Psalm 6 → 132
Reasoning: 7616 Output: 4878 Total: 12494
Argument
Here are lines of argument that, taken together, can justify reading Psalm 132 as a logical follow‑on to Psalm 6. I list the strongest links first (rarer and more specific vocabulary; identical or near‑identical forms), then broader thematic, formal and historical connections. 1) Rare and specific “bed/sleep/eyes” cluster - The uncommon noun ערש “couch/bed” appears in both: - Ps 6:7 בְּדִמְעָתִי עַרְשִׂי אַמְסֶה “with my tears I soak my couch” - Ps 132:3 עַל־עֶרֶשׂ יְצוּעָי “onto the couch of my bed” - Ps 132 adds the very rare יְצוּעַ “bed, couch” and the rare עַפְעַף “eyelid” (132:4), while Ps 6 contributes שֵׁנָה implicitly through the “all night” weeping and explicitly stresses the eye: עֵינִי (6:8) “my eye is dim.” - Both psalms focus on nocturnal posture and the eye: - Ps 6:7–8 “all night … my bed … my couch … my eye is consumed” - Ps 132:3–4 “I will not go up on the couch of my bed; I will not give sleep to my eyes, nor slumber to my eyelids.” - Effect: Psalm 6’s sleepless, tear‑soaked bed is “answered” by Psalm 132’s vowed renunciation of bed/sleep until God finds His resting place. This is a rare, concrete motif‑bridge. 2) Imperatives moving God: “Return/Arise” - Ps 6:5 שׁוּבָה יְהוָה “Return, YHWH!” - Ps 132:8 קוּמָה יְהוָה לִמְנוּחָתֶךָ “Arise, YHWH, to your resting place!” - Both are direct imperatives relocating the divine presence. Psalm 6 pleads for God to “turn back” to the sufferer; Psalm 132 summons God to “arise” into Zion’s sanctuary. The crisis of divine distance in Psalm 6 resolves in the arrival of God to His “rest” in Psalm 132. 3) “Hearing” pivot (שׁמע) - Ps 6 centers on YHWH hearing the suppliant: שָׁמַע יְהוָה קוֹל בִּכְיִי … תְּחִנָּתִי … תְּפִלָּתִי (6:9–10). - Ps 132 pivots to the community’s hearing: הִנֵּה־שְׁמַעֲנֻהָ בְאֶפְרָתָה “Behold, we heard of it in Ephrathah” (132:6). - Movement: from God hearing the individual’s cry (Ps 6) to Israel hearing the news of God’s ark and presence (Ps 132). 4) “Remember” (זכר) in antiphonal reversal - Ps 6:6 כִּי אֵין בַּמָּוֶת זִכְרֶךָ “In death there is no remembrance of you.” - Ps 132:1 זְכוֹר־יְהוָה לְדָוִד “Remember, YHWH, David…” - Psalm 6 fears a realm where God receives no remembrance; Psalm 132 opens by asking God to remember David—an exact root match that flips the direction: the human cannot remember God in death; therefore God must remember David and keep the promise of life and worship in Zion. 5) Enemy‑shame resolution at each psalm’s close - Ps 6:11 יֵבֹשׁוּ… כָּל־אֹיְבַי “Let all my enemies be ashamed…” - Ps 132:18 אֹיְבָיו אַלְבִּישׁ בֹּשֶׁת “His enemies I will clothe with shame.” - Shared lexemes: אוֹיֵב “enemy”; בּוֹשׁ/בֹּשֶׁת “shame.” Both psalms culminate by projecting disgrace onto the adversaries; Ps 132 states it as God’s decree that fulfills Ps 6’s petition. 6) Worship motive resolved: from “who will praise?” to “let us worship” - Ps 6:6–7 “In death there is no remembrance of you; in Sheol who will give thanks to you?” - Ps 132:7 נָבוֹאָה לְמִשְׁכְּנוֹתָיו נִשְׁתַּחֲוֶה לַהֲדֹם רַגְלָיו “Let us go to His dwelling places; let us worship at His footstool.” - The plea that life be spared so that God can be praised (Ps 6) is answered by a communal liturgy of approach and prostration in the sanctuary (Ps 132). 