Psalm 7 → 17
Reasoning: 8320 Output: 6027 Total: 14347
Argument
Thesis: Read as a sequence, Psalm 17 can be heard as the next step after Psalm 7: the plea for God to rise and judge (Ps 7) is followed by a night of divine testing and a renewed, more focused deliverance-petition (Ps 17), framed with the same forensic language, some identical phrases, and repeated images (enemies as a lion, God’s sword, “arise, YHWH,” mishpat/tsedeq). What Psalm 7 asks God to do, Psalm 17 assumes God has begun to do and asks Him to complete.
1) Form and rhetorical progression (genre)
- Both are individual laments/prayers of innocence attributed to David, structured by:
- Protestation of innocence
- Appeal to God as judge
- Description of predatory enemies
- Petition for intervention
- Confidence and/or vow
- Progression:
- Psalm 7 summons the cosmic court (“Arise… you appointed judgment,” 7:7–9) and asks God the “tester of hearts and kidneys” to end the evil of the wicked (7:10).
- Psalm 17 reports the testing as having happened “at night” (17:3), re-asks for God to arise (17:13), and sharpens the plea to concrete deliverance “by your sword” (17:13).
2) Highest‑weight verbal links (identical or near‑identical, and/or relatively rare)
- Exact formula: קוּמָה יְהוָה “Arise, YHWH”
- Ps 7:7; Ps 17:13. This fixed cry to mobilize divine help ties the two prayers tightly.
- Courtroom core: מִשְׁפָּט “judgment”
- Ps 7:7 “מִשְׁפָּט צִוִּיתָ” (you ordained judgment)
- Ps 17:2 “מִלְּפָנֶיךָ מִשְׁפָּטִי יֵצֵא” (let my judgment go forth from you)
- Same noun, same legal frame, now personalizing the decree of Ps 7.
- Forensic testing with בחן “to examine”
- Ps 7:10 “וּבֹחֵן לִבּוֹת וּכְלָיוֹת” (tester of hearts and kidneys)
- Ps 17:3 “בָּחַנְתָּ לִבִּי … צְרַפְתַּנִי” (you examined my heart… you refined me)
- Same root and semantic field (also adds “צרף” refine), showing Ps 17 as the experiential outworking of Ps 7’s appeal to the divine Examiner.
- Tsedeq cluster: צֶדֶק/צַדִּיק
- Ps 7:9–12, 18: “כְּצִדְקִי… אֱלֹהִים צַדִּיק… אוֹדֶה יְהוָה כְּצִדְקוֹ”
- Ps 17:1 “שִׁמְעָה יְהוָה צֶדֶק”; 17:15 “אֲנִי בְּצֶדֶק אֶחֱזֶה פָנֶיךָ”
- Psalm 7 ends on God’s righteousness; Psalm 17 opens with “Hear righteousness” and ends with “in righteousness I shall behold your face”—a tight rhetorical chain.
- Lion/tearing imagery with identical words:
- כְּאַרְיֵה + טָרַף
- Ps 7:3 “פֶּן־יִטְרֹף כְּאַרְיֵה נַפְשִׁי”
- Ps 17:12 “כְּאַרְיֵה יִכְסוֹף לִטְרֹף”
- The rare predator motif (lion eager “to tear”) reappears in nearly the same wording, carrying the same threat forward.
- Sword (חרב) as the instrument of judgment
- Ps 7:13–14 depicts the divine warrior’s weapons (sword, bow, arrows) prepared against the unrepentant.
- Ps 17:13 petitions: “פַּלְּטָה נַפְשִׁי מֵרָשָׁע חַרְבֶּךָ” (deliver my life from the wicked—your sword). Psalm 17 applies Psalm 7’s armory to the psalmist’s case.
