Psalm 6 → 71
Reasoning: 11712 Output: 5648 Total: 17360
Argument
Short answer: Psalm 71 reads like the lived-out sequel to Psalm 6. In Psalm 6 the speaker is in a night of sickness and terror, bargaining for life so he can praise; Psalm 71 is that same voice decades later—now old—still beset by enemies, but doing precisely the praising and public thanksgiving he vowed, and asking again for rescue with many of the same words and formulas. Arguments, grouped by strength A. Same forms/roots and tightly corresponding phrases - הוֹשִׁיעֵנִי “save me” (identical 1cs object): - Ps 6:5 הוֹשִׁיעֵנִי - Ps 71:2 וְהוֹשִׁיעֵנִי - יֵבֹשׁוּ “let them be ashamed” (identical form) in enemy-imprecation: - Ps 6:11 יֵבֹשׁוּ … כָּל־אֹיְבָי - Ps 71:13 יֵבֹשׁוּ יִכְלוּ … (and 71:24 בֹּשׁוּ … חָפְרוּ) - שׁוּב “turn/turn back” (same root, characteristic of reversal): - Ps 6:5 שׁוּבָה יְהוָה; 6:11 יָשֻׁבוּ - Ps 71:20 תָּשׁוּב תְּחַיֵּינִי … תָּשׁוּב תַּעֲלֵנִי - זכר/אזכיר (same root, same speech-act field): - Ps 6:6 אֵין בַּמָּוֶת זִכְרֶךָ - Ps 71:16 אַזְכִּיר צִדְקָתְךָ - ידה “to thank/praise” (same root, same speech act, now realized): - Ps 6:6 בִשְׁאוֹל מִי יוֹדֶה לָּךְ - Ps 71:22–23 אוֹדְךָ … אֲזַמְּרָה לָּךְ - אוֹיֵב/צָר (same enemy field): - Ps 6:8–11 צוֹרְרַי; 6:11 אֹיְבָי - Ps 71:10–11 אֹיְבַי; 13 שֹׂטְנֵי נַפְשִׁי; 20 צָרוֹת - Hearing/attending verbs: - Ps 6:9–10 שָׁמַע יְהוָה … תְּחִנָּתִי … תְּפִלָּתִי - Ps 71:2 הַטֵּה אֵלַי אָזְנֶךָ (functional equivalent) - Night vs. day formula (an intentional inversion that looks like fulfillment): - Ps 6:7 “בְּכָל־לַיְלָה” I soak my bed with tears - Ps 71:8, 15, 24 “כָּל־הַיּוֹם” my mouth is full of your praise all day - Stringed-instrument frame: - Ps 6 superscription: בִּנְגִינוֹת … עַל־הַשְּׁמִינִית (stringed performance direction) - Ps 71:22 “בִכְלִי־נֶבֶל … בְּכִנּוֹר” (stringed vow/thanksgiving) B. Same form and life-setting (individual lament → vow → praise), with Psalm 71 expanding what Psalm 6 anticipates - Form-critical profile: - Both are Individual Laments with urgent petitions, an enemy section, and a turn to confidence/praise. Psalm 71’s long praise/vow unit (vv. 14–24) is precisely the part Psalm 6 anticipates with “who will praise you if I die?” (6:6). In other words, Psalm 71 reads as the fulfillment of Psalm 6’s bargaining: preserved alive, the psalmist now praises “all day,” with instruments. - Death/underworld imagery, now answered by revival/rescue: - Ps 6:6 Sheol (שְׁאוֹל) as the looming end where praise ceases. - Ps 71:20 “מִתְּהֹמוֹת הָאָרֶץ” (the depths of the earth, a mythic underworld/watery abyss term) plus “תְּחַיֵּינִי” and “תַּעֲלֵנִי” (revive/bring up). The later psalm elaborates the same peril with richer mythology and states the deliverance Psalm 6 begged for. C. A plausible life-sequence that links them - From “grown old from grief” to literal old age: - Ps 6:8 “עָתְקָה” (“has grown old”) of the eye from grief—a rare verb hinting at premature aging under