7) “Hesed” cluster (root חסד) - Ps 6:5 לְמַעַן חַסְדֶּךָ “for the sake of your loyal love.” - Ps 132:9, 16 וַחֲסִידֶיךָ יְרַנֵּנוּ; … חֲסִידֶיהָ רַנֵּן יְרַנֵּנוּ “your faithful ones (hasidim) will sing for joy.” - Same root; Psalm 6 appeals to God’s ḥesed; Psalm 132 shows the ḥasidim celebrating under that covenant love. 8) “Turn/return” (שוב) chain across both psalms - Ps 6:5 שׁוּבָה; 6:11 יָשֻׁבוּ “Return [O God] … let [enemies] turn back.” - Ps 132:10 אַל־תָּשֵׁב פְּנֵי מְשִׁיחֶךָ “Do not turn away the face of your anointed”; 132:11 לֹא־יָשׁוּב “He will not turn back” (from His oath). - Multiple appearances of the same root—first as supplication and wish, then as divine guarantee. 9) Time contrast: “How long?/moment” vs. “forever” - Ps 6:4 עַד־מָתָי “How long?”; 6:11 רָגַע “in a moment.” - Ps 132:12, 14 עֲדֵי־עַד “forever and ever.” - The brief, anguished timescale of Ps 6 is answered by the perpetual stability of Zion and David’s line in Ps 132. 10) Stylistic and formal sequencing - Ps 6 is an individual lament (suppliant on a sickbed, tears by night), including: - direct address to YHWH, - confessional weakness, - petitions for healing and deliverance, - imprecation against enemies, - a turn to confidence that God has heard. - Ps 132 is a communal Song of Ascents that: - recalls David’s vow (vv. 2–5), - reports the ark’s finding and procession (vv. 6–9), - cites YHWH’s oath to David (vv. 11–12), - celebrates Zion’s election and permanent rest (vv. 13–18). - As a liturgical sequence, the personal night‑lament logically gives way to communal ascent and enthronement: the bed of tears (Ps 6) to the sanctuary’s resting place (Ps 132). 11) Historical/life‑cycle logic in ancient Israel - Common sequence: crisis → vow → deliverance → worship/thanksgiving. - Ps 6 = crisis and plea for life (a typical “sickbed” lament). - Ps 132 = vow and fulfillment: David “will not give sleep to [his] eyes” until he finds “a place for YHWH,” culminating in ark‑installation and the oath affirmed to David (cf. 2 Sam 6–7; 1 Chr 15–17). - “Arise, YHWH” (132:8) echoes the ark‑processional cry (Num 10:35), which in narrative terms follows deliverance from enemies—a fitting resolution to the enmity and shame language of Ps 6. 12) Additional smaller links - Both are “of/for David” (Ps 6 superscription; Ps 132:1 “Remember David”), tying the persona. - Ps 132’s double clothing imagery (priests clothed with righteousness/salvation, enemies clothed with shame) contrasts with Ps 6’s “soaked bed”—a vivid shift from private disarray to public vesting and order. - Ps 6’s appeal to be spared from Sheol so that praise can continue is thematically answered by Ps 132’s lamp for the anointed and the sprouting horn—symbols of ongoing life and dynasty in God’s presence. In sum: A tightly interlocking cluster of rare “bed/sleep/eye” terms, repeated roots (שׁמע, זכר, שוב, בושׁ, חסד), parallel imperatives moving God (שׁוּבָה/קוּמָה), and shared ending on enemy shame, together with the canonical life‑cycle of lament → vow → sanctuary/worship, makes it reasonable to read Psalm 132 as a logical development and resolution of the situation posed in Psalm 6.
Evaluation
Score: 7.8
Evaluated at: 2025-11-22T03:57:11 (UTC)
Evaluator model: gpt-5
Evaluator version: v2
Reasoning: 3392 Output: 5719 Total: 9111
Checklist
- Has verse refs: Yes
- Factual error detected: No
- Only generic motifs: No
- Counterargument considered: Yes
- LXX/MT numbering acknowledged: No
Vocabulary specificity: 6.8 / 10
Strong, text-anchored links—especially the rare bed/sleep/eye cluster (ערש/יצוע/עפעף)—plus imperatives (שובה/קומה) and enemy-shame closings. Yet many roots are ubiquitous (שמע/שוב/בוש), bed motifs recur elsewhere, and editorial distance weakens necessity.
