Psalm 6 → 90

Reasoning: 7424 Output: 4744 Total: 12168

Argument

Here are multiple, independent ways to argue that Psalm 90 “logically follows” Psalm 6—stylistically, lexically, thematically, and in terms of life/liturgy sequences. I put the rarer and tighter links first.

1) Strong shared formulas and identical forms (high weight)
- באפך … ובחמתך (“in your anger … and in your wrath”): exact forms with 2ms suffix appear in both.
  - Ps 6:2 אל־באפך תוכיחני ובחמתך תיסרני
  - Ps 90:7 כי־כלינו באפך ובחמתך נבהלנו
  This is a rare collocation in exactly these forms; it tightly links the two poems’ complaint/diagnosis.

- נבהל (Niphal of בהל, “be terrified, dismayed”):
  - Ps 6:3 נבהלו עצמותי; 6:4 ונפשי נבהלה מאד
  - Ps 90:7 נבהלנו
  Same root, same stem (niphal), similar semantic field, and (in Ps 90) explicitly caused by God’s אף/חמה—exactly the force Psalm 6 pleads to be spared.

- שובה יהוה (identical imperative collocation):
  - Ps 6:5 שובה יהוה חלצה נפשי
  - Ps 90:13 שובה יהוה עד־מתי
  The same two-word plea makes Ps 90 sound like a deliberate pickup of Ps 6’s petition.

- עד־מתי (“How long?”):
  - Ps 6:4 ואתה יהוה עד־מתי
  - Ps 90:13 שובה יהוה עד־מתי
  The “How long?” cry sits at the heart of both laments. Psalm 90 pairs it with the same “Shuvah, YHWH” that Psalm 6 used.

- חסדך (“your steadfast love” with 2ms suffix):
  - Ps 6:5 הושיעני למען חסדך
  - Ps 90:14 שבענו בבקר חסדך
  Same noun, same suffix; Psalm 6 asks to be saved “for the sake of” hesed, Psalm 90 asks to be filled with it “in the morning” (see “night/morning” contrast below).

- תפלה (“prayer”):
  - Ps 6:10 יהוה תפלתי יקח (“the LORD will accept my prayer”)
  - Ps 90:1 תפלה למשה (“a prayer of Moses”)
  Psalm 6 ends by asserting the LORD accepts “my prayer”; Psalm 90 immediately presents “a prayer,” as if delivering the very kind of prayer Psalm 6 said God receives—an editorially elegant handoff.

- און (“trouble/iniquity”) and פעל (do/work):
  - Ps 6:9 סורו ממני כל פועלי און (“all workers of iniquity”)
  - Ps 90:10 … עמל וָאָוֶן; and 90:16 פָעֳלֶךָ
  The root פעל appears on the human side in Ps 6 (doers of iniquity) and on the divine side in Ps 90 (your work), culminating in 90:17 with “establish the work of our hands.” This forms a meaningful contrast: from expelling “workers of iniquity” to seeking the establishment of righteous human “work” under God’s “work.”

2) Motifs and imagery that escalate or resolve (medium–high weight)
- Night to morning arc:
  - Ps 6:7 “every night” tears (בכל־לילה) and bed drenched with weeping.
  - Ps 90:4 “a watch in the night” (אשמורה בלילה), then repeated “morning” (בבקר) in vv. 5–6 and climactically v. 14 “Satisfy us in the morning with your hesed.”
  Psalm 6 is a night of weeping; Psalm 90 brings the morning of mercy. This is a classic biblical movement (night lament → morning joy), and Psalm 90 explicitly names “morning” while using the very “hesed” Psalm 6 invoked.

- Death/mortality logic:
  - Ps 6:6 Because death/Sheol cut off praise: “For in death there is no remembrance of you; in Sheol who will give you thanks?”
  - Ps 90:3–11 Meditates on universal mortality (return to dust, fleeting grass, 70–80 years) under divine wrath.
  Psalm 90 generalizes the personal fear of Ps 6 into a wisdom frame: if death curtails praise (Ps 6), then teach us to number our days (Ps 90:12) so that what remains is used wisely and joyfully (Ps 90:14–17).

- Theological cause and response:
  - Ps 6 pleads: “Do not rebuke/discipline me in your anger/wrath” (i.e., prevent the wrath from falling).
  - Ps 90 admits: “We have been consumed/terrified by your anger/wrath” (i.e., the wrath has fallen), and so asks for reversal: “Return, YHWH … have compassion … satisfy us … establish the work of our hands.”
  Thus 90 reads like the communal/wisdom sequel to the individual plea of 6.

