Psalm 6 → 73
Reasoning: 8960 Output: 5330 Total: 14290
Argument
Here is a concise case that Psalm 73 can be read as a logical sequel to Psalm 6, organized by form, lexicon, theme, and life-setting. I note exact Hebrew where it is especially probative (rarer words, identical forms/roots, same word class). 1) Form and movement of thought - From lament to insight: Psalm 6 is a first-person penitential lament during illness and threat; Psalm 73 is a first-person wisdom-confession that resolves a crisis of faith caused by the prosperity of the wicked. Read sequentially, 73 supplies the “theological understanding” that 6’s sufferer longs for: 6 prays for relief and God’s favorable regard; 73 narrates how clarity is attained “in the sanctuary” (73:17). - From nocturnal groaning to morning discipline to sanctuary resolution: - Ps 6:7 “בכל-לילה … בדמעתי” (night-long weeping). - Ps 73:14 “ותוכחתי לבקרים” (rebuke/chastening “in the mornings”). - Ps 73:17 “עד אבוא אל-מקדשי-אל” (entry to the sanctuary for understanding). This is a plausible liturgical day-cycle progression: a night-cry (Ps 6) → morning discipline and then temple insight (Ps 73). - Both conclude with confidence and public outcome: Ps 6 ends in assurance (“שמע יהוה… תפילתי יקח,” 6:9–10); Ps 73 ends with a vow of testimony (“לספר כל-מלאכותיך,” 73:28), which is precisely what Ps 6 implies is only possible if God preserves him from death (6:6). 2) Lexical and root-level links (rarer/identical forms first) - “רֶגַע” (a moment) used for the sudden reversal of the wicked: - Ps 6:11 “ישובו יבושו רגע” - Ps 73:19 “איך היו לשמה כרגע” The same noun, in closely parallel functions (the wicked’s abrupt collapse). - לקח “to take/accept”: - Ps 6:10 “יהוה תפילתי יקח” (He will “take/accept” my prayer) - Ps 73:24 “ואחר כבוד תקחני” (You will “take me” to glory) Identical root and closely related verbal forms signal the move from God’s accepting the prayer (6) to God’s taking the person into secure glory (73). - הוֹכִיחַ/תּוֹכַחַת (rebuke/reproof) from יכח: - Ps 6:2 “אל… תוֹכִיחֵנִי” (Do not rebuke me) - Ps 73:14 “ותוכחתי לבקרים” (My reproof every morning) Same root; 73 reads as the sustained experience of the “rebuke” that 6 begs to be tempered. - בהל/בלהה (panic/terror): - Ps 6:3–4, 11 “נבהלו… נבהלה… ויבהלו” - Ps 73:19 “מן-בלהות” Same root-family (בהל → בהלה/בלהות); in both, panic/terrors frame the enemy’s downfall and the sufferer’s distress. - שוב “return”: - Ps 6:5 “שובה יהוה”; 6:11 “ישובו יבושו רגע” - Ps 73:10 “לכן ישוב עמו הלום” Same root used for divine return (6:5), enemy reversal (6:11), and communal turning (73:10), binding the motion-reversal motif across both psalms. - Illness/health field: - Ps 6:3 “רפאני”; pervasive bodily distress (עצמות, נפש, עין) - Ps 73:4–5 “אין חרצבות למותם… בריא… לא ינגּעוּ”; 73:14 “ואני נגוע כל היום” Ps 73 explicitly contrasts the sufferer’s “plague” (נגע) with the wicked’s freedom from it, picking