Psalm 5 → 140

Reasoning: 9408 Output: 5580 Total: 14988

Argument

Here are the strongest ways to argue that Psalm 140 is a logical sequel to Psalm 5, with attention to form, style, shared roots/lexemes, and a plausible life-setting that links the two.

Form and opening formulas
- Superscription: both open “למנצח מזמור לדוד” (Ps 5 adds “אל־הנחילות”). This is a standard Davidic, liturgical frame that allows pairing.
- Identical plea formula with the same verb and word order: “הַאֲזִינָה יְהוָה … קוֹל …”
  - Ps 5:2–3 “אֲמָרַי הַאֲזִינָה יְהוָה … הַקְשִׁיבָה לְקוֹל שַׁוְעִי”
  - Ps 140:7 “הַאֲזִינָה יְהוָה קוֹל תַּחֲנוּנָי”
  This exact pairing (imperative הַאֲזִינָה + divine name + קוֹל + a prayer noun) is distinctive and suggests deliberate echo.
- The “hear my voice” frame recurs: Ps 5:4 “בֹּקֶר תִּשְׁמַע קוֹלִי” and Ps 140:7 “קול תחנוני.”

Shared portrayal of the enemy—especially their speech
- Concentration on mouth/tongue/lips as instruments of death:
  - Ps 5:10 “קֶבֶר פָּתוּחַ גְּרוֹנָם; לְשׁוֹנָם יַחֲלִיקוּן”
  - Ps 140:4 “שָׁנֲנוּ לְשׁוֹנָם כְּמוֹ־נָחָשׁ; חֲמַת עַכְשׁוּב תַּחַת שְׂפָתֵימוֹ”; 140:10 “עֲמַל שְׂפָתֵימוֹ יְכַסֵּמוֹ”; 140:12 “אִישׁ לָשׁוֹן…”
  The exact nouns לָשׁוֹן / שְׂפָתַיִם and the rare, lethal imagery (open grave; venom under lips) strongly link the two.
- Wicked men described by similar labels:
  - Ps 5:7 “אִישׁ דָּמִים וּמִרְמָה”
  - Ps 140:2,12 “מֵאִישׁ חֲמָסִים… אִישׁ־חָמָס… אִישׁ לָשׁוֹן”
  While not identical lexemes, the collocation “אִישׁ + [violent vice]” repeats and tightens the match.

Path/footing vs. traps: a developed sequel
- Ps 5 asks for a straight way because of adversaries:
  - 5:9 “יְהוָה נְחֵנִי בְצִדְקָתֶךָ לְמַעַן שׁוֹרְרָי; הַיְשַׁר לְפָנַי דַּרְכֶּךָ”
- Ps 140 narrates the concrete obstruction of that “way”:
  - 140:5 “אֲשֶׁר חָשְׁבוּ לִדְחוֹת פְּעָמָי”
  - 140:6 “טָמְנוּ גֵאִים פַּח לִי… רֶשֶׁת לְיַד־מַעְגָּל; מוֹקְשִׁים שָׁתוּ־לִי”
  Noteworthy shared root: דחה “to push/drive away” appears in both psalms—
  - Ps 5:11 “הַדִּיחֵמוֹ” (Hiphil of דחה, “drive them out”)
  - Ps 140:5 “לִדְחוֹת פְּעָמָי” (“to push my steps”)
  This is a relatively weighty link: same root, same semantic field, used antithetically (God drives them; they try to drive me).

Protective imagery: shield/cover → helmet/cover
- Ps 5 closes with a promise of protective covering and shield:
  - 5:12 “וְתָסֵךְ עָלֵימוֹ”
  - 5:13 “כַּצִּנָּה רָצוֹן תַּעְטְרֶנּוּ”
- Ps 140 specifies that covering in a battle setting, using the same root סכך:
  - 140:8 “סַכֹּתָה לְרֹאשִׁי בְּיוֹם נָשֶׁק”
  Same root (סכך) and same protective sense, but moved from general favor-as-shield (Ps 5) to concrete, martial “helmet-like” covering (Ps 140). This is an unusually tight and meaningful lexical-sematic bridge that looks like intentional continuation.

Fall/retribution by one’s own devices
- Both want the wicked to be undone by their own counsel/words:
  - Ps 5:11 “הַאֲשִׁימֵם אֱלֹהִים; יִפְּלוּ מִמֹּעֲצוֹתֵיהֶם”
  - Ps 140:10 “רֹאשׁ מְסִבָּי עֲמַל שְׂפָתֵימוֹ יְכַסֵּמוֹ”; 140:11 “בָּאֵשׁ יַפִּלֵם…”
  Shared root: נפל in both (יִפְּלוּ / יַפִּלֵם). The move from “fall from their counsel” (5) to “their own lips cover them” and “cast down into fire/pits” (140) is a developed, intensified answer to the earlier prayer.