3) Form-critical and structural echoes (medium weight)
- Both are laments with similar macro-moves:
  - Invocation → complaint about divine anger and human suffering → petition → motivation/appeal to divine character (hesed) → outcome/confidence.
  - Psalm 6 ends with confidence (“the LORD has heard … the LORD will receive my prayer”), Psalm 90 ends with confidence/benediction (“establish the work of our hands”).
  The forms align and Psalm 90 feels like a broadened, communal-wisdom version of Psalm 6’s pattern.

- Key petitions recur:
  - “Return, YHWH” (שובה יהוה), “How long?” (עד־מתי), and requests grounded in hesed.
  Their recurrence with identical forms argues for editorial or traditional linkage.

4) Semantic developments that feel like “next step” reading (medium weight)
- Psalm 6’s argument to God: If I die, I cannot praise you. Psalm 90’s resolution: Teach us to number our days so that the life we do have becomes wise-filled praise and productive work under your favor (vv. 12–17).
- Psalm 6 drives away “workers of iniquity”; Psalm 90 petitions for God’s “work” to appear to his servants and for “the work of our hands” to be established. Human “work” is rehabilitated under divine favor—an answer to the social-covenantal breakdown implied in Ps 6.
- Psalm 6’s night of tears transitions to Psalm 90’s morning of hesed, singing, and joy “all our days” (ונרננה ונשמח בכל־ימינו) as a direct reversal of the short, troubled, wrath-consumed days of Ps 90:9–10. This resolves both psalms’ complaints about wasted days under wrath.

5) Life/liturgy and historical logic (lower–medium weight)
- Individual → communal: Psalm 6 is an individual penitential lament (Davidic frame), Psalm 90 is a communal wisdom-lament (Mosaic frame). It is natural, even liturgically, for individual penitence by night to be followed by communal instruction and blessing by morning.
- Tachanun/Selichot vocabulary: cries like “שובה יהוה” and “עד־מתי,” with appeal to “חסד,” belong to penitential prayer traditions; Psalm 90’s concluding blessing (“ויהי נעם …”) is used liturgically to set the tone for work under divine favor. This sequence maps nicely onto a night of penitence and a morning of renewed purpose.

Summary of the tightest connectors
- Identical and relatively rare collocations: באפך/בחמתך; שובה יהוה; the Niphal of בהל; the coupling of עד־מתי with that same imperative address; identical “חסדך”; the shared noun תפלה framing the end of Ps 6 and the heading of Ps 90.
- Strong thematic arc: night of weeping (Ps 6) → morning satisfaction in hesed (Ps 90); “do not discipline me in wrath” (Ps 6) → “we have been consumed by your wrath” and so “return/relent” (Ps 90); “death cuts off praise” (Ps 6) → “teach us to number our days” so our limited life yields joy, praise, and established work (Ps 90).

Taken together, these lexical, formal, and thematic threads make a compelling case that Psalm 90 can be read as a deliberate, logical follow-on to Psalm 6.

Evaluation

Score: 6.8

Evaluated at: 2025-11-21T03:37:34 (UTC)

Evaluator model: gpt-5

Evaluator version: v2

Reasoning: 4160 Output: 5577 Total: 9737

Vocabulary specificity: 4.0 / 10

Multiple exact collocations (באפך/בחמתך; שובה יהוה; Niphal נבהל) plus parallel petitions support linkage. Yet many items are common, באפך/בחמתך recurs (Ps 38:2), and Book I→IV distance weakens sequencing. No caps.

