Psalm 5 → 136
Reasoning: 9792 Output: 5393 Total: 15185
Argument
Here is a compact case that Psalm 136 can be read as “following on” from Psalm 5, moving from an individual morning plea in the temple precincts to a communal, antiphonal thanksgiving that rehearses God’s cosmic and historical proofs for the very claims made in Psalm 5. 1) Shared vocabulary and roots (rarer or more marked items first) - לְעוֹלָם: Ps 5:12 “לְעוֹלָם יְרַנֵּנוּ” (they will sing forever) links tightly with Ps 136’s refrain “כִּי לְעוֹלָם חַסְדּוֹ” (for his steadfast love endures forever). The “forever” of the worshipers’ song in 5 becomes the “forever” of God’s hesed in 136—the reason their song can indeed be forever. - חֶסֶד (same noun, same root): Ps 5:8 “בְּרֹב חַסְדְּךָ” (in the abundance of your hesed) is answered by Ps 136’s repeated “כִּי לְעוֹלָם חַסְדּוֹ.” Psalm 5 intensifies hesed by quantity (abundance); Psalm 136 intensifies by duration (forever). - ב—נ—ה (root בין “understand”): Ps 5:2 “בִּינָה הֲגִיגִי” (discern my meditation) vs Ps 136:5 “עֹשֵׂה הַשָּׁמַיִם בִּתְבוּנָה” (who made the heavens by understanding). The God whom the psalmist asks to “discern” is precisely the God whose creative action is characterized by “understanding.” - מלך (king): Ps 5:3 “מַלְכִּי וֵאלֹהָי” (my King and my God) vs Ps 136:17–18 “מְלָכִים גְּדֹלִים … מְלָכִים אַדִּירִים” (great/noble kings whom he struck down). The personal confession “my King” in 5 is vindicated in 136 by YHWH’s proven supremacy over human kings. - Lexemes in the enemies/deliverance field: Ps 5:9 “לְמַעַן שׁוֹרְרָי” (because of my watchful foes) and 5:11 “הַאֲשִׁימֵם … הַדִּיחֵמוֹ” are matched by Ps 136:24 “וַיִּפְרְקֵנוּ מִצָּרֵינוּ” (he freed us from our adversaries). Not the same root, but the same semantic core: hostile opponents overthrown by God. - Guidance/way imagery: Ps 5:9 “נְחֵנִי בְצִדְקָתֶךָ … הַיְשַׁר לְפָנַי דַּרְכֶּךָ” (lead me; make your way straight before me) vs Ps 136:16 “לְמוֹלִיךְ עַמּוֹ בַּמִּדְבָּר” (who led his people in the wilderness). Different roots (נחה vs הלך), but the same motif of God making and guiding a path. 2) Form and performance: from solo petition to antiphonal thanksgiving - Psalm 5’s superscription (לַמְנַצֵּחַ … מִזְמוֹר לְדָוִד) and its liturgical verbs (“אֶתְפַּלָּל,” “אָבוֹא בֵיתֶךָ,” “אֶשְׁתַּחֲוֶה”) place it in the temple-sphere as an individual’s morning prayer (vv. 3–4). - Psalm 136 is unmistakably a call-and-response liturgy (“הוֹדוּ … כִּי לְעוֹלָם חַסְדּוֹ”), classically used by Levitical choirs. Thus 136 naturally functions as the communal sequel to the individual vow in 5:8 (“אָבוֹא בֵיתֶךָ … אֶשְׁתַּחֲוֶה”), i.e., the worship the suppliant promised now unfolds as the people’s antiphonal “Hodu” thanksgiving. - The hinge between the two forms is explicit: Ps 5:12 “וְיִשְׂמְחוּ כָל־חֹסֵי בָךְ … לְעוֹלָם יְרַנֵּנוּ” (let all who take refuge in you rejoice; forever let them sing). Psalm 136 then gives them the very song they can sing “forever,” structurally powered by its refrain. 