Psalm 5 → 111

Argument generated 2025-11-04T03:06:07

Argument model gpt-5

Pair ID 706

Reasoning: 10880 Output: 4830 Total: 15710

Argument

Short thesis: Psalm 5 is a morning, individual lament that culminates in a vow to worship in YHWH’s house and a confident affirmation that the righteous will be blessed. Psalm 111 is a communal hallelujah that publicly fulfills that vow: it thanks YHWH “in the assembly,” celebrates his righteous works, and teaches that the fear of YHWH is the path of wisdom. The movement from private plea to public praise is underscored by multiple, specific Hebrew links of vocabulary, roots, motifs, and liturgical setting.

How Psalm 111 can be read as following Psalm 5

Form and setting (from private morning plea to public praise)
- Private to public: Ps 5 is an individual morning prayer (“בֹּקֶר תִּשְׁמַע קוֹלִי… אֶעֱרָךְ־לְךָ וַאֲצַפֶּה,” 5:4) in which the speaker vows temple worship (“אָבוֹא בֵיתֶךָ… אֶשְׁתַּחֲוֶה… בְּיִרְאָתֶךָ,” 5:8). Ps 111 opens by performing that vow in public: “הַ֥לְלוּ־יָהּ … אוֹדֶה יְהוָה בְּכָל־לֵבָב בְּסוֹד יְשָׁרִים וְעֵדָה” (111:1).
- Lament/trust to hymn/wisdom: Ps 5 features complaint and petition against evildoers; Ps 111 is a hymn that generalizes the answer—God’s works are true and just, and the right posture is “יִרְאַת יְהוָה” (111:10).

Shared vocabulary and roots (rarer or more marked items first)
- ישר (upright/straight):
  - Ps 5: “הַיְשַׁר לְפָנַי דַּרְכֶּךָ” (5:9, Hiphil impv. of ישר).
  - Ps 111: “בְּסוֹד יְשָׁרִים” (111:1); “עֲשׂוּיִם בֶּאֱמֶת וְיָשָׁר” (111:8).
  - The prayer “make straight your way before me” yields the setting “assembly of the upright” and the description “in … uprightness.”
- ירא (fear/awe):
  - Ps 5: worship “בְּיִרְאָתֶךָ” (5:8).
  - Ps 111: “לִירֵאָיו” (111:5); “רֵאשִׁית חָכְמָה יִרְאַת יְהוָה” (111:10); plus “נוֹרָא” (111:9) is the cognate adjective from the same root.
  - The fear in which the worshiper bows (Ps 5) becomes the principle of wisdom (Ps 111).
- צדק/צדקה (righteousness):
  - Ps 5: “נְחֵנִי בְצִדְקָתֶךָ” (5:9); “תְּבָרֵךְ צַדִּיק” (5:13).
  - Ps 111: “וְצִדְקָתוֹ עֹמֶדֶת לָעַד” (111:3).
  - Petition to be led by God’s righteousness is followed by the confession that God’s righteousness endures forever.
- שם (name) + קדש (holy):
  - Ps 5: “אֹהֲבֵי שְׁמֶךָ” (5:12); worship toward “הֵיכַל־קָדְשֶׁךָ” (5:8).
  - Ps 111: “קָדוֹשׁ וְנוֹרָא שְׁמוֹ” (111:9).
  - Loving God’s name (Ps 5) issues in a doxology that proclaims that name holy and awesome (Ps 111).
- לעולם/לעד (forever):
  - Ps 5: “לְעוֹלָם יְרַנֵּנוּ” (5:12).
  - Ps 111: dense repetition—“עֹמֶדֶת לָעַד” (111:3,10); “יִזְכֹּר לְעוֹלָם בְּרִיתוֹ” (111:5); “סְמוּכִים לָעַד לְעוֹלָם” (111:8); “צִוָּה־לְעוֹלָם בְּרִיתוֹ” (111:9).
  - The “forever” joy of those who take refuge (Ps 5) is matched by God’s “forever” righteousness, covenant, and precepts (Ps 111).
- פעל/מעשה (work) in contrastive pairing:
  - Ps 5: “פֹּעֲלֵי אָוֶן” (5:6) = workers of iniquity.
  - Ps 111: “מַעֲשֵׂי יְהוָה… פָּעֳלוֹ… מַעֲשֵׂי יָדָיו” (111:2–3,7).
  - Ps 5 condemns human “works” of iniquity; Ps 111 extols YHWH’s “works,” which are “אֱמֶת וּמִשְׁפָּט” (111:7).
- חפץ (delight):
  - Ps 5: “לֹא אֵל חָפֵץ רֶשַׁע” (5:5).
  - Ps 111: “דְּרוּשִׁים לְכָל־חֶפְצֵיהֶם” (111:2).
  - God’s non-delight in wickedness (Ps 5) is answered by the proper delight of seekers in God’s works (Ps 111).

