Psalm 6 → 116
Reasoning: 9280 Output: 4794 Total: 14074
Argument
Short answer: Psalm 6 is an individual lament from the brink of death; Psalm 116 is an individual thanksgiving after rescue from that brink. The two share unusually specific vocabulary and imagery, and Psalm 116 repeatedly uses the same words Psalm 6 used in prayer—now as fulfilled report—so that Psalm 116 reads naturally as the “after” to Psalm 6’s “before.”
Key verbal and form‑critical links (roughly ordered from strongest/rarest to more general)
- Exact verb + object, same word class, rare in Psalms:
- חלץ (to draw out/deliver) + נפשׁי
- Ps 6:5 חַלְּצָה נַפְשִׁי (imperative: “deliver my life/soul”)
- Ps 116:8 חִלַּצְתָּ נַפְשִׁי מִמָּוֶת (perfect: “you delivered my life/soul from death”)
- Same root, same object, verb-to-verb answer; 116 explicitly fulfills 6’s plea.
- Tears and eyes, same lexemes, same word class:
- דִּמְעָה + עַיִן/עֵינִי
- Ps 6:7–8 בְּדִמְעָתִי … עֵינִי
- Ps 116:8 אֶת־עֵינִי מִן־דִּמְעָה
- 116 reverses the condition lamented in 6 (tears now stopped).
- Death/Sheol pairing (shared imagery of the underworld):
- Ps 6:6 בַּמָּוֶת … בִּשְׁאוֹל
- Ps 116:3 חֶבְלֵי־מָוֶת … מְצָרֵי שְׁאוֹל; v.8 מִמָּוֶת
- Same threat-scape; in 116 it is narrated as past danger overcome.
- Hearing prayer: identical lexemes and collocation “שׁמע + יהוה + קול/תחנה”
- Ps 6:9–10 שָׁמַע יְהוָה קוֹל בִּכְיִי; שָׁמַע יְהוָה תְּחִנָּתִי
- Ps 116:1 אֲהַבְתִּי כִּי־יִשְׁמַע יְהוָה אֶת־קֹלִי תַּחֲנוּנָי
- 116 opens by quoting the very outcome 6 anticipates: the LORD heard the voice of supplication.
- “Turn/return” (שׁוּב) used with different subjects to mark the before/after:
- Ps 6:5 שׁוּבָה יְהוָה (“Turn back, LORD”)
- Ps 6:11 יָשֻׁבוּ … (enemies will “turn back”)
- Ps 116:7 שׁוּבִי נַפְשִׁי לִמְנוּחָיִכִי (“Return, my soul, to your rest”)
- In 6 the psalmist pleads for God to turn; in 116 the soul itself returns to rest—deliverance accomplished.
- Salvation (ישע) in petition vs. report/celebration:
- Ps 6:5 הוֹשִׁיעֵנִי
- Ps 116:6 … וְלִי יְהוֹשִׁיעַ; v.13 כּוֹס־יְשׁוּעוֹת אֶשָּׂא
- Same root, moving from request to testimony and ritual celebration.
- Grace/mercy (חנן) request vs. confession of God’s character:
- Ps 6:3 חָנֵּנִי יְהוָה
- Ps 116:5 חַנּוּן יְהוָה … וֵאלֹהֵינוּ מְרַחֵם
- The attribute named in 116 is the answer to the plea in 6.
- Praise/thanksgiving vow logic (ידה > תודה):
- Ps 6:6 “In death there is no remembrance of you; in Sheol who will yodeh (‘give thanks’) to you?”
- Ps 116:17 לְךָ … זֶבַח תּוֹדָה (“I will sacrifice a thank-offering to you”); cf. vv.14,18 “I will pay my vows”
- The rhetorical point of 6 (“rescue me so I can thank you”) is enacted in 116’s public thank-offering.
- Intensifier מְאֹד reused across the crisis/resolution:
- Ps 6:4 נִבְהֲלָה מְאֹד; 6:11 וְיִבָּהֲלוּ מְאֹד
- Ps 116:10 עָנִיתִי מְאֹד
- Not unique, but it echoes the extremity of affliction in both.
