Psalm 6 → 136
Reasoning: 7488 Output: 4674 Total: 12162
Argument
Short thesis: Psalm 136 reads very naturally as the liturgical, communal “answer” to the individual lament of Psalm 6. The petitioner in Psalm 6 begs God to act “for the sake of your hesed,” argues that the living are those who can give thanks, and anticipates the shaming and turning back of enemies. Psalm 136 then enacts that thanks, celebrates the very hesed invoked in Psalm 6, and rehearses God’s paradigm acts of deliverance from enemies. Below are multiple lines of evidence (lexical, formal, thematic, and cultic) that make this sequence logical. 1) High‑value lexical bridges (same roots; rarer or more marked items first) - ידה “to give thanks/praise” (verb, same root and same semantic field) - Ps 6:6 מִי יוֹדֶה־לָּךְ “who will give thanks to you?” (yodeh-lakh) - Ps 136:1–3, 26 הוֹדוּ “give thanks” (imperative plural) repeated - Significance: Psalm 6 makes “giving thanks” the point of being spared from death; Psalm 136 is the communal performance of that thanks. - חסד “loyal love/steadfast love” (core covenant term; in Ps 136 it is the refrain) - Ps 6:5 הוֹשִׁיעֵנִי לְמַעַן חַסְדֶּךָ “save me for the sake of your hesed” - Ps 136 passim כִּי לְעוֹלָם חַסְדּוֹ “for his hesed endures forever” - Significance: The motivation appealed to in Ps 6 becomes the keynote of Ps 136. - זכר “remember” - Ps 6:6 אֵין בַּמָּוֶת זִכְרֶךָ “in death there is no remembrance of you” - Ps 136:23 שֶׁבְּשִׁפְלֵנוּ זָכַר לָנוּ “who in our low estate remembered us” - Significance: Ps 6 worries that God’s remembrance will cease if the speaker dies; Ps 136 proclaims that God did remember. - צרר “adversary/distress” as noun with pronominal suffix (same word class) - Ps 6:8 בְּכָל־צוֹרְרָי “because of all my adversaries” - Ps 136:24 מִצָּרֵינוּ “from our adversaries” - Significance: The private “my adversaries” becomes the communal “our adversaries”; Psalm 136 narrates God’s deliverance from them. - Temporal tension: עַד־מָתַי “how long?” ↔ לְעוֹלָם “forever” - Ps 6:4 וְאַתָּה יְהוָה עַד־מָתָי “But you, YHWH—how long?” - Ps 136 refrain: לְעוֹלָם “forever” - Significance: Psalm 6’s anguished “how long?” is answered by the liturgical certainty “forever [is his hesed].” - לַיְלָה “night” - Ps 6:7 בְכָל־לַיְלָה “all night long” - Ps 136:9 בַלָּיְלָה “by night” (moon and stars rule by night) - Significance: The night of tears in Ps 6 is countered by God’s creational ordering of night in Ps 136; the God who orders night also ends nights of distress. 