Psalm 6 → 85
Reasoning: 9472 Output: 4479 Total: 13951
Argument
Short thesis: Psalm 85 can be read as the communal, priestly answer to the individual lament of Psalm 6. Psalm 6 pleads for God to turn from anger, save on the basis of his hesed, and hear the prayer; Psalm 85 declares that God has turned his anger, restored his people, and now speaks shalom. The link is tightened by repeated roots, several identical forms, shared motifs (turning, anger, salvation, life-from-death), and a recognizable lament→oracle→restoration sequence. Most decisive “hinge” between the two - Root שמע “hear/speak” - Ps 6:9–10: שָׁמַע יְהוָה קוֹל בִּכְיִי … שָׁמַע יְהוָה תְּחִנָּתִי; יְהוָה תְּפִלָּתִי יִקָּח - Ps 85:9: אֶשְׁמְעָה מַה־יְדַבֵּר הָאֵל יְהוָה - Force: same root, tight rhetorical sequence—“He has heard me” (6) → “I will now hear what He speaks” (85). The shift from God hearing the petitioner to the petitioner hearing God’s oracle is a classic lament-to-oracle progression. Clusters of shared vocabulary/roots (rarer/more exact forms noted) - שוב “turn/restore/return” - Ps 6:5: שׁוּבָה יְהוָה (imperative to God to “turn/return”); 6:11: יָשֻׁבוּ (enemies “turn back”) - Ps 85:2: שַׁבְתָּ … שְׁבִית (restored the fortunes); 85:4: הֱשִׁיבוֹתָ מֵחֲרוֹן אַפֶּךָ; 85:5: שׁ֭וּבֵנוּ; 85:7: תָּשׁוּב תְּחַיֵּנוּ - Force: extremely dense and programmatic in Ps 85; it picks up Ps 6’s single imperative שׁוּבָה and expands it into full-scale national restoration. - חסד “steadfast love” (identical form counts heavily) - Ps 6:5: הוֹשִׁיעֵנִי לְמַעַן חַסְדֶּךָ - Ps 85:8: הַרְאֵנוּ יְהוָה חַסְדֶּךָ; 85:11: חֶסֶד־וֶאֱמֶת נִפְגָּשׁוּ - Force: identical form חַסְדֶּךָ in both; Ps 85 develops the covenantal theology hinted in Ps 6 (“for the sake of your hesed”) into a vision where Hesed meets Truth. - ישע “save/salvation” (one of the strongest semantic bridges) - Ps 6:5: הוֹשִׁיעֵנִי - Ps 85:5: אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׁעֵנוּ; 85:8: וְיֶשְׁעֲךָ תִּתֶּן־לָנוּ; 85:10: קָרוֹב לִירֵאָיו יִשְׁעוֹ - Force: Ps 6 petitions; Ps 85 names God as “our salvation” and promises to “give” salvation—answering the earlier plea. - Divine anger lexicon (anger turned off) - Ps 6:2: אַל־בְּאַפְּךָ תּוֹכִיחֵנִי … וְאַל־בַּחֲמָתְךָ תְיַסְּרֵנִי - Ps 85:4: אָסַפְתָּ כָל־עֶבְרָתֶךָ; הֱשִׁיבוֹתָ מֵחֲרוֹן אַפֶּךָ; 85:5–6: שׁ֭וּבֵנוּ … הָפֵר כַּעַסְךָ … הֲלֹא־אַתָּה תֶּאֱנַף־בָּנוּ? - Force: identical lexeme אַף “anger” across both; Ps 85 explicitly states the turning-away (השיבות) that Ps 6 begs for. - Life vs. death; capacity to praise - Ps 6:3–6: “Heal me … my bones are terrified … deliver my nephesh … for in death there is no remembrance of you; in Sheol who will praise you?” - Ps 85:7: “תְּחַיֵּנוּ” (revive us) → 85:7b “וְעַמְּךָ יִשְׂמְחוּ בָךְ”; 85:10 “לִשְׁכֹּן כָּבוֹד בְּאַרְצֵנוּ” - Force: Ps 85 supplies exactly what Ps 6 argues for: life restored so that praise and God’s kavod can dwell among the living. - Ethical