Psalm 6 → 135

Reasoning: 8640 Output: 4915 Total: 13555

Argument

Here are lines of argument that make it plausible to read Psalm 135 as the logical “next step” after Psalm 6.

Genre/setting: from private night-lament to public temple-praise
- Psalm 6 is a solitary lament of acute distress (sickness, threat of death, enemies), with the classic “How long?” and urgent imperatives to God, ending in assurance that YHWH has heard (vv. 9–10).
- The natural sequel in Israelite ritual life is to fulfill the vow of praise publicly in the sanctuary once deliverance is assured. Psalm 135 is exactly such a communal temple hymn: “you who stand in the house of YHWH, in the courts of the house of our God” (135:2), with imperatives to the congregation—“Praise,” “Sing,” “Bless.”
- Temporal movement fits: Ps 6 locates the speaker on his bed “all night” (בכל לילה; 6:7), while Ps 135 situates worshippers standing by day in the temple courts. The canonical logic is: the night of tears (Ps 6) gives way to public daytime praise (Ps 135).

The “name”/“memorial” thread (rare/specific forms)
- Identical noun form with 2ms suffix: זכרך “your memorial” appears in both.
  - Ps 6:6: “For in death there is no remembrance of you (אין במות זכרך).”
  - Ps 135:13: “YHWH, your name is forever; YHWH, your memorial (זכרך) for every generation.”
- This is a strong lexical hook: the exact same consonantal form (זכרך) is negated by death in Ps 6 but affirmed and universalized in Ps 135. What death would erase, the worshipping community perpetuates.
- Closely tied is “name” (שם):
  - Ps 6:6 denies that the dying can “remember” God.
  - Ps 135 piles on “name” language: “Praise the name of YHWH” (135:1), “Sing to his name” (135:3), “YHWH, your name is forever” (135:13). This reads as the realized answer to Ps 6’s fear that praise/memorial will be silenced.

From “Who will give thanks?” to a chorus of praise verbs
- Ps 6:6: “In Sheol who will give thanks (יודה) to you?”—a rhetorical point: if God lets the psalmist die, public thanksgiving ends.
- Ps 135 answers by flooding the scene with praise imperatives and near-synonyms: הללו (“Praise,” vv. 1,3), זמרו (“Sing,” v. 3), ברכו (“Bless,” vv. 19–20), and concludes with ברוך יהוה (v. 21).
- Though the exact lemma ידה (“give thanks”) is not reused, the semantic field is decisively fulfilled, and in the place where such thanks belongs: the house/courts of YHWH (135:2).

“How long?” versus “forever” (time problem solved)
- Ps 6:4: “But you, YHWH—how long?” (עד־מתי)
- Ps 135:13 counters with permanence: “YHWH, your name is forever (לעולם)… your memorial for generation and generation (לדור ודור).”
- The lament’s temporal anxiety yields to a proclamation of God’s unending renown.

Hearing: the God who hears versus idols that cannot
- Ps 6 climaxes with hearing language repeated: “YHWH has heard (שמע) the sound of my weeping” (6:9); “YHWH has heard my supplication” (6:10); “YHWH accepts my prayer” (6:10).
- Ps 135 sets this over against idol polemic: “Ears they have, but they do not hear (לא יאזינו)” (135:17). The juxtaposition heightens the contrast: Israel’s God hears and responds; the nations’ gods don’t.
- This is a well-known psalmic pairing strategy (cf. Ps 115’s idol satire followed by Ps 116’s “I love YHWH, because he hears my voice”), here recreated by reading Ps 6 (hearing) next to Ps 135 (idols can’t hear).

Eyes motif: the sufferer’s eyes versus the idols’ eyes
- Ps 6:8: “My eye grows dim (עָשְׁשָׁה… עֵינִי) because of grief.”
- Ps 135:16: “Eyes they have, but do not see (עיניים… ולא יראו).”
- Both exploit “eye” imagery (same root ע-י-ן), but to opposite effect: the living sufferer’s eye fails under affliction; the idol’s eye never functioned. Read together, they press the point that only the living before God can truly see/speak/praise.

Enemies: shame/dread in Ps 6; historical defeat in Ps 135
- Ps 6:8–11: “All my enemies” (כל אויבי)… “let them be ashamed and terrified” (יבשו ויבהלו)… “let them turn back” (ישובו).
- Ps 135 rehearses God’s actualizing of that hope on Israel’s macro-scale: plagues, signs and wonders in Egypt (vv. 8–9), defeat of kings (vv. 10–11), and gift of the land (v. 12).
- The personal plea for reversal (Ps 6) flows into the communal memory of reversal (Ps 135), which is the theological ground for confidence in the lament.