Prompt
Consider Psalm 6 and Psalm 132 (reproduced below). What arguments could you make to justify that Psalm 132 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 132:
Psalm 132
1. שִׁ֗יר
הַֽמַּ֫עֲל֥וֹת
זְכוֹר־
יְהוָ֥ה
לְדָוִ֑ד
אֵ֝ת
כָּל־
עֻנּוֹתֽוֹ׃
2. אֲשֶׁ֣ר
נִ֭שְׁבַּע
לַיהוָ֑ה
נָ֝דַ֗ר
לַאֲבִ֥יר
יַעֲקֹֽב׃
3. אִם־
אָ֭בֹא
בְּאֹ֣הֶל
בֵּיתִ֑י
אִם־
אֶ֝עֱלֶ֗ה
עַל־
עֶ֥רֶשׂ
יְצוּעָֽי׃
4. אִם־
אֶתֵּ֣ן
שְׁנַ֣ת
לְעֵינָ֑י
לְֽעַפְעַפַּ֥י
תְּנוּמָֽה׃
5. עַד־
אֶמְצָ֣א
מָ֭קוֹם
לַיהוָ֑ה
מִ֝שְׁכָּנ֗וֹת
לַאֲבִ֥יר
יַעֲקֹֽב׃
6. הִנֵּֽה־
שְׁמַֽעֲנ֥וּהָ
בְאֶפְרָ֑תָה
מְ֝צָאנ֗וּהָ
בִּשְׂדֵי־
יָֽעַר׃
7. נָב֥וֹאָה
לְמִשְׁכְּנוֹתָ֑יו
נִ֝שְׁתַּחֲוֶ֗ה
לַהֲדֹ֥ם
רַגְלָֽיו׃
8. קוּמָ֣ה
יְ֭הוָה
לִמְנוּחָתֶ֑ךָ
אַ֝תָּ֗ה
וַאֲר֥וֹן
עֻזֶּֽךָ׃
9. כֹּהֲנֶ֥יךָ
יִלְבְּשׁוּ־
צֶ֑דֶק
וַחֲסִידֶ֥יךָ
יְרַנֵּֽנוּ׃
10. בַּ֭עֲבוּר
דָּוִ֣ד
עַבְדֶּ֑ךָ
אַל־
תָּ֝שֵׁ֗ב
פְּנֵ֣י
מְשִׁיחֶֽךָ׃
11. נִשְׁבַּֽע־
יְהוָ֨ה ׀
לְדָוִ֡ד
אֱמֶת֮
לֹֽא־
יָשׁ֢וּב
מִ֫מֶּ֥נָּה
מִפְּרִ֥י
בִטְנְךָ֑
אָ֝שִׁ֗ית
לְכִסֵּא־
לָֽךְ׃
12. אִֽם־
יִשְׁמְר֬וּ
בָנֶ֨יךָ ׀
בְּרִיתִי֮
וְעֵדֹתִ֥י
ז֗וֹ
אֲלַ֫מְּדֵ֥ם
גַּם־
בְּנֵיהֶ֥ם
עֲדֵי־
עַ֑ד
יֵ֝שְׁב֗וּ
לְכִסֵּא־
לָֽךְ׃
13. כִּֽי־
בָחַ֣ר
יְהוָ֣ה
בְּצִיּ֑וֹן
אִ֝וָּ֗הּ
לְמוֹשָׁ֥ב
לֽוֹ׃
14. זֹאת־
מְנוּחָתִ֥י
עֲדֵי־
עַ֑ד
פֹּֽה־
אֵ֝שֵׁ֗ב
כִּ֣י
אִוִּתִֽיהָ׃
15. צֵ֭ידָהּ
בָּרֵ֣ךְ
אֲבָרֵ֑ךְ
אֶ֝בְיוֹנֶ֗יהָ
אַשְׂבִּ֥יעַֽ
לָֽחֶם׃
16. וְֽ֭כֹהֲנֶיהָ
אַלְבִּ֣ישׁ
יֶ֑שַׁע
וַ֝חֲסִידֶ֗יהָ
רַנֵּ֥ן
יְרַנֵּֽנוּ׃
17. שָׁ֤ם
אַצְמִ֣יחַ
קֶ֣רֶן
לְדָוִ֑ד
עָרַ֥כְתִּי
נֵ֝֗ר
לִמְשִׁיחִֽי׃
18. א֭וֹיְבָיו
אַלְבִּ֣ישׁ
בֹּ֑שֶׁת
וְ֝עָלָ֗יו
יָצִ֥יץ
נִזְרֽוֹ׃