stress. - Ps 71:9, 18 “לְעֵת זִקְנָה … עַד־זִקְנָה וְשֵׂיבָה” (explicit old age). The early crisis of Psalm 6 ripens into the seasoned voice of Psalm 71. - The standard Israelite vow pattern: - Crisis prayer with vow/argument (“if you keep me from Sheol I will praise you”), followed by a public thanksgiving with music (todah). Psalm 6 gives the crisis and vow; Psalm 71 is the public fulfillment (“אוֹדְךָ … בִכְלִי־נֶבֶל … בְּכִנּוֹר”) while also pleading afresh amid new threats typical of late life (71:9–11). D. Additional stylistic/conceptual links - Urgency formulas: - Ps 6:4 “וְאַתָּה יְהוָה עַד־מָתָי” and “שׁוּבָה” - Ps 71:12 “אֱלֹהִים אַל־תִּרְחַק … לְעֶזְרָתִי חוּשָׁה” (do not be far; hasten)—different words, same urgent posture. - Rhetorical question matched by rhetorical doxology: - Ps 6:6 “בִשְׁאוֹל מִי יוֹדֶה־לָּךְ?” - Ps 71:19 “אֱלֹהִים מִי כָמוֹךָ?”—the later psalm answers crisis with Who-is-like-you praise. - Enemy-shame closure: - Ps 6 ends with enemy shame and retreat (6:11). - Ps 71 twice calls for enemy shame, intensifying the lexicon (בֹּשׁוּ, חָפְרוּ, חֶרְפָּה, כְּלִמָּה; 71:13, 24). Why this amounts to “logical” sequence - Psalm 6’s core logic is: Spare me (now), so that I may live to praise you (since the dead cannot). Psalm 71’s core logic is: You have been my refuge from youth to old age; keep doing what you have done—revive me from the depths—so that I may go on publicly praising you all day and with instruments. The second thus enacts and extends the first. - The identical forms (הוֹשִׁיעֵנִי; יֵבֹשׁוּ), tightly paired roots (שׁוּב; זכר/אזכיר; ידה), the night/day contrast (בְּכָל־לַיְלָה → כָּל־הַיּוֹם), and the shared stringed-music frame together exceed generic lament overlap and create an intentional echo-chamber. - In an ancient Israelite cultic setting, the two psalms fit a well-known sequence: lament in illness with a vow (Ps 6) → public thanksgiving with musical performance and testimony across one’s life (Ps 71), with renewed petition as age brings new vulnerability. In sum: read sequentially, Psalm 71 is the mature, public, instrument-accompanied thanksgiving and renewed plea of the same voice that, in Psalm 6, lay on a tear-soaked bed bargaining for life so that he could praise. The lexical echoes (especially הושיעני; יבשו; שוב; זכר/אזכיר; ידה), the night-to-day shift, and the cultic-musical and life-course frames make that reading coherent.
Evaluation
Score: 6.0
Evaluated at: 2025-11-20T04:11:13 (UTC)
Evaluator model: gpt-5
Evaluator version: v2
Reasoning: 2944 Output: 6478 Total: 9422
Checklist
- Has verse refs: Yes
- Factual error detected: No
- Only generic motifs: No
- Counterargument considered: No
- LXX/MT numbering acknowledged: No
Vocabulary specificity: 3.0 / 10
Many exact overlaps (הושיעני; יֵבֹשׁוּ; שׁוּב), night→day, Sheol vs revival, instrument praise. Yet these are common lament tropes; no editorial markers; ignores stronger parallels to Ps 31/35. Solid but not decisive.