Anger/compassion: from “not in wrath” to “he will have compassion”
- Ps 6:2: “Do not rebuke me in your anger (בְּאַפְּךָ)… nor discipline me in your wrath (בחמתך).”
- Ps 135:14: “For YHWH will judge his people, and on his servants he will have compassion (יתנחם).”
- The lament’s request that divine anger not fall on the petitioner yields to the hymn’s assurance of God’s compassionate governance of his servants.

Life and death: death threatens praise; God deals death to oppressors
- Ps 6 fears death/Sheol as the end of praise (vv. 6–7).
- Ps 135 shows YHWH wielding death against Israel’s foes (vv. 8–11) and ruling the cosmic depths (vv. 6–7; בימים… וכל תהומות). In ANE imagery, Sheol and the watery deeps are linked realms of chaos and death; the God who masters the deeps is able to rescue from Sheol and thus preserve praise.

Workers/servants contrast
- Ps 6:9: “Depart from me, all workers of iniquity (כל פעלי און).”
- Ps 135 reframes the identity of the congregation as “servants of YHWH” (עבדי יהוה; vv. 1, 14) and condemns idol-makers/doers (עֹשֵׂיהֶם; v. 18). The two psalms sharpen a moral divide between “doers” of iniquity and “servants” of YHWH.

“Moment” versus “generations”
- Ps 6:11: “Let them be ashamed in a moment (רגע).”
- Ps 135:13: “Your memorial for generation and generation.” The fleeting fate of enemies is set against the enduring fame of YHWH.

Summary of the cumulative case
- Form/setting: individual lament with assurance (Ps 6) naturally fulfilled by communal temple praise (Ps 135).
- Key shared lexemes and forms: identical זכרך; heavy “name” motif; praise vocabulary answering יֹודֶה question; hearing/eyes motifs; enemies motif.
- Theology/history: the lament’s plea for life so that praise may continue is answered by a hymn that enacts that praise in the temple and grounds it in the exodus-conquest memory.
- Stylistic logic: Ps 6’s night, bed, tears, fear of Sheol → Ps 135’s day, temple courts, hallelujahs, “your memorial forever.”

On these grounds—especially the identical זכרך, the “who will give thanks?” answered by a battery of “Praise/Sing/Bless,” and the hearing/eyes contrasts—Psalm 135 reads as a coherent and satisfying sequel to Psalm 6.

Evaluation

Score: 5.5

Evaluated at: 2025-11-22T04:01:48 (UTC)

Evaluator model: gpt-5

Evaluator version: v2

Reasoning: 3968 Output: 5744 Total: 9712

Vocabulary specificity: 3.5 / 10

Flags: generic

Multiple verse-anchored links (זכרך; מי יודה answered by praise imperatives; hearing/eyes contrasts), but motifs are common; psalms are non-adjacent; ignores strong 135–115/136 ties. Plausible editorial rationale, not decisive.