Form and life-setting coherence
- Psalm 6 has the classic shape of an Individual Lament:
- Invocation + plea (vv. 2–5)
- Motive for God to act: inability to praise in Sheol (v. 6)
- Description of affliction (vv. 7–8)
- Assurance of being heard and the shaming of opponents (vv. 9–11)
- Psalm 116 has the matching shape of an Individual Thanksgiving (תּוֹדָה):
- Proclamation of love because God heard (vv. 1–2)
- Retrospective of mortal peril (vv. 3–4, 10–11)
- Confession of God’s gracious character (vv. 5–6)
- Report of deliverance using the same verbs as the plea (v. 8)
- Public vow-payment and thank-offering in the Temple courts (vv. 14,17–19)
- In ancient Israelite practice (cf. Lev 7:11–17), recovery from life-threatening illness often led to:
1) a vow during the crisis (implicit in Ps 6’s “who will thank you in Sheol?”),
2) pilgrimage to the sanctuary after healing,
3) a thank-offering (זֶבַח תּוֹדָה) and paying of vows before the congregation.
Psalm 116 explicitly narrates steps 2–3 (“I will pay my vows … in the courts of the LORD … Jerusalem”).
Mythic-imagery continuity
- Both psalms use the same underworld imagery:
- Death/Sheol as the realm of silence where praise ceases (Ps 6:6).
- “Cords of death” and “straits of Sheol” (Ps 116:3) as personified forces dragging one down.
- The reversal is complete:
- From bed drenched with tears (Ps 6:7) to eyes kept from tears (Ps 116:8).
- From fearing the loss of praise (Ps 6:6) to walking “before the LORD in the lands of the living” (Ps 116:9) and publicly thanking him (Ps 116:17–19).
A plausible storyline that makes Psalm 116 “follow” Psalm 6
- Stage 1 (Ps 6): The speaker, gravely ill and near death, pleads for mercy and healing, asking God to turn back (שׁוּבָה), to deliver his soul (חַלְּצָה נַפְשִׁי), and to save him (הוֹשִׁיעֵנִי) so that he can offer thanks rather than descend to Sheol.
- Stage 2 (transition): God hears the weeping and the supplication (Ps 6:9–10).
- Stage 3 (Ps 116): Having recovered, the speaker testifies that God indeed heard; he recounts the peril (“cords of death”), announces that God delivered his soul (חִלַּצְתָּ נַפְשִׁי), stopped his tears, and saved him; then he fulfills the vow by bringing a thank-offering and paying vows in the Temple, publicly, in Jerusalem.
Why these links are strong
- They are not just thematic; they hinge on rarer or less common lexemes used identically:
- חלץ + נפשי (imperative in 6 → perfect in 116)
- דמעה + עיני (tears/eyes)
- The collocation שמע + יהוה + קול/תחינה
- The logic of “deliver me so I can thank you” (Ps 6:6) is concretely realized in the vow-payment and thank-offering of Psalm 116.
Conclusion
- Read together, Psalm 6 and Psalm 116 form a coherent two-part arc: lament from a deathbed with vows, then thanksgiving at the sanctuary after healing, with multiple precise lexical echoes (especially חלץ, דמעה/עין, שמע/קול/תחינה, מות/שׁאול) marking Psalm 116 as the narrative and liturgical fulfillment of Psalm 6’s petitions.
Evaluation
Score: 6.8
Evaluated at: 2025-11-21T04:11:10 (UTC)
Evaluator model: gpt-5
Evaluator version: v2
Reasoning: 4608 Output: 5634 Total: 10242
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
Text-anchored echoes (חלץ נפשי; דמעה/עין; שמע+קול/תחנה; מות/שאול) and before/after logic are strong, but many motifs/phrases recur elsewhere (e.g., Ps 28:6; Ps 18:5), no editorial markers, counterpoints unaddressed.
