Psalm 5 → 79
Reasoning: 12736 Output: 5646 Total: 18382
Argument
Here are the strongest ways to argue that Psalm 79 “logically follows” Psalm 5, using shared diction, roots, motifs, form, and life-setting. I list the highest‑value links first (identical phrases or rare collocations), then roots and motifs, then structural and historical logic. High‑value lexical “catchwords” (identical or near‑identical forms) - Identical phrase היכל קָדְשְׁךָ “your holy temple”: - Ps 5:8 אֶשְׁתַּחֲוֶה אֶל־הֵיכַל קָדְשֶׁךָ (I will bow toward your holy temple). - Ps 79:1 טִמְּאוּ אֶת־הֵיכַל קָדְשֶׁךָ (they have defiled your holy temple). This is a rare, exact two‑word collocation with 2ms suffix; in Ps 5 it is the hoped‑for locus of worship; in Ps 79 it is the locus of desecration. Psalm 79 “answers” Psalm 5 by narrating what happens when the wrong party reaches the same sanctum. - Same root בוא “to come/enter” in tightly parallel constructions with 2ms possession: - Ps 5:8 בְּרֹב חַסְדְּךָ אָבֹא בֵיתֶךָ (by your great steadfast love I will enter your house). - Ps 79:1 בָּאוּ גוֹיִם בְּנַחֲלָתֶךָ (nations have come into your inheritance). The progression is striking: in Ps 5 the righteous “I” enters what is “yours”; in Ps 79 hostile nations enter what is “yours.” - Blood/burial cluster with the rare root קבר “grave/bury”: - Ps 5:10 קֶבֶר־פָּתוּחַ גְּרוֹנָם (their throat is an open grave) — a rare metaphor. - Ps 79:3 שָׁפְכוּ דָמָם… וְאֵין קוֹבֵר (they poured out their blood… with no one to bury). The metaphorical “grave” of the wicked in Ps 5 becomes literal unburied corpses in Ps 79. - “Name” cluster with identical lexeme שֵׁם: - Ps 5:12 אֹהֲבֵי שְׁמֶךָ (those who love your Name) rejoice. - Ps 79:6 בְּשִׁמְךָ לֹא קָרָאוּ (who do not call on your Name); 79:9–10 עַל דְּבַר כְּבוֹד־שְׁמֶךָ… לְמַעַן שְׁמֶךָ (for the honor of your Name… for your Name). Logical turn: from “lovers of your Name” (Ps 5) to nations who refuse to invoke it (Ps 79), prompting an appeal “for your Name.” - “King/kingdom” root מלך: - Ps 5:3 מַלְכִּי וֵאלֹהָי (my King and my God). - Ps 79:6–7 עַל מַמְלָכוֹת (upon the kingdoms) that do not know you. The rule of God as “my King” in Ps 5 leads to petition against human “kingdoms” resisting that rule in Ps 79. Root/shared‑lexeme links and motif intensifications - Blood/violence lexemes: - Ps 5:7 אִישׁ דָּמִים וּמִרְמָה (a man of bloodshed and deceit). - Ps 79:3,10 דָּם… הַשָּׁפוּךְ; נִקְמַת דַּם־עֲבָדֶיךָ (blood poured out; the vengeance of the blood of your servants). Psalm 79 escalates Ps 5’s violent oppressor from an individual type (“man of blood”) to a mass atrocity demanding public vengeance. - Mercy/fidelity lexeme family חסד/חסיד: - Ps 5:8 בְּרֹב חַסְדְּךָ (by your abundant ḥesed). - Ps 79:2 בְּשַׂר חֲסִידֶיךָ (the flesh of your ḥasidim/faithful ones). The ones defined by חסד in Ps 5 become the victims (“your faithful ones”) in Ps 79—fueling the plea that God’s covenant mercy must act. - Guidance/shepherding: - Ps 5:9 נְחֵנִי בְצִדְקָתֶךָ… הַיְשַׁר לְפָנַי דַּרְכֶּךָ (lead me… make your way straight before me). - Ps 79:13 עַמְּךָ… וְצֹאן מַרְעִיתֶךָ (your people and the sheep of your pasture). Individual leading (Ps 5) blooms into communal shepherding identity (Ps 79). - “Eyes/seeing” perspective: - Ps 5:6 לְנֶגֶד עֵינֶיךָ (before your eyes) — God’s perspective. - Ps 79:10 לְעֵינֵינוּ (before our eyes) — the community asks to witness God’s justice. Movement from divine sight to human sight of vindication. - Judgment‑imprecation: - Ps 5:11 הַאֲשִׁימֵם… הַדִּיחֵמוֹ (declare them guilty; drive them out). - Ps 79:6–7 שְׁפֹךְ חֲמָתְךָ… אֲכַל אֶת־יַעֲקֹב (pour out your wrath… they have devoured Jacob). Same functional slot in the lament form: petition for punitive