2) Formal and genre sequencing - Psalm 6 is an individual lament with: - negative pleas (do not rebuke in anger), petitions for deliverance, a motivation clause (for your hesed), and a pivot to confidence (the LORD has heard my cry). - Like many laments, Ps 6 implicitly anticipates a thanksgiving response (its “who will give thanks to you?” sets up that outcome). - Psalm 136 is a communal thanksgiving/Hallel with antiphonal refrain. - In Israelite worship, vows or expectations of praise in laments were fulfilled by public thanksgiving in the assembly. - Thus Ps 136 is exactly the kind of congregational liturgy that would follow the deliverance Ps 6 expects. 3) Theological and narrative logic - From threatened death to living praise: - Ps 6: “In death there is no remembrance; in Sheol who will give thanks?” - Ps 136: the community now gives thanks—proof that God sustained life. - From plea for merciful deliverance to historical proof of such deliverance: - Ps 6: “Save me for the sake of your hesed.” - Ps 136: catalogs God’s saving hesed in creation, exodus, crossing the sea, wilderness leading, conquest, inheritance, and ongoing provision. This is the archetypal template that grounds the personal hope of Ps 6. - From enemies shamed to enemies overthrown: - Ps 6:11 envisions enemies turning back in sudden shame. - Ps 136:10–20 shows God striking Egypt, drowning Pharaoh, defeating mighty kings—covenant enemies are indeed shamed and undone. 4) Cultic life and performance setting - Psalm 6 has performance directions (לַמְנַצֵּחַ; עַל־הַשְּׁמִינִית), marking it as a piece intended for temple performance, likely first as a lament. - Psalm 136 is the paradigmatic antiphonal Great Hallel (cf. its refrain elsewhere in communal worship). It is exactly what one would sing after God “heard” the lament and granted relief. - The individual-to-communal arc mirrors ordinary Israelite worship: the supplicant prays in distress, is delivered, then joins the assembly’s great thanksgiving. 5) Smaller but suggestive links - Vocabulary of salvation/deliverance: - Ps 6:5 חַלְּצָה נַפְשִׁי; הוֹשִׁיעֵנִי - Ps 136:11–12 וַיּוֹצֵא יִשְׂרָאֵל…; 24 וַיִּפְרְקֵנוּ מִצָּרֵינוּ - Different verbs, same semantic field of rescue. - Lowliness language: - Ps 6:3 אֻמְלַל אֲנִי “I am languishing/feeble” - Ps 136:23 שְׁפָלֵנוּ “our low estate” - The individual’s weakness widens to the community’s lowliness, both met by divine remembrance. Bottom line: On lexical grounds (especially ידה, חסד, זכר, צרר), on genre logic (lament moving to thanksgiving), on theological trajectory (from “How long?” and “who will thank you?” to “forever is his hesed” and “give thanks”), and on cultic practice (individual prayer fulfilled in communal Hallel), it is very reasonable to read Psalm 136 as the logical, liturgical continuation of Psalm 6.