Prompt
Consider Psalm 6 and Psalm 116 (reproduced below). What arguments could you make to justify that Psalm 116 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 116:
Psalm 116
1. אָ֭הַבְתִּי
כִּֽי־
יִשְׁמַ֥ע ׀
יְהוָ֑ה
אֶת־
ק֝וֹלִ֗י
תַּחֲנוּנָֽי׃
2. כִּֽי־
הִטָּ֣ה
אָזְנ֣וֹ
לִ֑י
וּבְיָמַ֥י
אֶקְרָֽא׃
3. אֲפָפ֤וּנִי ׀
חֶבְלֵי־
מָ֗וֶת
וּמְצָרֵ֣י
שְׁא֣וֹל
מְצָא֑וּנִי
צָרָ֖ה
וְיָג֣וֹן
אֶמְצָֽא׃
4. וּבְשֵֽׁם־
יְהוָ֥ה
אֶקְרָ֑א
אָנָּ֥ה
יְ֝הוָ֗ה
מַלְּטָ֥ה
נַפְשִֽׁי׃
5. חַנּ֣וּן
יְהֹוָ֣ה
וְצַדִּ֑יק
וֵ֖אלֹהֵ֣ינוּ
מְרַחֵֽם׃
6. שֹׁמֵ֣ר
פְּתָאיִ֣ם
יְהֹוָ֑ה
דַּ֝לּוֹתִ֗י
וְלִ֣י
יְהוֹשִֽׁיעַ׃
7. שׁוּבִ֣י
נַ֭פְשִׁי
לִמְנוּחָ֑יְכִי
כִּֽי־
יְ֝הוָ֗ה
גָּמַ֥ל
עָלָֽיְכִי׃
8. כִּ֤י
חִלַּ֥צְתָּ
נַפְשִׁ֗י
מִ֫מָּ֥וֶת
אֶת־
עֵינִ֥י
מִן־
דִּמְעָ֑ה
אֶת־
רַגְלִ֥י
מִדֶּֽחִי׃
9. אֶ֭תְהַלֵּךְ
לִפְנֵ֣י
יְהוָ֑ה
בְּ֝אַרְצ֗וֹת
הַֽחַיִּֽים׃
10. הֶ֭אֱמַנְתִּי
כִּ֣י
אֲדַבֵּ֑ר
אֲ֝נִ֗י
עָנִ֥יתִי
מְאֹֽד׃
11. אֲ֭נִי
אָמַ֣רְתִּי
בְחָפְזִ֑י
כָּֽל־
הָאָדָ֥ם
כֹּזֵֽב׃
12. מָֽה־
אָשִׁ֥יב
לַיהוָ֑ה
כָּֽל־
תַּגְמוּל֥וֹהִי
עָלָֽי׃
13. כּוֹס־
יְשׁוּע֥וֹת
אֶשָּׂ֑א
וּבְשֵׁ֖ם
יְהוָ֣ה
אֶקְרָֽא׃
14. נְ֭דָרַי
לַיהוָ֣ה
אֲשַׁלֵּ֑ם
נֶגְדָה־
נָּ֝֗א
לְכָל־
עַמּֽוֹ׃
15. יָ֭קָר
בְּעֵינֵ֣י
יְהוָ֑ה
הַ֝מָּ֗וְתָה
לַחֲסִידָֽיו׃
16. אָֽנָּ֣ה
יְהוָה֮
כִּֽי־
אֲנִ֢י
עַ֫בְדֶּ֥ךָ
אֲֽנִי־
עַ֭בְדְּךָ
בֶּן־
אֲמָתֶ֑ךָ
פִּ֝תַּ֗חְתָּ
לְמוֹסֵרָֽי׃
17. לְֽךָ־
אֶ֭זְבַּח
זֶ֣בַח
תּוֹדָ֑ה
וּבְשֵׁ֖ם
יְהוָ֣ה
אֶקְרָֽא׃
18. נְ֭דָרַי
לַיהוָ֣ה
אֲשַׁלֵּ֑ם
נֶגְדָה־
נָּ֝֗א
לְכָל־
עַמּֽוֹ׃
19. בְּחַצְר֤וֹת ׀
בֵּ֤ית
יְהוָ֗ה
בְּֽת֘וֹכֵ֤כִי
יְֽרוּשָׁלִָ֗ם
הַֽלְלוּ־
יָֽהּ׃