Prompt
Consider Psalm 6 and Psalm 71 (reproduced below). What arguments could you make to justify that Psalm 71 logically follows on from Psalm 6? 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 6:
Psalm 6
1. לַמְנַצֵּ֣חַ
בִּ֭נְגִינוֹת
עַֽל־
הַשְּׁמִינִ֗ית
מִזְמ֥וֹר
לְדָוִֽד׃
2. יְֽהוָ֗ה
אַל־
בְּאַפְּךָ֥
תוֹכִיחֵ֑נִי
וְֽאַל־
בַּחֲמָתְךָ֥
תְיַסְּרֵֽנִי׃
3. חָנֵּ֥נִי
יְהוָה֮
כִּ֤י
אֻמְלַ֫ל
אָ֥נִי
רְפָאֵ֥נִי
יְהוָ֑ה
כִּ֖י
נִבְהֲל֣וּ
עֲצָֽtמָי׃
4. וְ֭נַפְשִׁי
נִבְהֲלָ֣ה
מְאֹ֑ד
ואת
וְאַתָּ֥ה
יְ֝הוָ֗ה
עַד־
מָתָֽי׃
5. שׁוּבָ֣ה
יְ֭הוָה
חַלְּצָ֣ה
נַפְשִׁ֑י
ה֝וֹשִׁיעֵ֗נִי
לְמַ֣עַן
חַסְדֶּֽךָ׃
6. כִּ֤י
אֵ֣ין
בַּמָּ֣וֶת
זִכְרֶ֑ךָ
בִּ֝שְׁא֗וֹל
מִ֣י
יֽוֹדֶה־
לָּֽךְ׃
7. יָגַ֤עְתִּי ׀
בְּֽאַנְחָתִ֗י
אַשְׂחֶ֣ה
בְכָל־
לַ֭יְלָה
מִטָּתִ֑י
בְּ֝דִמְעָתִ֗י
עַרְשִׂ֥י
אַמְסֶֽה׃
8. עָֽשְׁשָׁ֣ה
מִכַּ֣עַס
עֵינִ֑י
עָֽ֝תְקָ֗ה
בְּכָל־
צוֹרְרָֽי׃
9. ס֣וּרוּ
מִ֭מֶּנִּי
כָּל־
פֹּ֣עֲלֵי
אָ֑וֶן
כִּֽי־
שָׁמַ֥ע
יְ֝הוָ֗ה
ק֣וֹל
בִּכְיִֽי׃
10. שָׁמַ֣ע
יְ֭הוָה
תְּחִנָּתִ֑י
יְ֝הוָ֗ה
תְּֽפִלָּתִ֥י
יִקָּֽח׃
11. יֵבֹ֤שׁוּ ׀
וְיִבָּהֲל֣וּ
מְ֭אֹד
כָּל־
אֹיְבָ֑י
יָ֝שֻׁ֗בוּ
יֵבֹ֥שׁוּ
רָֽגַע׃
Psalm 71:
Psalm 71
1. בְּךָֽ־
יְהוָ֥ה
חָסִ֑יתִי
אַל־
אֵב֥וֹשָׁה
לְעוֹלָֽם׃
2. בְּצִדְקָתְךָ֗
תַּצִּילֵ֥נִי
וּֽתְפַלְּטֵ֑נִי
הַטֵּֽה־
אֵלַ֥י
אָ֝זְנְךָ֗
וְהוֹשִׁיעֵֽנִי׃
3. הֱיֵ֤ה
לִ֨י ׀
לְצ֥וּר
מָע֡וֹן
לָב֗וֹא
תָּמִ֗יד
צִוִּ֥יתָ
לְהוֹשִׁיעֵ֑נִי
כִּֽי־
סַלְעִ֖י
וּמְצוּדָתִ֣י
אָֽתָּה׃
4. אֱֽלֹהַ֗י
פַּ֭לְּטֵנִי
מִיַּ֣ד
רָשָׁ֑ע
מִכַּ֖ף
מְעַוֵּ֣ל
וְחוֹמֵץ׃
5. כִּֽי־
אַתָּ֥ה
תִקְוָתִ֑י
אֲדֹנָ֥י
יְ֝הוִ֗ה
מִבְטַחִ֥י
מִנְּעוּרָֽי׃
6. עָלֶ֤יךָ ׀
נִסְמַ֬כְתִּי
מִבֶּ֗טֶן
מִמְּעֵ֣י
אִ֭מִּי
אַתָּ֣ה
גוֹזִ֑י
בְּךָ֖
תְהִלָּתִ֣י
תָמִֽיד׃
7. כְּ֭מוֹפֵת
הָיִ֣יתִי
לְרַבִּ֑ים