- Surrounding (סבב)
- Ps 7:8 “וַעֲדַת לְאֻמִּים תְּסוֹבְבֶךָּ” (the assembly of nations surrounds You) in the court scene
- Ps 17:11 “סְבָבוּנוּ” (they have surrounded us/me) in the ambush scene
- The verb reprises, shifting the surround from God’s tribunal (Ps 7) to the psalmist’s peril (Ps 17).
3) Additional shared roots/themes (same root or tight semantic echo)
- Save/deliver for those who take refuge:
- חסה + י-ש-ע/פ-ל-ט
- Ps 7:2 “בְּךָ חָסִיתִי… הוֹשִׁיעֵנִי… וְהַצִּילֵנִי”
- Ps 17:7 “מוֹשִׁיעַ חוֹסִים” (Savior of those who take refuge), 17:13 “פַּלְּטָה נַפְשִׁי”
- Psalm 17 verbalizes precisely the identity God claimed in Psalm 7 (refuge and salvation).
- Uprightness: יָשָׁר/מֵישָׁרִים
- Ps 7:11 “מוֹשִׁיעַ יִשְׁרֵי־לֵב”
- Ps 17:2 “עֵינֶיךָ תֶּחֱזֶינָה מֵישָׁרִים”
- Same field of rectitude binds divine saving to human integrity.
- Enemies/evil: רְשָׁעִים / אוֹיֵב
- Ps 7:2, 6, 10 “רֹדְפַי… אוֹיֵב… רְשָׁעִים”
- Ps 17:9, 13 “רְשָׁעִים… אֹיְבַי”
- Nefesh (life) at risk and to be delivered:
- Ps 7:3 “נַפְשִׁי”
- Ps 17:13 “פַּלְּטָה נַפְשִׁי”
- High/exaltation imagery:
- Ps 7:8 “וְעָלֶיהָ לַמָּרוֹם שׁוּבָה” (return on high)
- Ps 7:18 “שֵׁם יְהוָה עֶלְיוֹן”
- Ps 17:8 sanctuary-like nearness “בְּצֵל כְּנָפֶיךָ תַּסְתִּירֵנִי” (shadow of Your wings), a common corollary to God enthroned on high/over the wings (cherubic imagery).
4) Conceptual developments that read Psalm 17 as the next step after Psalm 7
- From summoning the Judge to receiving judgment:
- Ps 7:7–10 calls for God’s court and invokes Him as “tester of hearts and kidneys.”
- Ps 17:3 claims the test has occurred (at night) and cleared the petitioner (“You examined… you refined me; you will find nothing”), so he can now ask that his vindicating “judgment” go forth (17:2).
- From threat to targeted rescue:
- Ps 7 fears being torn with “no rescuer” (7:3).
- Ps 17 asks for specific rescue “deliver my life” (17:13) and names the attacker as a lurking lion (17:12), i.e., the feared threat of Ps 7 is now present and identified.
- From general theology to personal vision:
- Ps 7 ends with praise for God’s righteousness.
- Ps 17 ends with the goal that flows from vindication: “In righteousness I shall behold your face… when I awake” (17:15). The night visitation (17:3) and morning “awakening” complete a liturgical “night watch → morning” arc not explicit in Ps 7 but fitting as its experiential sequel.
- Retribution principle carried forward:
- Ps 7:15–17 (the wicked fall into their own pit; their violence returns on their head).
- Ps 17:14 contrasts the wicked’s portion “in this life” (sated with children, leaving surplus) with the psalmist’s superior portion—beholding God (17:15). Both psalms resolve the righteous/wicked contrast with fitting outcomes.
5) Life-setting and cultic/mythic sequencing that ties the two
- Lawsuit-before-God sequence common in Israelite piety:
- Step 1 (Ps 7): take an oath of innocence and summon YHWH’s court; God is invoked as judge and as examiner of the inner person.
- Step 2 (Ps 17): undergo the nocturnal divine scrutiny (dream/vision language: “You visited at night,” 17:3), then “awake” to expect vindication (“when I awake I shall be satisfied with your likeness,” 17:15). The sanctuary motif (“shadow of your wings,” 17:8) suggests this happened near/at the temple, a typical place for such appeals.