3) Theological logic: what Psalm 5 asserts, Psalm 136 demonstrates - Moral claim in Psalm 5: God rejects the wicked and blesses the righteous (5:5–7; 5:13). Historical proof in Psalm 136: God smites tyrants (Egypt, Pharaoh, Sihon, Og) and blesses his people with land, provision, and ongoing rescue (vv. 10–24). - Petition in Psalm 5: “Make your way straight before me” (5:9). Narrative fulfillment in Psalm 136: God literally makes a way—cuts the sea (לְגֹזֵר יַם־סוּף), brings Israel through it (וְהֶעֱבִיר יִשְׂרָאֵל), and leads them in the wilderness (לְמוֹלִיךְ עַמּוֹ בַּמִּדְבָּר). - Vow/expectation in Psalm 5: “בֹּקֶר תִּשְׁמַע קוֹלִי … וַאֲצַפֶּה” (in the morning you hear my voice … and I watch) becomes the cosmic ground for morning and evening praise in Psalm 136 (sun by day, moon and stars by night, vv. 7–9): the Creator who orders day and night is faithful to hear daily prayer. 4) Temple and covenant continuity - Psalm 5 culminates in temple-oriented devotion (“אָבוֹא בֵיתֶךָ … אֶל־הֵיכַל־קָדְשֶׁךָ”) “in fear” and under divine favor as a shield (5:8, 13). - Psalm 136 supplies the covenant story that the temple liturgy rehearses: creation (vv. 4–9), exodus and wilderness (vv. 10–16), conquest and inheritance (vv. 17–22), ongoing saving remembrance and provision (vv. 23–25). This is precisely the story that explains why the righteous are “blessed” and “surrounded with favor” (Ps 5:13). - Cultically, the “Hodu … כי לעולם חסדו” refrain (Ps 136:1; cf. 2 Chr 5:13; 7:3) is a classic temple acclamation. It can be heard as the communal realization of Psalm 5’s promise to worship in the house of YHWH. 5) Daylight motif and kingship enlargement - Morning posture in Psalm 5 (בֹּקֶר) meets the cosmic lights of Psalm 136 (שֶׁמֶשׁ לַיּוֹם; יָרֵחַ וְכוֹכָבִים לַלָּיְלָה), enlarging the personal morning setting to the Creator’s rule over time itself. - “My King” (Ps 5:3) becomes “Lord of lords” and the one who defeats “great kings” (Ps 136:3, 17–18). The private confession of divine kingship scales up to public, imperial-level demonstration. 6) From plea to praise: the rhetorical Ki - Psalm 5 argues its case with “כִּי” clauses (e.g., 5:5, 11, 13: reasons God should act; reasons to trust). - Psalm 136 turns the “כִּי” into a fixed refrain—each imperative “הוֹדוּ” is answered by “כִּי לְעוֹלָם חַסְדּוֹ,” converting reasons-for-help into reasons-for-praise. In short: Psalm 5 asks in the morning, “Lead me; judge the wicked; let the righteous rejoice; I will worship in your house because of your abundant hesed.” Psalm 136 is the community’s liturgical answer, sung in that house: “Give thanks to YHWH, for he is good; for his hesed endures forever,” and here are the creation-and-exodus deeds that prove he leads, judges, remembers, delivers, feeds, and therefore deserves the righteous’ everlasting song.
Evaluation
Score: 6.0
Evaluated at: 2025-11-17T04:02:51 (UTC)
Evaluator model: gpt-5
Evaluator version: v2
Reasoning: 2112 Output: 6193 Total: 8305
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
Multiple accurate, text-anchored links, but largely common motifs; no editorial markers; distant placement in Psalter. Solid but not decisive against H₀.