Righteous end-state before God
- Both end by contrasting the doom of the wicked with the secure joy/presence of the righteous:
  - Ps 5:12–13 “וְיִשְׂמְחוּ כָל־חוֹסֵי בָךְ… וְיַעְלְצוּ בְךָ אֹהֲבֵי שְׁמֶךָ… תְּבָרֵךְ צַדִּיק”
  - Ps 140:14 “אַךְ צַדִּיקִים יוֹדּוּ לִשְׁמֶךָ; יֵשְׁבוּ יְשָׁרִים אֶת־פָּנֶיךָ”
  Shared lexemes/roots: צדיק/ישר; “שמך” as the focus of praise; presence language (Ps 5:8 “אָבוֹא בֵיתֶךָ… אֶל־הֵיכַל קָדְשֶׁךָ”; Ps 140:14 “אֶת־פָּנֶיךָ”). The two psalms converge on the same eschatological/cultic goal: the righteous rejoicing before God’s presence/name.

God and the wicked cannot co-exist securely
- Ps 5:5 “לֹא אֵל חָפֵץ רֶשַׁע… לֹא יְגֻרְךָ רָע”
- Ps 140:12 “אִישׁ לָשׁוֹן בַּל־יִכּוֹן בָּאָרֶץ”
  Parallel assertions about the instability/non-establishment of evil (cannot “dwell with” God; cannot “be established” in the land). Different verbs (גור vs. כון) but same judgment logic, and the second reads like the more concrete outworking of the first.

Name/relationship formulas
- Ps 5:3 “מַלְכִּי וֵאלֹהָי… אֵלֶיךָ אֶתְפַּלָּל”
- Ps 140:7 “אָמַרְתִּי לַיהוָה: אֵלִי אָתָּה”
  The “you are my God” self-identification (אלי אתה) directly corresponds to “my King and my God.” Both then predicate hearing/answer.

Temporal/life-setting sequence that links them
- Morning liturgy → Day of battle: Ps 5 is explicit “בֹּקֶר תִּשְׁמַע קוֹלִי… אֶעֱרָךְ־לְךָ” (אערך evokes arranging a morning sacrifice), then expectation “וַאֲצַפֶּה.” Ps 140 locates the crisis “בְּיוֹם נָשֶׁק” (a rare phrase: “on a day of weaponry/battle”), with God’s protection described in martial terms (head-covering). This reads naturally as “what happened after the morning prayer.”
- The shift from general guidance (“הַיְשַׁר לְפָנַי דַּרְכֶּךָ”) to specific ambushes on the path (“רֶשֶׁת לְיַד־מַעְגָּל… לִדְחוֹת פְּעָמָי”) fits a same-day progression from petition to conflict.

Rarer/more diagnostic overlaps to highlight
- Root סכך in protective sense in both (5:12; 140:8), with the second concretizing the first into a battlefield “helmet.” This is a notable, non-generic match.
- Root דחה in both (5:11 “הַדִּיחֵמוֹ”; 140:5 “לִדְחוֹת פְּעָמָי”)—same root, same semantic field, used antithetically.
- Root נפל in judgment on the wicked in both (5:11 “יִפְּלוּ”; 140:11 “יַפִּלֵם”).
- Lexeme set around speech organs (לָשׁוֹן / שְׂפָתַיִם) with lethal metaphors in both. These images (open grave; serpent venom) are vivid and comparatively rare in combination.
- “שֵׁם” as the object of the righteous’ love/praise at the close (5:12; 140:14), together with צדיק/ישר vocabulary.

A plausible historical-mythic subtext carried across both
- The enemy’s tongue as serpent (140:4) aligns with the mythic-serpentine threat theme; Ps 5’s “open grave” throat aligns with death/Sheol imagery. Together they cast the adversaries as embodiments of chaos/death arrayed against the king/worshiper, a standard Davidic-royal lament frame.
- The move from temple-oriented morning prayer (Ps 5:8) to battlefield protection (Ps 140:8) mirrors a king’s daily rhythm in ancient Israel: seek guidance/acceptance in YHWH’s house at dawn; face enemies during the “day of arms,” trusting the earlier prayer.

In sum
- Stylistically and formally, Ps 140 picks up Ps 5’s opening plea, its focus on murderous speech, its “way/steps” imagery, its key roots (סכך; דחה; נפל), and its ending vision of the righteous before God’s presence/name.
- Thematically, Ps 140 reads like the concrete, martial fulfillment of the morning petition of Ps 5: from “make straight my way” and “cover them” to “you covered my head in the day of battle,” while the wicked fall by their own plots.
- On both lexical and life-setting grounds, it is reasonable to argue that Psalm 140 can be read as a logical continuation of Psalm 5.

