Psalm 6 → 86
Reasoning: 7936 Output: 4555 Total: 12491
Argument
Short answer: Psalm 86 reads like the sequel to Psalm 6. The night of tears and near‑death distress in Psalm 6 is followed in Psalm 86 by a day of confident prayer, teaching, thanksgiving, and public vindication, using many of the same words and motifs but “resolved” into trust. Below are arguments from form, vocabulary, motifs, and Israelite life that support this. Form/storyline: a plausible sequence - Psalm 6 (individual lament, penitential hue): bodily and mental collapse under divine anger, fear of death/Sheol, weeping at night, enemies circling; plea for rescue “for your hesed.” Turning point: “YHWH has heard my prayer; my enemies will be ashamed” (6:9–11). - Psalm 86 (individual “tefillah” that blends lament, trust, and praise): the same sufferer now prays all day with confidence that God answers, asks to be taught God’s way, vows thanks, says he has been saved from Sheol, and asks for a visible sign so enemies will be ashamed (86:12–13, 17). This reads like the aftermath and maturation promised at the end of Psalm 6. High‑significance lexical/phrase links (rarer words, identical forms, same word class) - Sheol: 6:6 “in Sheol, who will give you thanks?” vs 86:13 “you have rescued my soul from Sheol below.” Same rare noun, and in 86 the perfect “you have rescued” answers 6’s near‑death crisis. - Thanking God (root ידה, same word class): 6:6 “who will yodeh (give thanks) to you [in Sheol]?” vs 86:12 “’odeka (I will give thanks to you) with all my heart.” 86 explicitly fulfills what 6 feared would be impossible. - “They will be ashamed” (יבֹשוּ, same form): 6:11 “let all my enemies be ashamed” vs 86:17 “let my haters see and be ashamed.” Same verb and adversary motif; in 86 it is requested as a sign; in 6 it was confidently foretold. - “Tefillah”: 6:10 “YHWH… will receive my prayer (tefillati)” is followed by a psalm titled “A prayer (tefillah) of David” (86:1), and 86:6 repeats “hear my prayer.” The closing claim of 6 leads straight into a psalm framed as that very “prayer.” - “Be gracious to me” (חָנֵּנִי, same imperative + 1cs): 6:3 “channeni, YHWH” matched by 86:3, 16 “channeni, Adonai … turn to me and be gracious.” Identical plea. Other strong vocabulary/motif links (same roots/semantic fields) - “Save/deliver” addressed to the “soul” (נפש): 6:5 “deliver (chaltzah) my soul; save me (hoshi‘eni)” vs 86:2, 16 “save your servant … and save” and repeated “my soul” (vv. 2, 4, 13, 14). Same salvation vocabulary centered on the nefesh. - Hearing prayer: 6:9–10 “YHWH has heard… my supplication/prayer” parallels 86:1, 6–7 “incline your ear… attend to the voice of my supplications… for you will answer me.” Same prayer/hearing lexemes (“tefillah, tachanun, qol, shama’/ha’azin/hakshiv”). - Hesed as the ground for rescue: 6:5 “save me for the sake of your hesed” answered by 86:5, 13, 15 (“abundant hesed… your hesed is great over me… abounding in hesed and truth”). - “Turn” language: 6:5 “return (shuv), YHWH” aligns with 86:16 “turn (pneh) to me.” Different roots, same relational “turning back toward me” motif. - Day/night antiphony: 6:7 “all the night (b’chol laylah) I flood my bed with tears” followed by 86:3 “for to you I call all the day (kol hayom).” The night of lament is followed by a day of sustained prayer. Theological progression (what 86 resolves from 6) - From anger to mercy: 6:2 “not in your anger/wrath” meets 86:15, the creed of Exod 34:6 “compassionate and gracious… slow to anger.” Psalm 86 theologically answers Psalm 6’s opening fear. - From “Who can thank you in Sheol?” (6:6) to whole‑hearted thanksgiving and doxology (86:12) and to the nations’ worship (86:9–10). The private crisis opens onto public, even universal praise. - From petition for deliverance (6:5) to testimony “you have rescued my soul from lowest Sheol” (86:13). The perfect tense in 86 implies the deliverance sought in 6 has occurred. Enemy/vindication trajectory - 6:8–11: enemies and oppressors; the psalmist foretells their shame. - 86:14, 17: enemies are now “arrogant/violent” who seek his life; he asks for an “ot le-tovah” (a favorable sign) so they will “see and be ashamed.” This develops 6’s ending into a public vindication request. Stylistic and structural affinities - Both are first‑person singular laments addressed directly to YHWH, characterized by strings of imperatives + “ki” grounds (reason clauses). - Both are Davidic by superscription. Psalm 86’s rare label “Tefillah” dovetails with Ps 6’s closing “YHWH will accept my prayer.” - Dense repetition of address formulae and divine names (Ps 6 predominantly YHWH; Ps 86 unusually rich in “Adonai”), typical of individual pleas. Sitz im Leben (plausible life‑setting sequence) - Psalm 6 fits a sickbed/near‑death lament under perceived divine chastening, a common crisis scene in Israelite life. - After recovery, one brought a thanksgiving offering and publicly confessed praise (todah). Psalm 86 reads like that post‑crisis prayer: it includes thanksgiving (“I will thank you with all my heart”), instruction/discipleship (“teach me your way”), and a request for a visible sign of favor that vindicates the sufferer before opponents—precisely the kind of public resolution envisioned at the end of Psalm 6. Why 86 “logically follows” 6 - The rare, weighty links (Sheol → rescued from Sheol; yodeh → ’odeka; identical channeni; yevoshu; “tefillah” theme) show deliberate continuity. - Theological resolution (from anger to “slow to anger”) and narrative development (night tears → daylong prayer; petition for deliverance → testimony of rescue; enemies’ fate announced → enemies’ shame requested as a sign) create a coherent next chapter. - In sum, Psalm 86 can be read as the accepted “tefillah” promised at the end of Psalm 6, voiced after deliverance, expanding private rescue into public and even universal praise.
Evaluation
Score: 7.0
Evaluated at: 2025-11-20T04:28:25 (UTC)
Evaluator model: gpt-5
Evaluator version: v2
Reasoning: 3712 Output: 5378 Total: 9090
Checklist
- Has verse refs: Yes
- Factual error detected: No
- Only generic motifs: No
- Counterargument considered: No
- LXX/MT numbering acknowledged: No
Vocabulary specificity: 6.0 / 10
Multiple precise correspondences (Sheol→rescued from Sheol; yodeh→’odeka; yevoshu; channeni; ‘tefillah’ link) plus coherent progression. However, many motifs are common across psalms; no decisive structural marker.