- Divine warrior/judge imagery in sequence:
- Ps 7 arms the divine warrior (sword, bow, arrows) against the unrepentant.
- Ps 17 calls for that very sword to be used to deliver the petitioner from the wicked.
6) Weighing by the criteria you gave
- Highest significance (identical forms/rarer items):
- קוּמָה יְהוָה (identical phrase)
- כְּאַרְיֵה … טָרַף (same words and rare predation image)
- מִשְׁפָּט, צֶדֶק/צַדִּיק (core legal vocabulary repeated)
- בחן (same verb root, forensic testing, relatively marked)
- Medium significance (same root/field, close function):
- יָשָׁר/מֵישָׁרִים; חָסָה/חוֹסִים; י-ש-ע/מוֹשִׁיעַ; פ-ל-ט; ס-ב-ב; חֶרֶב; אֹיֵב/רְשָׁעִים; נֶפֶשׁ
- Conceptual but not lexical identity (lower weight, still cumulative):
- Courtroom-to-deliverance flow; night testing → morning awakening; retribution logic; sanctuary protection imagery complementing divine enthronement.
Bottom line: The accumulation of exact formulas (especially קומה יהוה; the lion/טרף image), repeated legal lexemes (מִשְׁפָּט; צֶדֶק), the distinctive testing verb בחן, the weapon/sword motif, and the shared salvation/refuge vocabulary, all within the same forensic-lament frame and a plausible cultic sequence (court → night-test → morning vindication), makes a strong case that Psalm 17 “logically follows” Psalm 7.
Evaluation
Score: 6.5
Evaluated at: 2025-11-23T03:56:07 (UTC)
Evaluator model: gpt-5
Evaluator version: v2
Reasoning: 4224 Output: 6854 Total: 11078
Checklist
- Has verse refs: Yes
- Factual error detected: No
- Only generic motifs: No
- Counterargument considered: No
- LXX/MT numbering acknowledged: No