action, intensified to the international plane. Form and structural parallels - Both are laments that end with a vow/assurance of praise “forever”: - Ps 5:12–13 וְיִשְׂמְחוּ כָל־חֻסֵי בָךְ… לְעוֹלָם יְרַנֵּנוּ; כִּי־אַתָּה תְבָרֵךְ צַדִּיק (joy/praise and blessing). - Ps 79:13 נוֹדֶה לְּךָ לְעוֹלָם… נְסַפֵּר תְּהִלָּתֶךָ (we will thank you forever; we will tell your praise). Identical function and “forever” language at each psalm’s close suggests editorially cognate endings. - Same broad form‑critical movement: address → complaint about the wicked → petition for judgment → confidence/vow of praise. - Each contains explicit hearing language: - Ps 5:2–4 הַאֲזִינָה… הַקְשִׁיבָה… בֹּקֶר תִּשְׁמַע קוֹלִי. - Ps 79:11 תָּבוֹא לְפָנֶיךָ אֶנְקַת אָסִיר (let the groaning come before you). Both organize the prayer around God’s hearing/receiving in his presence. Logical/theological flow (expectation → crisis → demand for coherence) - Psalm 5 asserts the holiness principle: לֹא יְגוּרְךָ רָע; לֹא־יִתְיַצְּבוּ הוֹלְלִים לְנֶגֶד עֵינֶיךָ (evil cannot sojourn with you; the boastful cannot stand before your eyes). - Psalm 79 narrates the stark breach: בָּאוּ גוֹיִם בְּנַחֲלָתֶךָ… טִמְּאוּ… הֵיכַל קָדְשֶׁךָ (nations have come into your inheritance; they have defiled your holy temple). - Therefore Ps 79’s petitions (שְׁפֹךְ חֲמָתְךָ… יִוָּדַע… נִקְמַת דָּם) are the logical application of Ps 5’s theology to a national catastrophe: if God’s holiness excludes the wicked, he must now act to expel and avenge. Life‑setting/historical sequence - Psalm 5 is a morning approach to worship: בֹּקֶר תִּשְׁמַע קוֹלִי… אָבֹא בֵיתֶךָ… אֶשְׁתַּחֲוֶה אֶל־הֵיכַל קָדְשֶׁךָ (daily temple piety). - Psalm 79 is a communal fast‑lament for siege/destruction: טִמְּאוּ הֵיכַל קָדְשֶׁךָ… שָׁפְכוּ דָּמָם… וְאֵין קוֹבֵר (the temple defiled, blood spilled, no burial). - Read sequentially, 79 “follows” 5 as the moment when the ordinary rhythm of temple approach (Ps 5) has been shattered, and the community pleads for God to restore the moral/ritual order presupposed in Ps 5. Other notable links (medium strength) - “For the sake of…” לְמַעַן: - Ps 5:9 לְמַעַן שׁוֹרְרָי (because of my watchful foes). - Ps 79:9 לְמַעַן שְׁמֶךָ (for your Name). Same pragmatic connector, but elevated in Ps 79 from opposition‑management to doxological motive. - Both have 13 verses and open with a “מִזְמוֹר” superscription (formal similarity within the Psalter’s toolkit). Summary - The identical collocation הֵיכַל קָדְשֶׁךָ, the coordinated use of בוא with 2ms possessions (“I will enter your house” → “nations have entered your inheritance”), the blood/burial cluster (אִישׁ דָּמִים → נִקְמַת דָּם; קֶבֶר → קוֹבֵר), the Name cluster (אֹהֲבֵי שְׁמֶךָ → לֹא קָרָאוּ בְּשִׁמְךָ; לְמַעַן שְׁמֶךָ), parallel imprecations, and matched vow‑of‑praise endings together create a tight web of lexical and thematic ties. - Theologically and ritually, Psalm 79 reads like the necessary sequel to Psalm 5: when those who should not “sojourn” with God have in fact “entered” and desecrated his holy place, the community claims Psalm 5’s holiness ethic and demands that God act so that his Name will be honored “forever.”
Evaluation
Score: 7.0
Evaluated at: 2025-11-15T03:36:22 (UTC)
Evaluator model: gpt-5
Evaluator version: v2
Reasoning: 3968 Output: 6488 Total: 10456
Checklist
- Has verse refs: Yes
- Factual error detected: No
- Only generic motifs: No
- Counterargument considered: No
- LXX/MT numbering acknowledged: No
Vocabulary specificity: 6.5 / 10
Strong text-anchored ties: היכל קָדְשֶׁךָ, בוא+2ms possession (אבוא ביתך // באו…בנחלתך), and קבר (קבר פתוח // אין קובר), plus coherent progression. But many motifs are common, and Asaph–David/book-distance unaddressed.