Prompt
Consider Psalm 6 and Psalm 86 (reproduced below). What arguments could you make to justify that Psalm 86 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 86:
Psalm 86
1. תְּפִלָּ֗ה
לְדָ֫וִ֥ד
הַטֵּֽה־
יְהוָ֣ה
אָזְנְךָ֣
עֲנֵ֑נִי
כִּֽי־
עָנִ֖י
וְאֶבְי֣וֹן
אָֽנִי׃
2. שָֽׁמְרָ֣ה
נַפְשִׁי֮
כִּֽי־
חָסִ֢יד
אָ֥נִי
הוֹשַׁ֣ע
עַ֭בְדְּךָ
אַתָּ֣ה
אֱלֹהַ֑י
הַבּוֹטֵ֥חַ
אֵלֶֽיךָ׃
3. חָנֵּ֥נִי
אֲדֹנָ֑י
כִּ֥י
אֵלֶ֥יךָ
אֶ֝קְרָ֗א
כָּל־
הַיּֽוֹם׃
4. שַׂ֭מֵּחַ
נֶ֣פֶשׁ
עַבְדֶּ֑ךָ
כִּ֥י
אֵלֶ֥יךָ
אֲ֝דֹנָ֗י
נַפְשִׁ֥י
אֶשָּֽׂא׃
5. כִּֽי־
אַתָּ֣ה
אֲ֭דֹנָי
ט֣וֹב
וְסַלָּ֑ח
וְרַב־
חֶ֝֗סֶד
לְכָל־
קֹרְאֶֽיךָ׃
6. הַאֲזִ֣ינָה
יְ֭הוָה
תְּפִלָּתִ֑י
וְ֝הַקְשִׁ֗יבָה
בְּק֣וֹל
תַּחֲנוּנוֹתָֽי׃
7. בְּי֣וֹם
צָ֭רָתִ֥י
אֶקְרָאֶ֗ךָּ
כִּ֣י
תַעֲנֵֽנִי׃
8. אֵין־
כָּמ֖וֹךָ
בָאֱלֹהִ֥ים ׀
אֲדֹנָ֗י
וְאֵ֣ין
כְּֽמַעֲשֶֽׂיךָ׃
9. כָּל־
גּוֹיִ֤ם ׀
אֲשֶׁ֥ר
עָשִׂ֗יתָ
יָב֤וֹאוּ ׀
וְיִשְׁתַּחֲו֣וּ
לְפָנֶ֣יךָ
אֲדֹנָ֑י
וִֽיכַבְּד֣וּ
לִשְׁמֶֽךָ׃
10. כִּֽי־
גָד֣וֹל
אַ֭תָּה
וְעֹשֵׂ֣ה
נִפְלָא֑וֹת
אַתָּ֖ה
אֱלֹהִ֣ים
לְבַדֶּֽךָ׃
11. ה֘וֹרֵ֤נִי
יְהוָ֨ה ׀
דַּרְכֶּ֗ךָ
אֲהַלֵּ֥ךְ
בַּאֲמִתֶּ֑ךָ
יַחֵ֥ד
לְ֝בָבִ֗י
לְיִרְאָ֥ה
שְׁמֶֽךָ׃
12. אוֹדְךָ֤ ׀
אֲדֹנָ֣י
אֱ֭לֹהַי
בְּכָל־
לְבָבִ֑י
וַאֲכַבְּדָ֖ה
שִׁמְךָ֣
לְעוֹלָֽם׃
13. כִּֽי־
חַ֭סְדְּךָ
גָּד֣וֹל
עָלָ֑י
וְהִצַּ֥לְתָּ
נַ֝פְשִׁ֗י
מִשְּׁא֥וֹל
תַּחְתִּיָּֽה׃
14. אֱלֹהִ֤ים ׀
זֵ֘דִ֤ים
קָֽמוּ־
עָלַ֗י
וַעֲדַ֣ת
עָ֭רִיצִים
בִּקְשׁ֣וּ
נַפְשִׁ֑י
וְלֹ֖א
שָׂמ֣וּךָ
לְנֶגְדָּֽם׃
15. וְאַתָּ֣ה
אֲ֭דֹנָי
אֵל־
רַח֣וּם
וְחַנּ֑וּן
אֶ֥רֶךְ
אַ֝פַּ֗יִם
וְרַב־
חֶ֥סֶד
וֶאֱמֶֽת׃
16. פְּנֵ֥ה
אֵלַ֗י
וְחָ֫נֵּ֥נִי
תְּנָֽה־
עֻזְּךָ֥
לְעַבְדֶּ֑ךָ
וְ֝הוֹשִׁ֗יעָה
לְבֶן־
אֲמָתֶֽךָ׃
17. עֲשֵֽׂה־
עִמִּ֥י
א֗וֹת
לְט֫וֹבָ֥ה
וְיִרְא֣וּ
שֹׂנְאַ֣י
וְיֵבֹ֑שׁוּ
כִּֽי־
אַתָּ֥ה
יְ֝הוָ֗ה
עֲזַרְתַּ֥נִי
וְנִחַמְתָּֽנִי׃