Prompt

Consider Psalm 6 and Psalm 135 (reproduced below). What arguments could you make to justify that Psalm 135 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 135:
Psalm 135
1. הַ֥לְלוּ
        יָ֨הּ ׀
        הַֽ֭לְלוּ
        אֶת־
        שֵׁ֣ם
        יְהוָ֑ה
        הַֽ֝לְלוּ
        עַבְדֵ֥י
        יְהוָֽה׃
2. שֶׁ֣֭עֹֽמְדִים
        בְּבֵ֣ית
        יְהוָ֑ה
        בְּ֝חַצְר֗וֹת
        בֵּ֣ית
        אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ׃
3. הַֽ֭לְלוּ־
        יָהּ
        כִּי־
        ט֣וֹב
        יְהוָ֑ה
        זַמְּר֥וּ
        לִ֝שְׁמ֗וֹ
        כִּ֣י
        נָעִֽים׃
4. כִּֽי־
        יַעֲקֹ֗ב
        בָּחַ֣ר
        ל֣וֹ
        יָ֑הּ
        יִ֝שְׂרָאֵ֗ל
        לִסְגֻלָּתֽוֹ׃
5. כִּ֤י
        אֲנִ֣י
        יָ֭דַעְתִּי
        כִּי־
        גָד֣וֹל
        יְהוָ֑ה
        וַ֝אֲדֹנֵ֗ינוּ
        מִכָּל־
        אֱלֹהִֽים׃
6. כֹּ֤ל
        אֲשֶׁר־
        חָפֵ֥ץ
        יְהוָ֗ה
        עָ֫שָׂ֥ה
        בַּשָּׁמַ֥יִם
        וּבָאָ֑רֶץ
        בַּ֝יַּמִּ֗ים
        וְכָל־
        תְּהוֹמֽוֹת׃
7. מַֽעֲלֶ֣ה
        נְשִׂאִים֮
        מִקְצֵ֢ה
        הָ֫אָ֥רֶץ
        בְּרָקִ֣ים
        לַמָּטָ֣ר
        עָשָׂ֑ה
        מֽוֹצֵא־
        ר֝וּחַ
        מֵאֽוֹצְרוֹתָֽיו׃
8. שֶֽׁ֭הִכָּה
        בְּכוֹרֵ֣י
        מִצְרָ֑יִם
        מֵ֝אָדָ֗ם
        עַד־
        בְּהֵמָֽה׃
9. שָׁלַ֤ח ׀
        אֹת֣וֹת
        וּ֖dמֹפְתִים
        בְּתוֹכֵ֣כִי
        מִצְרָ֑יִם
        בְּ֝פַרְעֹ֗ה
        וּבְכָל־
        עֲבָדָֽיו׃
10. שֶֽׁ֭הִכָּה
        גּוֹיִ֣ם
        רַבִּ֑ים
        וְ֝הָרַ֗ג
        מְלָכִ֥ים
        עֲצוּמִֽים׃
11. לְסִיח֤וֹן ׀
        מֶ֤לֶךְ
        הָאֱמֹרִ֗י
        וּ֭לְעוֹג
        מֶ֣לֶךְ
        הַבָּשָׁ֑ן
        וּ֝לְכֹ֗ל
        מַמְלְכ֥וֹת
        כְּנָֽעַן׃
12. וְנָתַ֣ן
        אַרְצָ֣ם
        נַחֲלָ֑ה
        נַ֝חֲלָ֗ה
        לְיִשְׂרָאֵ֥ל
        עַמּֽוֹ׃
13. יְ֭הוָה
        שִׁמְךָ֣
        לְעוֹלָ֑ם
        יְ֝הוָ֗ה
        זִכְרְךָ֥
        לְדֹר־
        וָדֹֽר׃
14. כִּֽי־
        יָדִ֣ין
        יְהוָ֣ה
        עַמּ֑וֹ
        וְעַל־
        עֲ֝בָדָ֗יו
        יִתְנֶחָֽם׃
15. עֲצַבֵּ֣י
        הַ֭גּוֹיִם
        כֶּ֣סֶף
        וְזָהָ֑ב
        מַ֝עֲשֵׂ֗ה
        יְדֵ֣י
        אָדָֽם׃
16. פֶּֽה־
        לָ֭הֶם
        וְלֹ֣א
        יְדַבֵּ֑רוּ
        עֵינַ֥יִם
        לָ֝הֶ֗ם
        וְלֹ֣א
        יִרְאֽוּ׃
17. אָזְנַ֣יִם
        לָ֭הֶם
        וְלֹ֣א
        יַאֲזִ֑ינוּ
        אַ֝֗ף
        אֵין־
        יֶשׁ־
        ר֥וּחַ
        בְּפִיהֶֽם׃
18. כְּ֭מוֹהֶם
        יִהְי֣וּ
        עֹשֵׂיהֶ֑ם
        כֹּ֭ל
        אֲשֶׁר־
        בֹּטֵ֣חַ
        בָּהֶֽם׃
19. בֵּ֣ית
        יִ֭שְׂרָאֵל
        בָּרֲכ֣וּ
        אֶת־
        יְהוָ֑ה
        בֵּ֥ית
        אַ֝הֲרֹ֗ן
        בָּרֲכ֥וּ
        אֶת־
        יְהוָֽה׃
20. בֵּ֣ית
        הַ֭לֵּוִי
        בָּרֲכ֣וּ
        אֶת־
        יְהוָ֑ה
        יִֽרְאֵ֥י
        יְ֝הוָ֗ה
        בָּרֲכ֥וּ
        אֶת־
        יְהוָֽה׃
21. בָּ֘ר֤וּךְ
        יְהוָ֨ה ׀
        מִצִיּ֗וֹן
        שֹׁ֘כֵ֤ן
        יְֽרוּשָׁלִָ֗ם
        הַֽלְלוּ־
        יָֽהּ׃