boundary-setting - Ps 6:9: סוּרוּ מִמֶּנִּי כָּל־פֹּעֲלֵי אָוֶן - Ps 85:9: וְאַל־יָשׁוּבוּ לְכִסְלָה (to “his faithful ones”) - Force: both textually “clear the space” around the suppliant/community by excluding wrongdoing—Ps 6 expels evildoers; Ps 85 warns the faithful not to “return” (שוב again) to folly. Shared formulas and stylistic/formal resemblances - Superscriptional frame: both begin לַמְנַצֵּחַ … מִזְמוֹר (musical/temple performance setting). - Lament rhetoric with temporal question: - Ps 6:4: וְאַתָּה יְהוָה עַד־מָתָי - Ps 85:6: הֲלֹעֹלָם תֶּאֱנַף־בָּנוּ - Force: classic “how long/forever?” pairing that invites a sequel in which the question is answered by an oracle. - Volitional 1cs with paragogic he: - Ps 6:7: אַשְׂחֶה (I will drench my bed with tears) - Ps 85:9: אֶשְׁמְעָה (I will hear what God speaks) - Force: stylistic echo at each psalm’s turning point—from the speaker’s weeping to the speaker’s listening. - Form-critical arc: - Ps 6 = individual lament → assurance “YHWH has heard” - Ps 85 = communal lament + salvation oracle (“he will speak peace,” vv. 9–14), ending in restoration imagery (land yields produce). - In Israelite liturgy, an individual lament regularly transitions to a communal affirmation and priestly oracle; Ps 85 reads like that next liturgical step. Narrative/theological continuity (how the story “moves forward”) - Ps 6 requests: “Turn, heal, save me for your hesed; stop your wrath; if I die I cannot praise you; you have heard my prayer.” - Ps 85 responds: “You turned back your wrath; restore us again; revive us so your people may rejoice; show us your hesed; give us your salvation; God is now speaking shalom; covenant virtues (חֶסֶד/אֱמֶת/צֶדֶק/שָׁלוֹם) reunite; the land yields again.” - Life setting: Ps 6 fits a crisis of illness and divine discipline; Ps 85 fits a communal restoration after wrath (exile/drought/defeat). In temple practice, an individual’s answered prayer often leads to public thanksgiving and a priestly oracle of peace—precisely the shift from Ps 6 to Ps 85. Weighting notes (per your criteria) - High-weight identical form: חַסְדֶּךָ occurs in both (6:5; 85:8). - High-weight root clusters with multiple occurrences: שוב (imperative, perfect, Hiphil), ישע (verb and nouns), שמע (perfect 3ms → cohortative 1cs), אַף/חֵמָה/חֲרוֹן (anger lexeme field). - Rare/marked features: salvation-oracle form in 85; the dense covenant virtue tetrad (חסד–אמת–צדק–שלום) as the theological fulfillment of the “for your hesed” plea in 6. Bottom line Read as a diptych, Psalm 6’s plea “Turn, save me, for your hesed—You have heard me” is answered by Psalm 85’s communal oracle “You have turned, now restore and revive us—We will hear God speak shalom.” The lexical hooks (שמע, שוב, חסד, ישע, אף/חמה), the identical form חַסְדֶּךָ, the shared lament formulas, and the life-from-death/praise logic together make a strong case that Psalm 85 plausibly follows on from Psalm 6.