Conceptual antitheses resolved by Psalm 111
- Falsehood vs. truth:
  - Ps 5: “דֹּבְרֵי כָּזָב… מִרְמָה” (5:7,10).
  - Ps 111: “אֱמֶת וּמִשְׁפָּט… בֶּאֱמֶת וְיָשָׁר” (111:7–8).
  - What Ps 5 laments, Ps 111 answers with God’s character and works.
- The wicked will not “stand” vs. God’s righteousness “stands”:
  - Ps 5: “לֹא־יִתְיַצְּבוּ… לְנֶגֶד עֵינֶיךָ” (5:6).
  - Ps 111: “וְצִדְקָתוֹ עֹמֶדֶת לָעַד… סְמוּכִים לָעַד לְעוֹלָם” (111:3,8).
  - Different verbs, but a clear rhetorical inversion: instability of the wicked vs. the permanence of God’s righteousness and precepts.
- Rebels vs. doers:
  - Ps 5: “כִּי־מָרוּ בָךְ” (5:11).
  - Ps 111: “נֶאֱמָנִים כָּל־פִּקּוּדָיו… שֵׂכֶל טוֹב לְכָל־עֹשֵׂיהֶם” (111:7,10).
  - Those who rebel (Ps 5) are contrasted with those who do God’s precepts (Ps 111), who gain “good sense.”

Temple/assembly and covenant frame
- Temple vow to assembly praise:
  - Ps 5: “אָבוֹא בֵיתֶךָ… אֶשְׁתַּחֲוֶה אֶל־הֵיכַל־קָדְשֶׁךָ” (5:8).
  - Ps 111: “בְּסוֹד יְשָׁרִים וְעֵדָה” (111:1).
- Covenant grace:
  - Ps 5: “בְּרֹב חַסְדְּךָ” (5:8) uses covenantal hesed language.
  - Ps 111: “יִזְכֹּר לְעוֹלָם בְּרִיתוֹ… צִוָּה־לְעוֹלָם בְּרִיתוֹ” (111:5,9) makes the covenant explicit, with the classic grace formula “חַנּוּן וְרַחוּם” (111:4).

Life-cycle/liturgical logic
- Daily rhythm: Ps 5 explicitly marks “morning” prayer and expectation (5:4). Ps 111 fits the later, communal act of thanksgiving—possibly even a festal meal note (“טֶרֶף נָתַן לִירֵאָיו,” 111:5)—as the day’s public fulfillment of the morning’s vow.
- Typical lament-to-praise arc: Many psalms move from request to thanksgiving. Ps 5 ends with promised, enduring praise for those who take refuge (“לְעוֹלָם יְרַנֵּנוּ,” 5:12); Ps 111 begins with “הַלְלוּ־יָהּ” and sustains “תְּהִלָּתוֹ עֹמֶדֶת לָעַד” (111:10).

Historical-theological thread
- Ps 5 petitions deliverance from deceitful, bloodthirsty foes (5:6–11). Ps 111 universalizes the answer by recalling YHWH’s great redemptive acts (“פְּדוּת שָׁלַח לְעַמּוֹ,” 111:9), his provision (“טֶרֶף נָתַן לִירֵאָיו,” 111:5), and his gift of land (“לָתֵת… נַחֲלַת גּוֹיִם,” 111:6). The personal plea is thus absorbed into Israel’s covenant memory.

