Psalm 5 → 125
Reasoning: 6912 Output: 4478 Total: 11390
Argument
Here is a compact “case” that Psalm 125 can be read as the logical sequel to Psalm 5, organized by type of evidence. I give the strongest, rarer and/or verbatim links first. Direct lexical/phrase links (rarer and/or identical forms) - Identical collocation: פֹעֲלֵי אָוֶן (Ps 5:6) ~ פֹּעֲלֵי הָאָוֶן (Ps 125:5). This is the same noun phrase (with the article in 125), naming the same class of evildoers and thus tying the enemy group in Ps 5 to the judgment scene in Ps 125. - Same root ישר, picked up across parts of speech with the same semantic opposition: - Ps 5:9 הַיְשַׁר לְפָנַי דַּרְכֶּךָ (“make straight before me your way,” Hifil impv. of ישר) - Ps 125:4 וְלִישָׁרִים בְּלִבּוֹתָם (“to the upright in their hearts,” adj. from ישר) - Ps 125:5 עַקַלְקַלּוֹתָם (“their crooked ways,” rare term; explicit antonym to ישר/דרך) Together these give a tight “straight vs. crooked” path motif across the pair. - Shared lexeme צדיק: - Ps 5:13 תְּבָרֵךְ צַדִּיק - Ps 125:3, 125:3 הַצַּדִּיקִים (twice) - Purpose formula לְמַעַן appears in both: - Ps 5:9 לְמַעַן שׁוֹרְרָי - Ps 125:3 לְמַעַן לֹא־יִשְׁלְחוּ הַצַּדִּיקִים בְּעַוְלָתָה יְדֵיהֶם This supports a shared way of arguing: God’s intervention has a stated purpose in both psalms. - Temporal “forever” hook לְעוֹלָם in both endings: - Ps 5:12 לְעוֹלָם יְרַנֵּנוּ - Ps 125:1 לֹא־יִמּוֹט לְעוֹלָם יֵשֵׁב; 125:2 מֵעַתָּה וְעַד־עוֹלָם Motif and image chains (very tight and mutually interpreting) - Surrounding/protection imagery: - Ps 5:12–13 “וְתָסֵךְ עָלֵימוֹ… כַּצִּנָּה רָצוֹן תַּעְטְרֶנּוּ” (you cover them; you encircle/crown with favor as with a shield). Verbs סכך “cover” and especially עטר “encircle/crown” picture God as a protective ring. - Ps 125:2 “יְרוּשָׁלִַם הָרִים סָבִיב לָהּ; וַיהוָה סָבִיב לְעַמּוֹ” explicitly reifies that ring as concentric circles of mountains and YHWH “around” his people. Psalm 125 thus concretizes the protective encircling promised in Psalm 5. - Trust/refuge → immovable stability: - Ps 5:12 “וְיִשְׂמְחוּ כָל־חוֹסֵי בָךְ” (all who take refuge in you rejoice) – root חסה. - Ps 125:1 “הַבֹּטְחִים בַּיהוָה כְּהַר־צִיּוֹן לֹא־יִמּוֹט” (those trusting in YHWH are like Mount Zion, not moved) – root בטח. Different roots, same trust/refuge field: 125 reads as the next step, defining what the “refuge-takers” of Ps 5 look like: they become Zion-like, unshakable. - Kingship/authority field: - Ps 5:3 “מַלְכִּי וֵאלֹהָי” (my King and my God) - Ps 125:3 “לֹא יָנוּחַ שֵׁבֶט הָרֶשַׁע” (the scepter of wickedness will not rest) – “scepter” is kingship imagery. Psalm 125 develops the kingly theme of Ps 5 by asserting what kingly rule will and will not do in the land. - Path/way ethics: - Ps 5:9 “נְחֵנִי בְצִדְקָתֶךָ… הַיְשַׁר לְפָנַי דַּרְכֶּךָ” - Ps 125:5 “וְהַמַּטִּים עַקַלְקַלּוֹתָם יוֹלִיכֵם יְהוָה…” In Ps 5 the psalmist asks to be led on a straight path; in Ps 125 the LORD “leads” the crooked off with the evildoers. Same journey verb-field (lead, way), opposite destinies. - Evil’s (non-)abiding vs. the righteous’/Zion’s abiding: - Ps 5:5 “לֹא יְגֻרְךָ רָע” (evil will not dwell with you) - Ps 125:1 “לֹא יִמּוֹט… לְעוֹלָם יֵשֵׁב” (Mount Zion “will not be moved… abides forever”) The inability of evil to “settle” near God (Ps 5) is matched by the permanence of Zion and those who trust (Ps 125). Thematic/structural progression (form-critical logic) - From plea to assurance: - Psalm 5 is an individual morning lament/trust prayer (hear me, lead me, judge the deceitful). - Psalm 125 is a community wisdom/trust affirmation (those who trust are like Zion; the wicked scepter will not rest; peace on Israel). Read consecutively, 125 supplies the “answer” and communal horizon to 5’s petitions and promises. - From individual to corporate: - Ps 5: I/me (אָבוֹא בֵיתֶךָ; נְחֵנִי… לְפָנַי) - Ps 125: we/people (סָבִיב לְעַמּוֹ; שָׁלוֹם עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵל) This is a common editorial move in the Psalter: individual trust expands to communal