Evaluation
Score: 2.0
Evaluated at: 2025-11-20T04:27:19 (UTC)
Evaluator model: gpt-5
Evaluator version: v2
Reasoning: 4288 Output: 5310 Total: 9598
Checklist
- Has verse refs: Yes
- Factual error detected: Yes
- Only generic motifs: No
- Counterargument considered: No
- LXX/MT numbering acknowledged: No
Vocabulary specificity: 3.0 / 10
Flags: structural_claim_error
Multiple correct lexical ties (שמע, שוב, חסדך, ישע; anger) and progression, but misidentifies אשחה (Ps 6:7) as paragogic cohortative—root he, not paragogic. Any factual error → max 2; vocabulary common.
Prompt
Consider Psalm 6 and Psalm 85 (reproduced below). What arguments could you make to justify that Psalm 85 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 85:
Psalm 85
1. לַמְנַצֵּ֬חַ ׀
לִבְנֵי־
קֹ֬רַח
מִזְמֽוֹר׃
2. רָצִ֣יתָ
יְהוָ֣ה
אַרְצֶ֑ךָ
שַׁ֝֗בְתָּ
שבות
שְׁבִ֣ית
יַעֲקֹֽב׃
3. נָ֭שָׂאתָ
עֲוֺ֣ן
עַמֶּ֑ךָ
כִּסִּ֖יתָ
כָל־
חַטָּאתָ֣ם
סֶֽלָה׃
4. אָסַ֥פְתָּ
כָל־
עֶבְרָתֶ֑ךָ
הֱ֝שִׁיב֗וֹתָ
מֵחֲר֥וֹן
אַפֶּֽךָ׃
5. שׁ֭וּבֵנוּ
אֱלֹהֵ֣י
יִשְׁעֵ֑נוּ
וְהָפֵ֖ר
כַּֽעַסְךָ֣
עִמָּֽנוּ׃
6. הַלְעוֹלָ֥ם
תֶּֽאֱנַף־
בָּ֑נוּ
תִּמְשֹׁ֥ךְ
אַ֝פְּךָ֗
לְדֹ֣ר
וָדֹֽר׃
7. הֲֽלֹא־
אַ֭תָּה
תָּשׁ֣וּב
תְּחַיֵּ֑נוּ
וְ֝עַמְּךָ֗
יִשְׂמְחוּ־
בָֽךְ׃
8. הַרְאֵ֣נוּ
יְהוָ֣ה
חַסְדֶּ֑ךָ
וְ֝יֶשְׁעֲךָ֗
תִּתֶּן־
לָֽנוּ׃
9. אֶשְׁמְעָ֗ה
מַה־
יְדַבֵּר֮
הָאֵ֢ל ׀
יְה֫וָ֥ה
כִּ֤י ׀
יְדַבֵּ֬ר
שָׁל֗וֹם
אֶל־
עַמּ֥וֹ
וְאֶל־
חֲסִידָ֑יו
וְֽאַל־
יָשׁ֥וּבוּ
לְכִסְלָֽה׃
10. אַ֤ךְ ׀
קָר֣וֹב
לִירֵאָ֣יו
יִשְׁע֑וֹ
לִשְׁכֹּ֖ן
כָּב֣וֹד
בְּאַרְצֵֽנוּ׃
11. חֶֽסֶד־
וֶאֱמֶ֥ת
נִפְגָּ֑שׁוּ
צֶ֖דֶק
וְשָׁל֣וֹם
נָשָֽׁקוּ׃
12. אֱ֭מֶת
מֵאֶ֣רֶץ
תִּצְמָ֑ח
וְ֝צֶ֗דֶק
מִשָּׁמַ֥יִם
נִשְׁקָֽף׃
13. גַּם־
יְ֭הוָה
יִתֵּ֣ן
הַטּ֑וֹב
וְ֝אַרְצֵ֗נוּ
תִּתֵּ֥ן
יְבוּלָֽהּ׃
14. צֶ֭דֶק
לְפָנָ֣יו
יְהַלֵּ֑ךְ
וְיָשֵׂ֖ם
לְדֶ֣רֶךְ
פְּעָמָֽיו׃