Psalm 6 → 91

Reasoning: 7872 Output: 4765 Total: 12637

Argument

Thesis: Psalm 91 can be read as a deliberate “answer” to Psalm 6—stylistically, formally, lexically, and thematically. Psalm 6 is an individual lament from a sick, frightened worshiper; Psalm 91 supplies the priestly/divine oracle of protection that answers every anxiety and request in Psalm 6.

1) Form and life-setting (strong)
- Sequence lament → oracle of assurance: Psalm 6 is a classic lament (cry for mercy, description of distress, “How long?”, enemies, concluding confidence). Psalm 91 is a trust/assurance psalm culminating in a divine speech (vv. 14–16) that promises exactly what the lamenter in Psalm 6 asked for. In ancient Israelite worship, a lament at the sanctuary is often followed by a priestly oracle of deliverance; Psalm 91 reads like that oracle.
- Illness-to-protection sequence: Psalm 6’s “Heal me” and weeping in the night are concretely answered in Psalm 91’s protection from disease and fear “by night” and “by day.” This matches Israelite experience: supplication in sickness → receipt of a protection oracle.

2) High-value lexical/root ties (rarer/closer forms first)
- Deliver (חל”ץ, Hiphil; rare and telling)
  • Ps 6:5 חַלְּצָה נַפְשִׁי “Deliver my life” (Hiphil imperative 2ms)
  • Ps 91:15 אֲחַלְּצֵהוּ “I will deliver him” (Hiphil 1cs)
  Same root, same stem (Hiphil), prayer → promise. This is the single strongest verbal link.

- Save/salvation (י–ש–ע)
  • Ps 6:5 הוֹשִׁיעֵנִי “Save me” (Hiphil)
  • Ps 91:16 בִּישׁוּעָתִי “my salvation” (noun)
  Same root; request → fulfillment (“I will show him my salvation”).

- Distress/oppression (צ–ר)
  • Ps 6:8 בְכָל־צוֹרְרָי “all my adversaries/oppressors”
  • Ps 91:15 בְצָרָה “in trouble/distress”
  Same root; the adversarial pressure in Psalm 6 is the “trouble” God promises to be present in and to deliver from in Psalm 91.

- Night (identical lexeme לַיְלָה)
  • Ps 6:7 בְכָל־לַיְלָה “every night” (of weeping)
  • Ps 91:5 מִפַּחַד לָיְלָה “from the terror of the night”
  Psalm 91 explicitly negates Psalm 6’s night-time terror/weeping.

- Eyes (עַיִן)
  • Ps 6:8 עָשְׁשָׁה … עֵינִי “my eye wastes away” (rare verb; eye imagery of failing strength)
  • Ps 91:8 רַק בְּעֵינֶיךָ תַבִּיט “only with your eyes you will look”
  The failing eyes of Psalm 6 are replaced by eyes that safely behold judgment on the wicked.

- Call–hear–answer motif (semantic fit; close)
  • Ps 6:9–10 שָׁמַע יְהוָה קוֹל בִּכְיִי … תְּחִנָּתִי … תְּפִלָּתִי “YHWH has heard my weeping/supplication/prayer”
  • Ps 91:15 יִקְרָאֵנִי וְאֶעֱנֵהוּ “He will call me and I will answer him”
  The experience claimed in Psalm 6 (God hears) is promised and guaranteed in Psalm 91 (God answers).

- Death vs. life-length (antithetical but direct)
  • Ps 6:6 כִּי אֵין בַמָּוֶת זִכְרֶךָ; בִּשְׁאוֹל מִי יוֹדֶה־לָּךְ “In death there is no remembrance of you; in Sheol who will give you thanks?”
  • Ps 91:16 אֹרֶךְ יָמִים אַשְׂבִּיעֵהוּ “With long life I will satisfy him”
  The fear of death/silence is answered by the promise of extended life.

- Fear/terror (semantic negation)
  • Ps 6:3–4 נִבְהֲלוּ עֲצָמָי; וְנַפְשִׁי נִבְהֲלָה מְאֹד “my bones are terrified; my soul is greatly terrified”
  • Ps 91:5 לֹא־תִירָא “you shall not fear”
  Psalm 91 counters precisely the fear that dominates Psalm 6.