וְ֝אַתָּ֗ה
מַֽחֲסִי־
עֹֽז׃
8. יִמָּ֣לֵא
פִ֭י
תְּהִלָּתֶ֑ךָ
כָּל־
הַ֝יּ֗וֹם
תִּפְאַרְתֶּֽךָ׃
9. אַֽל־
תַּ֭שְׁלִיכֵנִי
לְעֵ֣ת
זִקְנָ֑ה
כִּכְל֥וֹת
כֹּ֝חִ֗י
אַֽל־
תַּעַזְבֵֽנִי׃
10. כִּֽי־
אָמְר֣וּ
אוֹיְבַ֣י
לִ֑י
וְשֹׁמְרֵ֥י
נַ֝פְשִׁ֗י
נוֹעֲצ֥וּ
יַחְדָּֽו׃
11. לֵ֭אמֹר
אֱלֹהִ֣ים
עֲזָב֑וֹ
רִֽדְפ֥וּ
וְ֝תִפְשֻׂ֗וּהוּ
כִּי־
אֵ֥ין
מַצִּֽיל׃
12. אֱ֭לֹהִים
אַל־
תִּרְחַ֣ק
מִמֶּ֑נִּי
אֱ֝לֹהַ֗י
לְעֶזְרָ֥תִי
חישה
חֽוּשָׁה׃
13. יֵבֹ֣שׁוּ
יִכְלוּ֮
שֹׂטְנֵ֢י
נַ֫פְשִׁ֥י
יַֽעֲט֣וּ
חֶ֭רְפָּה
וּכְלִמָּ֑ה
מְ֝בַקְשֵׁ֗י
רָעָתִֽי׃
14. וַ֭אֲנִי
תָּמִ֣יד
אֲיַחֵ֑ל
וְ֝הוֹסַפְתִּ֗י
עַל־
כָּל־
תְּהִלָּתֶֽךָ׃
15. פִּ֤י ׀
יְסַפֵּ֬ר
צִדְקָתֶ֗ךָ
כָּל־
הַיּ֥וֹם
תְּשׁוּעָתֶ֑ךָ
כִּ֤י
לֹ֖א
יָדַ֣עְתִּי
סְפֹרֽוֹת׃
16. אָב֗וֹא
בִּ֭גְבֻרוֹת
אֲדֹנָ֣י
יְהִ֑cוה
אַזְכִּ֖יר
צִדְקָתְךָ֣
לְבַדֶּֽךָ׃
17. אֱֽלֹהִ֗ים
לִמַּדְתַּ֥נִי
מִנְּעוּרָ֑י
וְעַד־
הֵ֝֗נָּה
אַגִּ֥יד
נִפְלְאוֹתֶֽיךָ׃
18. וְגַ֤ם
עַד־
זִקְנָ֨ה ׀
וְשֵׂיבָה֮
אֱלֹהִ֢ים
אַֽל־
תַּעַ֫זְבֵ֥נִי
עַד־
אַגִּ֣יד
זְרוֹעֲךָ֣
לְד֑וֹר
לְכָל־
יָ֝ב֗וֹא
גְּבוּרָתֶֽךָ׃
19. וְצִדְקָתְךָ֥
אֱלֹהִ֗ים
עַד־
מָ֫ר֥וֹם
אֲשֶׁר־
עָשִׂ֥יתָ
גְדֹל֑וֹת
אֱ֝לֹהִ֗ים
מִ֣י
כָמֽוֹךָ׃
20. אֲשֶׁ֤ר
הראיתנו
הִרְאִיתַ֨נִי ׀
צָר֥וֹת
רַבּ֗וֹת
וְרָ֫ע֥וֹת
תָּשׁ֥וּב
תחיינו
תְּחַיֵּ֑ינִי
וּֽמִתְּהֹמ֥וֹת
הָ֝אָ֗רֶץ
תָּשׁ֥וּב
תַּעֲלֵֽנִי׃
21. תֶּ֤רֶב ׀
גְּֽדֻלָּתִ֗י
וְתִסֹּ֥ב
תְּֽנַחֲמֵֽנִי׃
22. גַּם־
אֲנִ֤י ׀
אוֹדְךָ֣
בִכְלִי־
נֶבֶל֮
אֲמִתְּךָ֢
אֱלֹ֫הָ֥י
אֲזַמְּרָ֣ה
לְךָ֣
בְכִנּ֑וֹר
קְ֝ד֗וֹשׁ
יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
23. תְּרַנֵּ֣נָּ֣ה
שְׂ֭פָתַי
כִּ֣י
אֲזַמְּרָה־
לָּ֑ךְ
וְ֝נַפְשִׁ֗י
אֲשֶׁ֣ר
פָּדִֽיתָ׃
24. גַּם־
לְשׁוֹנִ֗י
כָּל־
הַ֭יּוֹם
תֶּהְגֶּ֣ה
צִדְקָתֶ֑ךָ
כִּי־
בֹ֥שׁוּ
כִֽי־
חָ֝פְר֗וּ
מְבַקְשֵׁ֥י
רָעָתִֽי׃