Prompt
Consider Psalm 5 and Psalm 136 (reproduced below). What arguments could you make to justify that Psalm 136 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 136:
Psalm 136
1. הוֹד֣וּ
לַיהוָ֣ה
כִּי־
ט֑וֹב
כִּ֖י
לְעוֹלָ֣ם
חַסְדּֽוֹ׃
2. ה֭וֹדוּ
לֵֽאלֹהֵ֣י
הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים
כִּ֖י
לְעוֹלָ֣ם
חַסְדּֽוֹ׃
3. ה֭וֹדוּ
לַאֲדֹנֵ֣י
הָאֲדֹנִ֑ים
כִּ֖י
לְעֹלָ֣ם
חַסְדּֽוֹ׃
4. לְעֹ֘שֵׂ֤ה
נִפְלָא֣וֹת
גְּדֹל֣וֹת
לְבַדּ֑וֹ
כִּ֖י
לְעוֹלָ֣ם
חַסְדּֽוֹ׃
5. לְעֹשֵׂ֣ה
הַ֭שָּׁמַיִם
בִּתְבוּנָ֑ה
כִּ֖י
לְעוֹלָ֣ם
חַסְדּֽוֹ׃
6. לְרֹקַ֣ע
הָ֭אָרֶץ
עַל־
הַמָּ֑יִם
כִּ֖י
לְעוֹלָ֣ם
חַסְדּֽוֹ׃
7. לְ֭עֹשֵׂה
אוֹרִ֣ים
גְּדֹלִ֑ים
כִּ֖י
לְעוֹלָ֣ם
חַסְדּֽוֹ׃
8. אֶת־
הַ֭שֶּׁמֶשׁ
לְמֶמְשֶׁ֣לֶת
בַּיּ֑וֹם
כִּ֖י
לְעוֹלָ֣ם
חַסְדּֽוֹ׃
9. אֶת־
הַיָּרֵ֣חַ
וְ֭כוֹכָבִים
לְמֶמְשְׁל֣וֹת
בַּלָּ֑יְלָה
כִּ֖י
לְעוֹלָ֣ם
חַסְדּֽוֹ׃
10. לְמַכֵּ֣ה
מִ֭צְרַיִם
בִּבְכוֹרֵיהֶ֑ם
כִּ֖י
לְעוֹלָ֣ם
חַסְדּֽוֹ׃
11. וַיּוֹצֵ֣א
יִ֭שְׂרָאֵל
מִתּוֹכָ֑ם
כִּ֖י
לְעוֹלָ֣ם
חַסְדּֽוֹ׃
12. בְּיָ֣ד
חֲ֭זָקָה
וּבִזְר֣וֹעַ
נְטוּיָ֑ה
כִּ֖י
לְעוֹלָ֣ם
חַסְדּֽוֹ׃
13. לְגֹזֵ֣ר
יַם־
ס֭וּף
לִגְזָרִ֑ים
כִּ֖י
לְעוֹלָ֣ם
חַסְדּֽוֹ׃
14. וְהֶעֱבִ֣יר
יִשְׂרָאֵ֣ל
בְּתוֹכ֑וֹ
כִּ֖י
לְעוֹלָ֣ם
חַסְדּֽוֹ׃
15. וְנִ֘עֵ֤ר
פַּרְעֹ֣ה
וְחֵיל֣וֹ
בְיַם־
ס֑וּף
כִּ֖י
לְעוֹלָ֣ם
חַסְדּֽוֹ׃
16. לְמוֹלִ֣יךְ
עַ֭מּוֹ
בַּמִּדְבָּ֑ר
כִּ֖י
לְעוֹלָ֣ם
חַסְדּֽוֹ׃
17. לְ֭מַכֵּה
מְלָכִ֣ים
גְּדֹלִ֑ים
כִּ֖י
לְעוֹלָ֣ם
חַסְדּֽוֹ׃
18. וַֽ֭יַּהֲרֹג
מְלָכִ֣ים
אַדִּירִ֑ים
כִּ֖י
לְעוֹלָ֣ם
חַסְדּֽוֹ׃
19. לְ֭סִיחוֹן
מֶ֣לֶךְ
הָאֱמֹרִ֑י
כִּ֖י
לְעוֹלָ֣ם
חַסְדּֽוֹ׃
20. וּ֭לְעוֹג
מֶ֣לֶךְ
הַבָּשָׁ֑ן
כִּ֖י
לְעוֹלָ֣ם
חַסְדּֽוֹ׃
21. וְנָתַ֣ן
אַרְצָ֣ם
לְנַחֲלָ֑ה
כִּ֖י
לְעוֹלָ֣ם
חַסְדּֽוֹ׃
22. נַ֭חֲלָה
לְיִשְׂרָאֵ֣ל
עַבְדּ֑וֹ
כִּ֖י
לְעוֹלָ֣ם
חַסְדּֽוֹ׃
23. שֶׁ֭בְּשִׁפְלֵנוּ
זָ֣כַר
לָ֑נוּ
כִּ֖י
לְעוֹלָ֣ם
חַסְדּֽוֹ׃
24. וַיִּפְרְקֵ֥נוּ
מִצָּרֵ֑ינוּ
כִּ֖י
לְעוֹלָ֣ם
חַסְדּֽוֹ׃
25. נֹתֵ֣ן
לֶ֭חֶם
לְכָל־
בָּשָׂ֑ר
כִּ֖י
לְעוֹלָ֣ם
חַסְדּֽוֹ׃
26. ה֭וֹדוּ
לְאֵ֣ל
הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם
כִּ֖י
לְעוֹלָ֣ם
חַסְדּֽוֹ׃