3) Thematic “question → answer” pairings
- “How long?” vs. “length of days”
  • Ps 6:4 וְאַתָּה יְהוָה עַד־מָתָי “But you, YHWH—how long?”
  • Ps 91:16 אֹרֶךְ יָמִים אַשְׂבִּיעֵהוּ “I will satisfy him with length of days”
  The anguished timing question is answered with a timing promise.

- Sickness and healing
  • Ps 6:3 רְפָאֵנִי יְהוָה “Heal me, YHWH”
  • Ps 91:3, 6, 10 מִדֶּבֶר … מִקֶּטֶב … וְנֶגַע לֹא־יִקְרַב “from pestilence … from plague … no disease will come near”
  The healing plea is answered with comprehensive protection from disease.

- Bed of tears vs. safe lodging
  • Ps 6:7 אַשְׂחֶה בְכָל־לַיְלָה מִטָּתִי; בְּדִמְעָתִי עַרְשִׂי אַמְסֶה “I soak my bed every night; I dissolve my couch with tears”
  • Ps 91:1 בְּצֵל שַׁדַּי יִתְלוֹנָן “he will lodge/spend the night in the shadow of Shaddai”
  Night-time misery in one’s bed is replaced by restful night-time lodging under divine shadow.

- Enemies/wicked repaid and kept at bay
  • Ps 6:8–11 “all my enemies” (אֹיְבַי), “workers of iniquity” (פֹּעֲלֵי אָוֶן), “let them be ashamed/confounded,” “let them turn back”
  • Ps 91:7–8, 10 “a thousand shall fall…; it shall not come near you,” “you will see the recompense of the wicked,” “no evil shall befall you”
  The shaming/repulsion of foes in Psalm 6 is matched by their downfall and distance in Psalm 91.

- Basis of appeal vs. basis of assurance
  • Ps 6:5 הוֹשִׁיעֵנִי לְמַעַן חַסְדֶּךָ “Save me for the sake of your hesed”
  • Ps 91:4 אֲמִתּוֹ צִנָּה וְסֹחֵרָה “His faithfulness is a shield and buckler”
  Both ground hope in God’s covenant character (hesed/’emet pair), with Psalm 91 picturing it as protective armor.

4) Stylistic/structural fit
- Psalm 6 ends with a sudden turn to confidence (vv. 9–11: “YHWH has heard…”)—precisely the kind of hinge where an assurance oracle like Psalm 91 could function as the next liturgical piece.
- Psalm 91 culminates in direct divine speech (vv. 14–16), exactly the formal “answer” to the direct address of Psalm 6.

5) Cultic/mythic imagery that coheres
- Wings and shadow (Ps 91:1, 4) echo temple-cherub imagery; Psalm 6’s suppliant likely prays at the sanctuary (standard lament setting). The sufferer moves from the private bed (Ps 6) to the divine “canopy” (Ps 91).
- Angelic guardianship (Ps 91:11–12) reverses the isolation of Psalm 6; the suppliant who drove away “workers of iniquity” (Ps 6:9) is now accompanied by heavenly protectors.

Summary: The pairing reads almost like call-and-response.
- “Deliver my life” (Ps 6:5) → “I will deliver him” (Ps 91:15).
- “Save me” (Ps 6:5) → “I will show him my salvation” (Ps 91:16).
- “How long?” (Ps 6:4) → “length of days” (Ps 91:16).
- Night weeping (Ps 6:7) → no fear of night; safe night lodging (Ps 91:1, 5).
- Terrified bones/soul (Ps 6:3–4) → “you shall not fear” (Ps 91:5).
- Enemies shamed (Ps 6:11) → the wicked fall; it will not come near you (Ps 91:7–10).
Given the strong Hiphil חלץ match, the shared ישע root, the night/eyes/fear correspondences, and the classic lament→oracle sequence familiar in Israelite worship, there is a solid case—on form, language, and theme—that Psalm 91 “logically follows” Psalm 6 as God’s answer to the sufferer’s plea.

Evaluation

Score: 6.0

Evaluated at: 2025-11-21T03:38:44 (UTC)

Evaluator model: gpt-5

Evaluator version: v2

Reasoning: 2816 Output: 5579 Total: 8395

Vocabulary specificity: 4.0 / 10

Decisive Hiphil חלץ prayer→promise link, plus verse-specific ties (ישע, night, ‘how long’ vs length). Yet motifs are common, no editorial marker, distant placement across Books; counterpoints unaddressed.