Bottom line: Psalm 111 reads naturally as the public, covenant-anchored, wisdom-infused response to Psalm 5’s private morning plea—linked by shared roots (ישר, ירא, צדק, שם/קדש, פעל/מעשה, חפץ), by the vow-fulfillment movement from temple intent to assembly thanksgiving, and by the resolution of the ethical polarities (falsehood vs truth; rebellion vs obedience; instability of the wicked vs permanence of God’s righteousness).

Evaluation

Score: 5.5

Evaluated at: 2025-11-16T04:08:20 (UTC)

Evaluator model: gpt-5

Evaluator version: v2

Reasoning: 3200 Output: 5668 Total: 8868

Checklist

Has verse refs: Yes
Factual error detected: No
Only generic motifs: No
Counterargument considered: No
LXX/MT numbering acknowledged: No

Vocabulary specificity: 3.5 / 10

Accurate, verse-anchored correspondences (ישר, ירא, צדקה, שם/קדש, פעל/מעשה; vow→assembly) and plausible private→public rationale, but vocabulary is common, no editorial markers, ignores strong 111–112 acrostic pairing and cross-book distance. Moderately persuasive.

Prompt

Consider Psalm 5 and Psalm 111 (reproduced below). What arguments could you make to justify that Psalm 111 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 111:
Psalm 111
1. הַ֥לְלוּ
        יָ֨הּ ׀
        אוֹדֶ֣ה
        יְ֭הוָה
        בְּכָל־
        לֵבָ֑ב
        בְּס֖וֹד
        יְשָׁרִ֣ים
        וְעֵדָֽה׃
2. גְּ֭דֹלִים
        מַעֲשֵׂ֣י
        יְהוָ֑ה
        דְּ֝רוּשִׁ֗ים
        לְכָל־
        חֶפְצֵיהֶֽם׃
3. הוֹד־
        וְהָדָ֥ר
        פָּֽעֳל֑וֹ
        וְ֝צִדְקָת֗וֹ
        עֹמֶ֥דֶת
        לָעַֽד׃
4. זֵ֣כֶר
        עָ֭שָׂה
        לְנִפְלְאֹתָ֑יו
        חַנּ֖וּן
        וְרַח֣וּם
        יְהוָֽה׃
5. טֶ֭רֶף
        נָתַ֣ן
        לִֽירֵאָ֑יו
        יִזְכֹּ֖ר
        לְעוֹלָ֣ם
        בְּרִיתֽוֹ׃
6. כֹּ֣חַ
        מַ֭עֲשָׂיו
        הִגִּ֣יד
        לְעַמּ֑וֹ
        לָתֵ֥ת
        לָ֝הֶ֗ם
        נַחֲלַ֥ת
        גּוֹיִֽם׃
7. מַעֲשֵׂ֣י
        יָ֭דָיו
        אֱמֶ֣ת
        וּמִשְׁפָּ֑ט
        נֶ֝אֱמָנִ֗ים
        כָּל־
        פִּקּוּדָֽיו׃
8. סְמוּכִ֣ים
        לָעַ֣ד
        לְעוֹלָ֑ם
        עֲ֝שׂוּיִ֗ם
        בֶּאֱמֶ֥ת
        וְיָשָֽׁר׃
9. פְּד֤וּת ׀
        שָׁ֘לַ֤ח
        לְעַמּ֗וֹ
        צִוָּֽה־
        לְעוֹלָ֥ם
        בְּרִית֑וֹ
        קָד֖וֹשׁ
        וְנוֹרָ֣א
        שְׁמֽוֹ׃
10. רֵ֘אשִׁ֤ית
        חָכְמָ֨ה ׀
        יִרְאַ֬ת
        יְהוָ֗ה
        שֵׂ֣כֶל
        ט֭וֹב
        לְכָל־
        עֹשֵׂיהֶ֑ם
        תְּ֝הִלָּת֗וֹ
        עֹמֶ֥דֶת
        לָעַֽד׃