up Ps 6’s cry for רפואה. - “עין” (eye) as physiological barometer: - Ps 6:8 “עששה מכעס עיני… עתקה” (my eye is worn out/aged) - Ps 73:7 “יצא מחלב עינימו” (their eyes bulge from fatness) Uncommon, vivid “eye” idioms in both, but in inverse valence (afflicted vs. overfed). - Death/afterlife vocabulary: - Ps 6:6 “אין במות זכרך; בשאול מי יודה-לך” - Ps 73:4 “אין חרצבות למותם”; 73:17 “לאחריתם”; 73:24 “ואחר כבוד תקחני” Ps 73 answers Ps 6’s anxiety about death’s praise-silence by envisioning an “afterwards” (אחר) in God’s presence. 3) Thematic through-lines - Theodicy of the wicked vs. the righteous sufferer: - Ps 6: an afflicted righteous person opposed by enemies (“כל אויבי,” 6:11; “פועלי און,” 6:9). - Ps 73: a full-scale meditation on the prosperity of those very “workers of iniquity” (רשעים, הוללים, עושק, חמס), culminating in their sudden, God-ordained ruin “כרגע” (73:19), exactly the outcome anticipated in Ps 6:11. - Divine hearing/knowledge: - Ps 6 emphasizes hearing: “שמע יהוה קול בכיי… תפילתי יקח” (6:9–10). - Ps 73 wrestles with knowing: “איכה ידע-אל?” (73:11); resolution comes with “אבינה” (73:17). The move from God’s hearing (6) to God’s and the psalmist’s knowing (73) is a natural theological development. - Mercy/goodness as ground of hope: - Ps 6:5 “למען חסדך” - Ps 73:1, 28 “אך טוב… לי-טוב” Covenant hesed (6) is refracted as experienced “good” (73), i.e., the felt nearness of God (73:28). 4) Life-setting (Sitz im Leben) that makes 73 a plausible sequel to 6 - A typical Israelite sequence would be: 1) Nighttime lament in sickness and enemy pressure (Ps 6; note לילה, tears, pleas against rebuke and wrath). 2) Survival and renewed mornings under divine discipline (73:14), accompanied by ongoing perplexity about the wicked’s shalom (73:3–12). 3) Pilgrimage to the sanctuary, where divine perspective is granted (73:17), confirming the promised reversal against enemies “in a moment” (73:19 ~ 6:11), and culminating in public testimony (“לספר,” 73:28) that fulfills the logic of 6:6 (preserve me so I can praise). - Liturgical logic: Ps 6’s “acceptance of prayer” (יקח, 6:10) leads to a thanksgiving/wisdom rite, in which the worshiper proclaims God’s deeds (לספר, 73:28) after gaining insight in the holy place (73:17). 5) Stylistic and macro-canonical fit - Both are “מזמור” and use a dense first-person confessional voice with sharp turns to address God and to speak about the wicked; both end in confident resolution. Psalm 73, which opens Book III, reads like a wisdom expansion of Psalm 6’s lament themes—an editorially plausible “answer psalm” that shows what the sufferer learned when he went up to the sanctuary. In sum: the strongest hard links are the identical “רגע” for the enemies’ sudden end (6:11 ~ 73:19), the shared roots לקח (accept/take; 6:10 ~ 73:24), יכח (rebuke; 6:2 ~ 73:14), בהל/בלהה (panic/terrors; 6:3–4,11 ~ 73:19), and שוב (6:5,11 ~ 73:10), plus the matching illness/health and death/afterlife vocabularies. Thematically and ritually, Psalm 73 reads like the sanctuary-gained comprehension and public testimony that naturally follows Psalm 6’s night-cry for mercy, healing, and vindication.
