃
15. אִם־
אָ֭מַרְתִּי
אֲסַפְּרָ֥ה
כְמ֑וֹ
הִנֵּ֤ה
ד֭וֹר
בָּנֶ֣יךָ
בָגָֽדְתִּי׃
16. וָֽ֭אֲחַשְּׁבָה
לָדַ֣עַת
זֹ֑את
עָמָ֖ל
היא
ה֣וּא
בְעֵינָֽי׃
17. עַד־
אָ֭בוֹא
אֶל־
מִקְדְּשֵׁי־
אֵ֑ל
אָ֝בִ֗ינָה
לְאַחֲרִיתָֽם׃
18. אַ֣ךְ
בַּ֭חֲלָקוֹת
תָּשִׁ֣ית
לָ֑מוֹ
הִ֝פַּלְתָּ֗ם
לְמַשּׁוּאֽוֹת׃
19. אֵ֤יךְ
הָי֣וּ
לְשַׁמָּ֣ה
כְרָ֑גַע
סָ֥פוּ
תַ֝֗מּוּ
מִן־
בַּלָּהֽוֹת׃
20. כַּחֲל֥וֹם
מֵהָקִ֑יץ
אֲ֝דֹנָי
בָּעִ֤יר ׀
צַלְמָ֬ם
תִּבְזֶֽה׃
21. כִּ֭י
יִתְחַמֵּ֣ץ
לְבָבִ֑י
וְ֝כִלְיוֹתַ֗י
אֶשְׁתּוֹנָֽן׃
22. וַאֲנִי־
בַ֭עַר
וְלֹ֣א
אֵדָ֑ע
בְּ֝הֵמ֗וֹת
הָיִ֥יתִי
עִמָּֽךְ׃
23. וַאֲנִ֣י
תָמִ֣יד
עִמָּ֑ךְ
אָ֝חַ֗זְתָּ
בְּיַד־
יְמִינִֽי׃
24. בַּעֲצָתְךָ֥
תַנְחֵ֑נִי
וְ֝אַחַ֗ר
כָּב֥וֹד
תִּקָּחֵֽנִי׃
25. מִי־
לִ֥י
בַשָּׁמָ֑יִם
וְ֝עִמְּךָ֗
לֹא־
חָפַ֥צְתִּי
בָאָֽרֶץ׃
26. כָּלָ֥ה
שְׁאֵרִ֗י
וּלְבָ֫בִ֥י
צוּר־
לְבָבִ֥י
וְחֶלְקִ֗י
אֱלֹהִ֥ים
לְעוֹלָֽם׃
27. כִּֽי־
הִנֵּ֣ה
רְחֵקֶ֣יךָ
יֹאבֵ֑דוּ
הִ֝צְמַ֗תָּה
כָּל־
זוֹנֶ֥ה
מִמֶּֽךָּ׃
28. וַאֲנִ֤י ׀
קִֽרֲבַ֥ת
אֱלֹהִ֗ים
לִ֫י־
ט֥וֹב
שַׁתִּ֤י ׀
בַּאדֹנָ֣י
יְהֹוִ֣ה
מַחְסִ֑י
לְ֝סַפֵּ֗ר
כָּל־
מַלְאֲכוֹתֶֽיךָ׃