Prompt

Consider Psalm 6 and Psalm 90 (reproduced below). What arguments could you make to justify that Psalm 90 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 90:
Psalm 90
1. תְּפִלָּה֮
        לְמֹשֶׁ֢ה
        אִֽישׁ־
        הָאֱלֹ֫הִ֥ים
        אֲ‍ֽדֹנָ֗י
        מָע֣וֹן
        אַ֭תָּה
        הָיִ֥יתָ
        לָּ֗נוּ
        בְּדֹ֣ר
        וָדֹֽר׃
2. בְּטֶ֤רֶם ׀
        הָ֘רִ֤ים
        יֻלָּ֗דוּ
        וַתְּח֣וֹלֵֽל
        אֶ֣רֶץ
        וְתֵבֵ֑ל
        וּֽמֵעוֹלָ֥ם
        עַד־
        ע֝וֹלָ֗ם
        אַתָּ֥ה
        אֵֽל׃
3. תָּשֵׁ֣ב
        אֱ֭נוֹשׁ
        עַד־
        דַּכָּ֑א
        וַ֝תֹּ֗אמֶר
        שׁ֣וּבוּ
        בְנֵי־
        אָדָֽם׃
4. כִּ֤י
        אֶ֪לֶף
        שָׁנִ֡ים
        בְּֽעֵינֶ֗יךָ
        כְּי֣וֹם
        אֶ֭תְמוֹל
        כִּ֣י
        יַעֲבֹ֑ר
        וְאַשְׁמוּרָ֥ה
        בַלָּֽיְלָה׃
5. זְ֭רַמְתָּם
        שֵׁנָ֣ה
        יִהְי֑וּ
        בַּ֝בֹּ֗קֶר
        כֶּחָצִ֥יר
        יַחֲלֹֽף׃
6. בַּ֭בֹּקֶר
        יָצִ֣יץ
        וְחָלָ֑ף
        לָ֝עֶ֗רֶב
        יְמוֹלֵ֥ל
        וְיָבֵֽשׁ׃
7. כִּֽי־
        כָלִ֥ינוּ
        בְאַפֶּ֑ךָ
        וּֽבַחֲמָתְךָ֥
        נִבְהָֽלְנוּ׃
8. שת
        שַׁתָּ֣ה
        עֲוֺנֹתֵ֣ינוּ
        לְנֶגְדֶּ֑ךָ
        עֲ֝לֻמֵ֗נוּ
        לִמְא֥וֹר
        פָּנֶֽיךָ׃
9. כִּ֣י
        כָל־
        יָ֭מֵינוּ
        פָּנ֣וּ
        בְעֶבְרָתֶ֑ךָ
        כִּלִּ֖ינוּ
        שָׁנֵ֣ינוּ
        כְמוֹ־
        הֶֽגֶה׃
10. יְמֵֽי־
        שְׁנוֹתֵ֨ינוּ
        בָהֶ֥ם
        שִׁבְעִ֪ים
        שָׁנָ֡ה
        וְאִ֤ם
        בִּגְבוּרֹ֨ת ׀
        שְׁמ֘וֹנִ֤ים
        שָׁנָ֗ה
        וְ֭רָהְבָּם
        עָמָ֣ל
        וָאָ֑וֶן
        כִּי־
        גָ֥ז
        חִ֝֗ישׁ
        וַנָּעֻֽפָה׃
11. מִֽי־
        י֭וֹדֵעַ
        עֹ֣ז
        אַפֶּ֑ךָ
        וּ֝כְיִרְאָתְךָ֗
        עֶבְרָתֶֽךָ׃
12. לִמְנ֣וֹת
        יָ֭מֵינוּ
        כֵּ֣ן
        הוֹדַ֑ע
        וְ֝נָבִ֗א
        לְבַ֣ב
        חָכְמָֽה׃
13. שׁוּבָ֣ה
        יְ֭הוָה
        עַד־
        מָתָ֑י
        וְ֝הִנָּחֵ֗ם
        עַל־
        עֲבָדֶֽיךָ׃
14. שַׂבְּעֵ֣נוּ
        בַבֹּ֣קֶר
        חַסְדֶּ֑ךָ
        וּֽנְרַנְּנָ֥ה
        וְ֝נִשְׂמְחָ֗ה
        בְּכָל־
        יָמֵֽינוּ׃
15. שַׂ֭מְּחֵנוּ
        כִּימ֣וֹת
        עִנִּיתָ֑נוּ
        שְׁ֝נ֗וֹת
        רָאִ֥ינוּ
        רָעָֽה׃
16. יֵרָאֶ֣ה
        אֶל־
        עֲבָדֶ֣יךָ
        פָעֳלֶ֑ךָ
        וַ֝הֲדָרְךָ֗
        עַל־
        בְּנֵיהֶֽם׃
17. וִיהִ֤י ׀
        נֹ֤עַם
        אֲדֹנָ֥י
        אֱלֹהֵ֗ינוּ
        עָ֫לֵ֥ינוּ
        וּמַעֲשֵׂ֣ה
        יָ֭דֵינוּ
        כּוֹנְנָ֥ה
        עָלֵ֑ינוּ
        וּֽמַעֲשֵׂ֥ה
        יָ֝דֵ֗ינוּ
        כּוֹנְנֵֽהוּ׃