Prompt
Consider Psalm 5 and Psalm 79 (reproduced below). What arguments could you make to justify that Psalm 79 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 79:
Psalm 79
1. מִזְמ֗וֹר
לְאָ֫סָ֥ף
אֱֽלֹהִ֡ים
בָּ֤אוּ
גוֹיִ֨ם ׀
בְּֽנַחֲלָתֶ֗ךָ
טִ֭מְּאוּ
אֶת־
הֵיכַ֣ל
קָדְשֶׁ֑ךָ
שָׂ֖מוּ
אֶת־
יְרוּשָׁלִַ֣ם
לְעִיִּֽים׃
2. נָֽתְנ֡וּ
אֶת־
נִבְלַ֬ת
עֲבָדֶ֗יךָ
מַ֭אֲכָל
לְע֣וֹף
הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם
בְּשַׂ֥ר
חֲ֝סִידֶ֗יךָ
לְחַיְתוֹ־
אָֽרֶץ׃
3. שָׁפְכ֬וּ
דָמָ֨ם ׀
כַּמַּ֗יִם
סְֽבִ֘יב֤וֹת
יְֽרוּשָׁלִָ֗ם
וְאֵ֣ין
קוֹבֵֽר׃
4. הָיִ֣ינוּ
חֶ֭רְפָּה
לִשְׁכֵנֵ֑ינוּ
לַ֥עַג
וָ֝קֶ֗לֶס
לִסְבִיבוֹתֵֽינוּ׃
5. עַד־
מָ֣ה
יְ֭הוָה
תֶּאֱנַ֣ף
לָנֶ֑צַח
תִּ֭tבְעַ֥ר
כְּמוֹ־
אֵ֝֗שׁ
קִנְאָתֶֽךָ׃
6. שְׁפֹ֤ךְ
חֲמָתְךָ֗
אֶֽל־
הַגּוֹיִם֮
אֲשֶׁ֢ר
לֹא־
יְדָ֫ע֥וּךָ
וְעַ֥ל
מַמְלָכ֑וֹת
אֲשֶׁ֥ר
בְּ֝שִׁמְךָ֗
לֹ֣א
קָרָֽאוּ׃
7. כִּ֭י
אָכַ֣ל
אֶֽת־
יַעֲקֹ֑ב
וְֽאֶת־
נָוֵ֥הוּ
הֵשַֽׁמּוּ׃
8. אַֽל־
תִּזְכָּר־
לָנוּ֮
עֲוֺנֹ֢ת
רִאשֹׁ֫נִ֥ים
מַ֭הֵר
יְקַדְּמ֣וּנוּ
רַחֲמֶ֑יךָ
כִּ֖י
דַלּ֣וֹנוּ
מְאֹֽד׃
9. עָזְרֵ֤נוּ ׀
אֱלֹ֘הֵ֤י
יִשְׁעֵ֗נוּ
עַל־
דְּבַ֥ר
כְּבֽוֹד־
שְׁמֶ֑ךָ
וְהַצִּילֵ֥נוּ
וְכַפֵּ֥ר
עַל־
חַ֝טֹּאתֵ֗ינוּ
לְמַ֣עַן
שְׁמֶֽךָ׃
10. לָ֤מָּה ׀
יֹאמְר֣וּ
הַגּוֹיִם֮
אַיֵּ֢ה
אֱֽלֹהֵ֫יהֶ֥ם
יִוָּדַ֣ע
בגיים
בַּגּוֹיִ֣ם
לְעֵינֵ֑ינוּ
נִ֝קְמַ֗ת
דַּֽם־
עֲבָדֶ֥יךָ
הַשָּׁפֽוּךְ׃
11. תָּ֤ב֣וֹא
לְפָנֶיךָ֮
אֶנְקַ֢ת
אָ֫סִ֥יר
כְּגֹ֥דֶל
זְרוֹעֲךָ֑
ה֝וֹתֵ֗ר
בְּנֵ֣י
תְמוּתָֽה׃
12. וְהָ֘שֵׁ֤ב
לִשְׁכֵנֵ֣ינוּ
שִׁ֭בְעָתַיִם
אֶל־
חֵיקָ֑ם
חֶרְפָּ֘תָ֤ם
אֲשֶׁ֖ר
חֵרְפ֣וּךָ
אֲדֹֽcנָי׃
13. וַאֲנַ֤חְנוּ
עַמְּךָ֨ ׀
וְצֹ֥אן
מַרְעִיתֶךָ֮
נ֤וֹדֶ֥ה
לְּךָ֗
לְע֫וֹלָ֥ם
לְדֹ֥ר
וָדֹ֑ר
נְ֝סַפֵּ֗ר
תְּהִלָּתֶֽךָ׃