Evaluation
Score: 6.5
Evaluated at: 2025-11-20T04:13:00 (UTC)
Evaluator model: gpt-5
Evaluator version: v2
Reasoning: 3264 Output: 6155 Total: 9419
Checklist
- Has verse refs: Yes
- Factual error detected: No
- Only generic motifs: No
- Counterargument considered: No
- LXX/MT numbering acknowledged: No
Vocabulary specificity: 4.5 / 10
Multiple precise links with refs (רגע; לקח; יכח; בהלה/בלהות; שוב) and coherent night→morning→sanctuary rationale; however most lexemes are common across Psalms; adjacency absent; counterarguments unaddressed.
Prompt
Consider Psalm 6 and Psalm 73 (reproduced below). What arguments could you make to justify that Psalm 73 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 73:
Psalm 73
1. מִזְמ֗וֹר
לְאָ֫סָ֥ף
אַ֤ךְ
ט֖וֹב
לְיִשְׂרָאֵ֥ל
אֱלֹהִ֗ים
לְבָרֵ֥י
לֵבָֽב׃
2. וַאֲנִ֗י
כִּ֭מְעַט
נטוי
נָטָ֣יוּ
רַגְלָ֑י
כְּ֝אַ֗יִן
שפכה
שֻׁפְּכ֥וּ
אֲשֻׁרָֽי׃
3. כִּֽי־
קִ֭נֵּאתִי
בַּֽהוֹלְלִ֑ים
שְׁל֖וֹם
רְשָׁעִ֣ים
אֶרְאֶֽה׃
4. כִּ֤י
אֵ֖ין
חַרְצֻבּ֥וֹת
לְמוֹתָ֗ם
וּבָרִ֥יא
אוּלָֽם׃
5. בַּעֲמַ֣ל
אֱנ֣וֹשׁ
אֵינֵ֑מוֹ
וְעִם־
אָ֝דָ֗ם
לֹ֣א
יְנֻגָּֽעוּ׃
6. לָ֭כֵן
עֲנָקַ֣תְמוֹ
גַאֲוָ֑ה
יַעֲטָף־
שִׁ֝֗ית
חָמָ֥ס
לָֽמוֹ׃
7. יָ֭צָא
מֵחֵ֣לֶב
עֵינֵ֑מוֹ
עָ֝בְר֗וּ
מַשְׂכִּיּ֥וֹת
לֵבָֽב׃
8. יָמִ֤יקוּ ׀
וִידַבְּר֣וּ
בְרָ֣ע
עֹ֑שֶׁק
מִמָּר֥וֹם
יְדַבֵּֽרוּ׃
9. שַׁתּ֣וּ
בַשָּׁמַ֣יִם
פִּיהֶ֑ם
וּ֝לְשׁוֹנָ֗ם
תִּֽהֲלַ֥ךְ
בָּאָֽרֶץ׃
10. לָכֵ֤ן ׀
ישיב
יָשׁ֣וּב
עַמּ֣וֹ
הֲלֹ֑ם
וּמֵ֥י
מָ֝לֵ֗א
יִמָּ֥צוּ
לָֽמוֹ׃
11. וְֽאָמְר֗וּ
אֵיכָ֥ה
יָדַֽע־
אֵ֑ל
וְיֵ֖שׁ
דֵּעָ֣ה
בְעֶלְיֽוֹן׃
12. הִנֵּה־
אֵ֥לֶּה
רְשָׁעִ֑ים
וְשַׁלְוֵ֥י
ע֝וֹלָ֗ם
הִשְׂגּוּ־
חָֽיִל׃
13. אַךְ־
רִ֭יק
זִכִּ֣יתִי
לְבָבִ֑י
וָאֶרְחַ֖ץ
בְּנִקָּי֣וֹן
כַּפָּֽי׃
14. וָאֱהִ֣י
נָ֭גוּעַ
כָּל־
הַיּ֑וֹם
וְ֝תוֹכַחְתִּ֗י
לַבְּקָרִֽים׃
15. אִם־
אָ֭מַרְתִּי
אֲסַפְּרָ֥ה
כְמ֑וֹ
הִנֵּ֤ה
ד֭וֹר
בָּנֶ֣יךָ
בָגָֽדְתִּי׃
16. וָֽ֭אֲחַשְּׁבָה
לָדַ֣עַת
זֹ֑את
עָמָ֖ל
היא
ה֣וּא
בְעֵינָֽי׃
17. עַד־
אָ֭בוֹא
אֶל־
מִקְדְּשֵׁי־
אֵ֑ל
אָ֝בִ֗ינָה
לְאַחֲרִיתָֽם׃
18. אַ֣ךְ
בַּ֭חֲלָקוֹת
תָּשִׁ֣ית
לָ֑מוֹ
הִ֝פַּלְתָּ֗ם
לְמַשּׁוּאֽוֹת׃
19. אֵ֤יךְ
הָי֣וּ
לְשַׁמָּ֣ה
כְרָ֑גַע
סָ֥פוּ
תַ֝֗מּוּ
מִן־
בַּלָּהֽוֹת׃
20. כַּחֲל֥וֹם
מֵהָקִ֑יץ
אֲ֝דֹנָי
בָּעִ֤יר ׀
צַלְמָ֬ם
תִּבְזֶֽה׃
21. כִּ֭י
יִתְחַמֵּ֣ץ
לְבָבִ֑י
וְ֝כִלְיוֹתַ֗י
אֶשְׁתּוֹנָֽן׃
22. וַאֲנִי־
בַ֭עַר
וְלֹ֣א
אֵדָ֑ע
בְּ֝הֵמ֗וֹת
הָיִ֥יתִי
עִמָּֽךְ׃
23. וַאֲנִ֣י
תָמִ֣יד
עִמָּ֑ךְ
אָ֝חַ֗זְתָּ
בְּיַד־
יְמִינִֽי׃
24. בַּעֲצָתְךָ֥
תַנְחֵ֑נִי
וְ֝אַחַ֗ר
כָּב֥וֹד
תִּקָּחֵֽנִי׃
25. מִי־
לִ֥י
בַשָּׁמָ֑יִם
וְ֝עִמְּךָ֗
לֹא־
חָפַ֥צְתִּי
בָאָֽרֶץ׃
26. כָּלָ֥ה
שְׁאֵרִ֗י
וּלְבָ֫בִ֥י
צוּר־
לְבָבִ֥י
וְחֶלְקִ֗י
אֱלֹהִ֥ים
לְעוֹלָֽם׃
27. כִּֽי־
הִנֵּ֣ה
רְחֵקֶ֣יךָ
יֹאבֵ֑דוּ
הִ֝צְמַ֗תָּה
כָּל־
זוֹנֶ֥ה
מִמֶּֽךָּ׃
28. וַאֲנִ֤י ׀
קִֽרֲבַ֥ת
אֱלֹהִ֗ים
לִ֫י־
ט֥וֹב
שַׁתִּ֤י ׀
בַּאדֹנָ֣י
יְהֹוִ֣ה
מַחְסִ֑י
לְ֝סַפֵּ֗ר
כָּל־
מַלְאֲכוֹתֶֽיךָ׃