Prompt

Consider Psalm 6 and Psalm 91 (reproduced below). What arguments could you make to justify that Psalm 91 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 91:
Psalm 91
1. יֹ֭שֵׁב
        בְּסֵ֣תֶר
        עֶלְי֑וֹן
        בְּצֵ֥ל
        שַׁ֝דַּ֗י
        יִתְלוֹנָֽן׃
2. אֹמַ֗ר
        לַֽ֭יהוָה
        מַחְסִ֣י
        וּמְצוּדָתִ֑י
        אֱ֝לֹהַ֗י
        אֶבְטַח־
        בּֽוֹ׃
3. כִּ֤י
        ה֣וּא
        יַ֭צִּֽילְךָ
        מִפַּ֥ח
        יָק֗וּשׁ
        מִדֶּ֥בֶר
        הַוּֽוֹת׃
4. בְּאֶבְרָת֨וֹ ׀
        יָ֣סֶךְ
        לָ֭ךְ
        וְתַֽחַת־
        כְּנָפָ֣יו
        תֶּחְסֶ֑ה
        צִנָּ֖ה
        וְֽסֹחֵרָ֣ה
        אֲמִתּֽוֹ׃
5. לֹא־
        תִ֭ירָא
        מִפַּ֣חַד
        לָ֑יְלָה
        מֵ֝חֵ֗ץ
        יָע֥וּף
        יוֹמָֽם׃
6. מִ֭דֶּבֶר
        בָּאֹ֣פֶל
        יַהֲלֹ֑ךְ
        מִ֝קֶּ֗טֶב
        יָשׁ֥וּד
        צָהֳרָֽיִם׃
7. יִפֹּ֤ל
        מִצִּדְּךָ֨ ׀
        אֶ֗לֶף
        וּרְבָבָ֥ה
        מִימִינֶ֑ךָ
        אֵ֝לֶ֗יךָ
        לֹ֣א
        יִגָּֽשׁ׃
8. רַ֭ק
        בְּעֵינֶ֣יךָ
        תַבִּ֑יט
        וְשִׁלֻּמַ֖ת
        רְשָׁעִ֣ים
        תִּרְאֶֽה׃
9. כִּֽי־
        אַתָּ֣ה
        יְהוָ֣ה
        מַחְסִ֑י
        עֶ֝לְי֗וֹן
        שַׂ֣מְתָּ
        מְעוֹנֶֽךָ׃
10. לֹֽא־
        תְאֻנֶּ֣ה
        אֵלֶ֣יךָ
        רָעָ֑ה
        וְ֝נֶ֗גַע
        לֹא־
        יִקְרַ֥ב
        בְּאָהֳלֶֽךָ׃
11. כִּ֣י
        מַ֭לְאָכָיו
        יְצַוֶּה־
        לָּ֑ךְ
        לִ֝שְׁמָרְךָ֗
        בְּכָל־
        דְּרָכֶֽיךָ׃
12. עַל־
        כַּפַּ֥יִם
        יִשָּׂא֑וּנְךָ
        פֶּן־
        תִּגֹּ֖ף
        בָּאֶ֣בֶן
        רַגְלֶֽךָ׃
13. עַל־
        שַׁ֣חַל
        וָפֶ֣תֶן
        תִּדְרֹ֑ךְ
        תִּרְמֹ֖ס
        כְּפִ֣יר
        וְתַנִּֽין׃
14. כִּ֤י
        בִ֣י
        חָ֭שַׁק
        וַאֲפַלְּטֵ֑הוּ
        אֲ֝שַׂגְּבֵ֗הוּ
        כִּֽי־
        יָדַ֥ע
        שְׁמִֽי׃
15. יִקְרָאֵ֨נִי ׀
        וְֽאֶעֱנֵ֗הוּ
        עִמּֽוֹ־
        אָנֹכִ֥י
        בְצָרָ֑ה
        אֲ֝חַלְּצֵ֗הוּ
        וַֽאֲכַבְּדֵֽהוּ׃
16. אֹ֣רֶךְ
        יָ֭מִים
        אַשְׂבִּיעֵ֑הוּ
        וְ֝אַרְאֵ֗הוּ
        בִּֽישׁוּעָתִֽי׃