Vocabulary specificity: 4.5 / 10
Multiple exact, verified links (קומה יהוה; בחן; אריה/טרף; חרב; משפט/צדק) and coherent progression. But motifs recur widely and psalms are non‑adjacent; no editorial marker. H₀ only moderately overcome.
Prompt
Consider Psalm 7 and Psalm 17 (reproduced below). What arguments could you make to justify that Psalm 17 logically follows on from Psalm 7? 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 7:
Psalm 7
1. שִׁגָּי֗וֹן
לְדָ֫וִ֥ד
אֲשֶׁר־
שָׁ֥ר
לַיהוָ֑ה
עַל־
דִּבְרֵי־
כ֝֗וּשׁ
בֶּן־
יְמִינִֽי׃
2. יְהוָ֣ה
אֱ֭לֹהַי
בְּךָ֣
חָסִ֑יתִי
הוֹשִׁיעֵ֥נִי
מִכָּל־
רֹ֝דְפַ֗י
וְהַצִּילֵֽנִי׃
3. פֶּן־
יִטְרֹ֣ף
כְּאַרְיֵ֣ה
נַפְשִׁ֑י
פֹּ֝רֵ֗ק
וְאֵ֣ין
מַצִּֽיל׃
4. יְהוָ֣ה
אֱ֭לֹהַי
אִם־
עָשִׂ֣יתִי
זֹ֑את
אִֽם־
יֶשׁ־
עָ֥וֶל
בְּכַפָּֽי׃
5. אִם־
גָּ֭מַלְתִּי
שֽׁוֹלְמִ֥י
רָ֑ע
וָאֲחַלְּצָ֖ה
צוֹרְרִ֣י
רֵיקָֽם׃
6. יִֽרַדֹּ֥ף
אוֹיֵ֨ב ׀
נַפְשִׁ֡י
וְיַשֵּׂ֗ג
וְיִרְמֹ֣ס
לָאָ֣רֶץ
חַיָּ֑י
וּכְבוֹדִ֓י ׀
לֶעָפָ֖ר
יַשְׁכֵּ֣ן
סֶֽלָה׃
7. ק֘וּמָ֤ה
יְהוָ֨ה ׀
בְּאַפֶּ֗ךָ
הִ֭נָּשֵׂא
בְּעַבְר֣וֹת
צוֹרְרָ֑י
וְע֥וּרָה
אֵ֝לַ֗י
מִשְׁפָּ֥ט
צִוִּֽיתָ׃
8. וַעֲדַ֣ת
לְ֭אֻמִּים
תְּסוֹבְבֶ֑ךָּ
וְ֝עָלֶ֗יהָ
לַמָּר֥וֹם
שֽׁוּבָה׃
9. יְהוָה֮
יָדִ֢ין
עַ֫מִּ֥ים
שָׁפְטֵ֥נִי
יְהוָ֑ה
כְּצִדְקִ֖י
וּכְתֻמִּ֣י
עָלָֽי׃
10. יִגְמָר־
נָ֬א
רַ֨ע ׀
רְשָׁעִים֮
וּתְכוֹנֵ֢ן
צַ֫דִּ֥יק
וּבֹחֵ֣ן
לִ֭בּ֗וֹת
וּכְלָי֗וֹת
אֱלֹהִ֥ים
צַדִּֽיק׃
11. מָֽגִנִּ֥י
עַל־
אֱלֹהִ֑ים
מ֝וֹשִׁ֗יעַ
יִשְׁרֵי־
לֵֽב׃
12. אֱ֭לֹהִים
שׁוֹפֵ֣ט
צַדִּ֑יק
וְ֝אֵ֗ל
זֹעֵ֥ם
בְּכָל־
יֽוֹם׃
13. אִם־
לֹ֣א
יָ֭שׁוּב
חַרְבּ֣וֹ
יִלְט֑וֹשׁ
קַשְׁתּ֥וֹ
דָ֝רַ֗ךְ
וַֽיְכוֹנְנֶֽהָ׃
14. וְ֭לוֹ
הֵכִ֣ין
כְּלֵי־
מָ֑וֶת
חִ֝צָּ֗יו
לְֽדֹלְקִ֥ים
יִפְעָֽל׃
15. הִנֵּ֥ה
יְחַבֶּל־
אָ֑וֶן
וְהָרָ֥ה
עָ֝מָ֗ל