Evaluation

Score: 6.5

Evaluated at: 2025-11-17T04:08:10 (UTC)

Evaluator model: gpt-5

Evaluator version: v2

Reasoning: 4352 Output: 6423 Total: 10775

Vocabulary specificity: 6.0 / 10

Strong, text-anchored links: סכך (5:12; 140:8), דחה (5:11; 140:5), נפל (5:11; 140:11), lethal tongue/lips imagery, path→traps, morning→battle. Slight overstatement on ‘identical plea.’ No counterpoints addressed; common motifs remain.

Prompt

Consider Psalm 5 and Psalm 140 (reproduced below). What arguments could you make to justify that Psalm 140 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 140:
Psalm 140
1. לַמְנַצֵּ֗חַ
        מִזְמ֥וֹר
        לְדָוִֽד׃
2. חַלְּצֵ֣נִי
        יְ֭הוָה
        מֵאָדָ֣ם
        רָ֑ע
        מֵאִ֖ישׁ
        חֲמָסִ֣ים
        תִּנְצְרֵֽנִי׃
3. אֲשֶׁ֤ר
        חָשְׁב֣וּ
        רָע֣וֹת
        בְּלֵ֑ב
        כָּל־
        י֝֗וֹם
        יָג֥וּרוּ
        מִלְחָמֽוֹת׃
4. שָֽׁנֲנ֣וּ
        לְשׁוֹנָם֮
        כְּֽמוֹ
        נָ֫חָ֥שׁ
        חֲמַ֥ת
        עַכְשׁ֑וּב
        תַּ֖חַת
        שְׂפָתֵ֣ימוֹ
        סֶֽלָה׃
5. שָׁמְרֵ֤נִי
        יְהוָ֨ה ׀
        מִ֘ידֵ֤י
        רָשָׁ֗ע
        מֵאִ֣ישׁ
        חֲמָסִ֣ים
        תִּנְצְרֵ֑נִי
        אֲשֶׁ֥ר
        חָ֝שְׁב֗וּ
        לִדְח֥וֹת
        פְּעָמָֽי׃
6. טָֽמְנֽוּ־
        גֵאִ֨ים ׀
        פַּ֡ח
        לִ֗י
        וַחֲבָלִ֗ים
        פָּ֣רְשׂוּ
        רֶ֭שֶׁת
        לְיַד־
        מַעְגָּ֑ל
        מֹקְשִׁ֖ים
        שָֽׁתוּ־
        לִ֣י
        סֶֽלָה׃
7. אָמַ֣רְתִּי
        לַ֭יהוָה
        אֵ֣לִי
        אָ֑תָּה
        הַאֲזִ֥ינָה
        יְ֝הוָ֗ה
        ק֣וֹל
        תַּחֲנוּנָֽי׃
8. יְהֹוִ֣ה
        אֲ֭דֹנָי
        עֹ֣ז
        יְשׁוּעָתִ֑י
        סַכֹּ֥תָה
        לְ֝רֹאשִׁ֗י
        בְּי֣וֹם
        נָֽשֶׁק׃
9. אַל־
        תִּתֵּ֣ן
        יְ֭הוָה
        מַאֲוַיֵּ֣י
        רָשָׁ֑ע
        זְמָמ֥וֹ
        אַל־
        תָּ֝פֵ֗ק
        יָר֥וּמוּ
        סֶֽלָה׃
10. רֹ֥אשׁ
        מְסִבָּ֑י
        עֲמַ֖ל
        שְׂפָתֵ֣ימוֹ
        יכסומו
        יְכַסֵּֽמוֹ׃
11. ימיטו
        יִמּ֥וֹטוּ
        עֲלֵיהֶ֗ם
        גֶּֽחָ֫לִ֥ים
        בָּאֵ֥שׁ
        יַפִּלֵ֑ם
        בְּ֝מַהֲמֹר֗וֹת
        בָּל־
        יָקֽוּמוּ׃
12. אִ֥ישׁ
        לָשׁוֹן֮
        בַּל־
        יִכּ֢וֹן
        בָּ֫אָ֥רֶץ
        אִישׁ־
        חָמָ֥ס
        רָ֑ע
        יְ֝צוּדֶ֗נּוּ
        לְמַדְחֵפֹֽת׃
13. ידעת
        יָדַ֗עְתִּי
        כִּֽי־
        יַעֲשֶׂ֣ה
        יְ֭הוָה
        דִּ֣ין
        עָנִ֑י
        מִ֝שְׁפַּ֗ט
        אֶבְיֹנִֽים׃
14. אַ֣ךְ
        צַ֭דִּיקִים
        יוֹד֣וּ
        לִשְׁמֶ֑ךָ
        יֵשְׁב֥וּ
        יְ֝שָׁרִ֗ים
        אֶת־
        פָּנֶֽיךָ׃