Evaluation
Score: 6.0
Evaluated at: 2025-11-22T04:02:50 (UTC)
Evaluator model: gpt-5
Evaluator version: v2
Reasoning: 2560 Output: 5502 Total: 8062
Checklist
- Has verse refs: Yes
- Factual error detected: No
- Only generic motifs: No
- Counterargument considered: No
- LXX/MT numbering acknowledged: No
Vocabulary specificity: 3.0 / 10
Strong lexical bridges with verse refs (yodeh, hesed, zakhar, tsarar; Ps 6:5–6; Ps 136:1–3,23–24). Yet these terms are common; no editorial markers; non-adjacency and many alternative “answers” weaken sequence.
Prompt
Consider Psalm 6 and Psalm 136 (reproduced below). What arguments could you make to justify that Psalm 136 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 136:
Psalm 136
1. הוֹד֣וּ
לַיהוָ֣ה
כִּי־
ט֑וֹב
כִּ֖י
לְעוֹלָ֣ם
חַסְדּֽוֹ׃
2. ה֭וֹדוּ
לֵֽאלֹהֵ֣י
הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים
כִּ֖י
לְעוֹלָ֣ם
חַסְדּֽוֹ׃
3. ה֭וֹדוּ
לַאֲדֹנֵ֣י
הָאֲדֹנִ֑ים
כִּ֖י
לְעֹלָ֣ם
חַסְדּֽוֹ׃
4. לְעֹ֘שֵׂ֤ה
נִפְלָא֣וֹת
גְּדֹל֣וֹת
לְבַדּ֑וֹ
כִּ֖י
לְעוֹלָ֣ם
חַסְדּֽוֹ׃
5. לְעֹשֵׂ֣ה
הַ֭שָּׁמַיִם
בִּתְבוּנָ֑ה
כִּ֖י
לְעוֹלָ֣ם
חַסְדּֽוֹ׃
6. לְרֹקַ֣ע
הָ֭אָרֶץ
עַל־
הַמָּ֑יִם
כִּ֖י
לְעוֹלָ֣ם
חַסְדּֽוֹ׃
7. לְ֭עֹשֵׂה
אוֹרִ֣ים
גְּדֹלִ֑ים
כִּ֖י
לְעוֹלָ֣ם
חַסְדּֽוֹ׃
8. אֶת־
הַ֭שֶּׁמֶשׁ
לְמֶמְשֶׁ֣לֶת
בַּיּ֑וֹם
כִּ֖י
לְעוֹלָ֣ם
חַסְדּֽוֹ׃
9. אֶת־
הַיָּרֵ֣חַ
וְ֭כוֹכָבִים
לְמֶמְשְׁל֣וֹת
בַּלָּ֑יְלָה
כִּ֖י
לְעוֹלָ֣ם
חַסְדּֽוֹ׃
10. לְמַכֵּ֣ה
מִ֭צְרַיִם
בִּבְכוֹרֵיהֶ֑ם
כִּ֖י
לְעוֹלָ֣ם
חַסְדּֽוֹ׃
11. וַיּוֹצֵ֣א
יִ֭שְׂרָאֵל
מִתּוֹכָ֑ם
כִּ֖י
לְעוֹלָ֣ם
חַסְדּֽוֹ׃
12. בְּיָ֣ד
חֲ֭זָקָה
וּבִזְר֣וֹעַ
נְטוּיָ֑ה
כִּ֖י
לְעוֹלָ֣ם
חַסְדּֽוֹ׃
13. לְגֹזֵ֣ר
יַם־
ס֭וּף
לִגְזָרִ֑ים
כִּ֖י
לְעוֹלָ֣ם
חַסְדּֽוֹ׃
14. וְהֶעֱבִ֣יר
יִשְׂרָאֵ֣ל
בְּתוֹכ֑וֹ
כִּ֖י
לְעוֹלָ֣ם
חַסְדּֽוֹ׃
15. וְנִ֘עֵ֤ר
פַּרְעֹ֣ה
וְחֵיל֣וֹ
בְיַם־
ס֑וּף
כִּ֖י
לְעוֹלָ֣ם
חַסְדּֽוֹ׃
16. לְמוֹלִ֣יךְ
עַ֭מּוֹ
בַּמִּדְבָּ֑ר
כִּ֖י
לְעוֹלָ֣ם
חַסְדּֽוֹ׃
17. לְ֭מַכֵּה
מְלָכִ֣ים
גְּדֹלִ֑ים
כִּ֖י
לְעוֹלָ֣ם
חַסְדּֽוֹ׃
18. וַֽ֭יַּהֲרֹג
מְלָכִ֣ים
אַדִּירִ֑ים
כִּ֖י
לְעוֹלָ֣ם
חַסְדּֽוֹ׃
19. לְ֭סִיחוֹן
מֶ֣לֶךְ
הָאֱמֹרִ֑י
כִּ֖י
לְעוֹלָ֣ם
חַסְדּֽוֹ׃
20. וּ֭לְעוֹג
מֶ֣לֶךְ
הַבָּשָׁ֑ן
כִּ֖י
לְעוֹלָ֣ם
חַסְדּֽוֹ׃
21. וְנָתַ֣ן
אַרְצָ֣ם
לְנַחֲלָ֑ה
כִּ֖י
לְעוֹלָ֣ם
חַסְדּֽוֹ׃
22. נַ֭חֲלָה
לְיִשְׂרָאֵ֣ל
עַבְדּ֑וֹ
כִּ֖י
לְעוֹלָ֣ם
חַסְדּֽוֹ׃
23. שֶׁ֭בְּשִׁפְלֵנוּ
זָ֣כַר
לָ֑נוּ
כִּ֖י
לְעוֹלָ֣ם
חַסְדּֽוֹ׃
24. וַיִּפְרְקֵ֥נוּ
מִצָּרֵ֑ינוּ
כִּ֖י
לְעוֹלָ֣ם
חַסְדּֽוֹ׃
25. נֹתֵ֣ן
לֶ֭חֶם
לְכָל־
בָּשָׂ֑ר
כִּ֖י
לְעוֹלָ֣ם
חַסְדּֽוֹ׃
26. ה֭וֹדוּ
לְאֵ֣ל
הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם
כִּ֖י
לְעוֹלָ֣ם
חַסְדּֽוֹ׃