וְיָ֣לַד
שָֽׁקֶר׃
16. בּ֣וֹר
כָּ֭רָֽה
וַֽיַּחְפְּרֵ֑הוּ
וַ֝יִּפֹּ֗ל
בְּשַׁ֣חַת
יִפְעָֽל׃
17. יָשׁ֣וּב
עֲמָל֣וֹ
בְרֹאשׁ֑וֹ
וְעַ֥ל
קָ֝דְקֳד֗וֹ
חֲמָס֥וֹ
יֵרֵֽד׃
18. אוֹדֶ֣ה
יְהוָ֣ה
כְּצִדְק֑וֹ
וַ֝אֲזַמְּרָ֗ה
שֵֽׁם־
יְהוָ֥ה
עֶלְיֽוֹן׃
Psalm 17:
Psalm 17
1. תְּפִלָּ֗ה
לְדָ֫וִ֥ד
שִׁמְעָ֤ה
יְהוָ֨ה ׀
צֶ֗דֶק
הַקְשִׁ֥יבָה
רִנָּתִ֗י
הַאֲזִ֥ינָה
תְפִלָּתִ֑י
בְּ֝לֹ֗א
שִׂפְתֵ֥י
מִרְמָֽה׃
2. מִ֭לְּפָנֶיךָ
מִשְׁפָּטִ֣י
יֵצֵ֑א
עֵ֝ינֶ֗יךָ
תֶּחֱזֶ֥ינָה
מֵישָׁרִֽים׃
3. בָּ֘חַ֤נְתָּ
לִבִּ֨י ׀
פָּ֘קַ֤דְתָּ
לַּ֗יְלָה
צְרַפְתַּ֥נִי
בַל־
תִּמְצָ֑א
זַ֝מֹּתִ֗י
בַּל־
יַעֲבָר־
פִּֽי׃
4. לִפְעֻלּ֣וֹת
אָ֭דָם
בִּדְבַ֣ר
שְׂפָתֶ֑יךָ
אֲנִ֥י
שָׁ֝מַ֗רְתִּי
אָרְח֥וֹת
פָּרִֽיץ׃
5. תָּמֹ֣ךְ
אֲ֭שֻׁרַי
בְּמַעְגְּלוֹתֶ֑יךָ
בַּל־
נָמ֥וֹטּוּ
פְעָמָֽי׃
6. אֲנִֽי־
קְרָאתִ֣יךָ
כִֽי־
תַעֲנֵ֣נִי
אֵ֑ל
הַֽט־
אָזְנְךָ֥
לִ֝֗י
שְׁמַ֣ע
אִמְרָתִֽי׃
7. הַפְלֵ֣ה
חֲ֭סָדֶיךָ
מוֹשִׁ֣יעַ
חוֹסִ֑ים
מִ֝מִּתְקוֹמְמִ֗ים
בִּֽימִינֶֽךָ׃
8. שָׁ֭מְרֵנִי
כְּאִישׁ֣וֹן
בַּת־
עָ֑יִן
בְּצֵ֥ל
כְּ֝נָפֶ֗יךָ
תַּסְתִּירֵֽנִי׃
9. מִפְּנֵ֣י
רְ֭שָׁעִים
ז֣וּ
שַׁדּ֑וּנִי
אֹיְבַ֥י
בְּ֝נֶ֗פֶשׁ
יַקִּ֥יפוּ
עָלָֽי׃
10. חֶלְבָּ֥מוֹ
סָּגְר֑וּ
פִּ֝֗ימוֹ
דִּבְּר֥וּ
בְגֵאֽוּת׃
11. אַ֭שֻּׁרֵינוּ
עַתָּ֣ה
סבבוני
סְבָב֑וּנוּ
עֵינֵיהֶ֥ם
יָ֝שִׁ֗יתוּ
לִנְט֥וֹת
בָּאָֽרֶץ׃
12. דִּמְיֹנ֗וֹ
כְּ֭אַרְיֵה
יִכְס֣וֹף
לִטְר֑וֹף
וְ֝כִכְפִ֗יר
יֹשֵׁ֥ב
בְּמִסְתָּרִֽים׃
13. קוּמָ֤ה
יְהוָ֗ה
קַדְּמָ֣ה
פָ֭נָיו
הַכְרִיעֵ֑הוּ
פַּלְּטָ֥ה
נַ֝פְשִׁ֗י
מֵרָשָׁ֥ע
חַרְבֶּֽךָ׃
14. מִֽמְתִ֥ים
יָדְךָ֨ ׀
יְהוָ֡ה
מִֽמְתִ֬ים
מֵחֶ֗לֶד
חֶלְקָ֥ם
בַּֽחַיִּים֮
וצפינך
וּֽצְפוּנְךָ֮
תְּמַלֵּ֢א
בִ֫טְנָ֥ם
יִשְׂבּ֥עוּ
בָנִ֑ים
וְהִנִּ֥יחוּ
יִ֝תְרָ֗ם
לְעוֹלְלֵֽיהֶם׃
15. אֲנִ֗י
בְּ֭צֶדֶק
אֶחֱזֶ֣ה
פָנֶ֑יךָ
אֶשְׂבְּעָ֥ה
בְ֝הָקִ֗יץ
תְּמוּנָתֶֽךָ׃