confidence and benediction. Zion/Temple movement (life-setting and liturgical logic) - Approaching and worshiping vs. arriving and abiding: - Ps 5:8 “בְּרֹב חַסְדְּךָ אָבוֹא בֵיתֶךָ; … אֶשְׁתַּחֲוֶה אֶל־הֵיכַל קָדְשְׁךָ” – the worshiper enters and bows toward the holy temple. - Ps 125 centers on Zion/Jerusalem’s geography and permanence (Mount Zion; mountains around Jerusalem). This looks like a pilgrimage sequence: morning prayer and entry to worship (Ps 5) followed by the Song of Ascents’ Zion theology (Ps 125), with God’s encircling protection now visualized as Jerusalem’s encircling hills and YHWH around his people. Justice outcome: what Ps 5 asks, Ps 125 declares - Ps 5 petitions judgment and separation of the deceitful: “הַאֲשִׁימֵם… הַדִּיחֵמוֹ… כִּי מָרוּ בָךְ” (5:11). - Ps 125 promises it: “וְהַמַּטִּים עַקַלְקַלּוֹתָם יוֹלִיכֵם יְהוָה אֶת־פֹּעֲלֵי הָאָוֶן” (125:5). The same target group (פֹעֲלֵי אָוֶן) is now led away with the wicked—precisely the outcome prayed for in Ps 5. Semantic fields that recur (even when roots differ) - Trust/refuge (חסה vs בטח), righteousness (צדק/צדיקים), straightness/uprightness (ישר/ישרים) vs. crookedness (עקלקלות), divine encircling protection (סכך/עטר vs סביב), kingship (מלך vs שבט), and abiding/dwelling (גור/ישב). The recurrence and development of these fields make Ps 125 feel like the resolution and generalization of Ps 5. Balance of blessings - Ps 5 ends with a blessing for the righteous surrounded by favor as with a shield (תְּבָרֵךְ צַדִּיק… כַּצִּנָּה רָצוֹן תַּעְטְרֶנּוּ). - Ps 125 ends with a national benediction: שָׁלוֹם עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵל. Both close in blessing; the sequel widens the scope from the individual righteous to Israel. Why these links are strong - The identical phrase פֹעֲלֵי אָוֶן and the rare antonymic pair ישר/עקלקלות (with עקלקלות unique and emphatic) are heavy-weight hooks by your stated criteria. - The encircling/protection motif moves from abstract (shield/favor, covering, encircling) to concrete (mountains around Jerusalem, YHWH around his people), a natural narrative-theological “next step.” - The form-critical flow (individual morning plea → communal Song of Ascents assurance) fits known Israelite practice: a day or pilgrimage that begins with personal prayer and culminates in communal worship and Zion-affirmation. In sum: by shared rare phrases (פֹעֲלֵי אָוֶן), root chains (ישר/צדק), antithetical path imagery (ישר vs עקלקלות), matched motifs (encircling protection → mountains/YHWH סביב), and a form/life-setting progression (individual morning supplication to communal Zion-trust), Psalm 125 reads naturally as the theological and liturgical continuation of Psalm 5.
Evaluation
Score: 6.0
Evaluated at: 2025-11-17T03:49:48 (UTC)
Evaluator model: gpt-5
Evaluator version: v2
Reasoning: 4352 Output: 5345 Total: 9697
Checklist
- Has verse refs: Yes
- Factual error detected: No
- Only generic motifs: No
- Counterargument considered: No
- LXX/MT numbering acknowledged: No
Vocabulary specificity: 4.0 / 10
Strong links: shared phrase פֹעֲלֵי אָוֶן; path field ישר vs עַקַלְקַלּוֹת; protection “encircling” ~ סביב. Yet most motifs (צדיק, לְעוֹלָם, לְמַעַן, trust) are ubiquitous; פֹעֲלֵי אָוֶן occurs elsewhere; no editorial adjacency/marker; counterpoints unaddressed.
Prompt
Consider Psalm 5 and Psalm 125 (reproduced below). What arguments could you make to justify that Psalm 125 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 125:
Psalm 125
1. שִׁ֗יר
הַֽמַּ֫עֲל֥וֹת
הַבֹּטְחִ֥ים
בַּיהוָ֑ה
כְּֽהַר־
צִיּ֥וֹן
לֹא־
יִ֝מּ֗וֹט
לְעוֹלָ֥ם
יֵשֵֽׁב׃
2. יְֽרוּשָׁלִַ֗ם
הָרִים֮
סָבִ֢יב
לָ֥הּ
וַ֭יהוָה
סָבִ֣יב
לְעַמּ֑וֹ
מֵ֝עַתָּ֗ה
וְעַד־
עוֹלָֽם׃
3. כִּ֤י ׀t
לֹ֪א
יָנ֡tוּחַ
שֵׁ֤בֶט
הָרֶ֗שַׁע
עַל֮
גּוֹרַ֢ל
הַֽצַּדִּ֫יקִ֥ים
לְמַ֡עַן
לֹא־
יִשְׁלְח֖וּ
הַצַדִּיקִ֨ים
בְּעַוְלָ֬תָה
יְדֵיהֶֽם׃
4. הֵיטִ֣יבָה
יְ֭הוָה
לַטּוֹבִ֑ים
וְ֝לִֽישָׁרִ֗ים
בְּלִבּוֹתָֽם׃
5. וְהַמַּטִּ֤ים
עַֽקַלְקַלּוֹתָ֗ם
יוֹלִיכֵ֣ם
יְ֭הוָה
אֶת־
פֹּעֲלֵ֣י
הָאָ֑וֶן
שָׁ֝ל֗וֹם
עַל־
יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