Psalm 7 → 71

Reasoning: 8448 Output: 7136 Total: 15584

Argument

Thesis: Psalm 71 reads like a mature, late-life reprise of the crisis and prayer voiced in Psalm 7. It re‑uses several of Psalm 7’s key lexemes, formulas, and motifs (especially rare or pointed forms), but shifts the accent from self-vindication before the Judge to lifelong trust in the Judge’s righteousness and a resolve to teach the next generation. In other words, Psalm 71 “follows on” Psalm 7 both linguistically and biographically.

1) Strong lexical ties (identical forms and rare collocations)
- בך יהוה חסיתי (“In you, YHWH, I have taken refuge”): Ps 7:2; Ps 71:1. The wording is essentially identical (1cs perf. חסיתי + בך + יהוה), a high‑value catchword linking the openings.
- ואין מציל (“and there is no rescuer”): Ps 7:3; Ps 71:11. The exact two-word collocation is rare and appears in both psalms; in Ps 7:3 it is the psalmist’s fear; in Ps 71:11 it is the enemies’ taunt—narratively apt as a later echo.
- צִוִּיתָ (“you have commanded”): Ps 7:7 מִשְׁפָּט צִוִּיתָ; Ps 71:3 צִוִּיתָ לְהוֹשִׁיעֵנִי. Identical pointed verb form (Piel 2ms) used in both, and in both cases God’s “command” is the pivot from crisis to trust (judgment ordered in Ps 7; rescue ordered in Ps 71).
- ואזמרה (“and I will sing”): Ps 7:18; Ps 71:22 (אֲזַמְּרָה). Same 1cs cohortative form from זמר as the climactic vow of praise.
- למרום/מרום (“on high/sublime height”): Ps 7:8 לַמָּרוֹם שׁוּבָה; Ps 71:19 וְצִדְקָתְךָ... עַד־מָרוֹם. The shared noun marks God’s transcendence and enthronement, which in Ps 7 grounds judgment, and in Ps 71 grounds saving righteousness.
- ירדף (“pursue”): Ps 7:6 יִרַדֹּף אוֹיֵב נַפְשִׁי; Ps 71:11 רִדְפוּ וְתִפְשֻׂהוּ. Same root (רדף) undergirds the “hunted” motif; in Ps 71 the verb is now on the enemies’ lips, recalling the earlier danger.
- כל־יום / בכל־יום (“all the day”): Ps 7:12 אֵל זֹעֵם בְּכָל־יוֹם; Ps 71:8, 15, 24 כָּל־הַיּוֹם. The refrain of continuity/constancy is shared, though with different syntactic framing.

2) Shared root fields and semantic clusters
- צדק (“righteous/ness”):
  - Ps 7:9–12: שָׁפְטֵנִי... כְּצִדְקִי; אֱלֹהִים צַדִּיק; אֱלֹהִים שׁוֹפֵט צַדִּיק.
  - Ps 71:2, 15–16, 19, 24: בְּצִדְקָתְךָ תַּצִּילֵנִי; צִדְקָתֶךָ... צִדְקָתְךָ לְבַדֶּךָ; וְצִדְקָתְךָ... עַד־מָרוֹם; תֶּהְגֶּה צִדְקָתֶךָ.
  Shift: Psalm 7 stresses God as righteous Judge vis‑à‑vis the psalmist’s righteousness; Psalm 71 relocates confidence explicitly in God’s righteousness as saving power.
- ישע/ישועה, נצל, פל”ט (“save/deliver/rescue”):
  - Ps 7:2 הוֹשִׁיעֵנִי... וְהַצִּילֵנִי; 7:11 מוֹשִׁיעַ.
  - Ps 71:2 תַּצִּילֵנִי וּתְפַלְּטֵנִי; 71:15 תְּשׁוּעָתֶךָ; 71:23 נַפְשִׁי אֲשֶׁר פָּדִיתָ.
  The rescue lexicon is pervasive in both; Psalm 71 amplifies it.
- שוב (“turn/again”):
  - Ps 7:8 שׁוּבָה (imperative); 7:17 יָשׁוּב עֲמָלוֹ (“his trouble will return on his head”).
  - Ps 71:20 תָּשׁוּב תְּחַיֵּנִי... תָּשׁוּב תַּעֲלֵנִי (“you will again revive/lift me”).
  Same root used for judicial reversal in Ps 7 and restorative reversal in Ps 71—fitting a life‑long arc.
- “Pit/earth” descent and reversal:
  - Ps 7:6 לָאָרֶץ חַיָּי... לֶעָפָר יַשְׁכֵּן; 7:16 בּוֹר... בְּשַׁחַת.
  - Ps 71:20 מִתְּהֹמוֹת הָאָרֶץ... תַּעֲלֵנִי.
  Both envision a near‑death descent to the “earth” answered by divine raising; Ps 71 spells out the upward reversal more explicitly.

3) Form and genre: an individual lament with vow of praise
- Both have the classic lament structure: invocation + complaint/danger + petition + confidence + vow of praise.
  - Psalm 7: Plea (vv. 2–3), protestation of innocence and self‑imprecation (vv. 4–6), call for judicial intervention (vv. 7–12), portrayal of divine weaponry and retributive reversal (vv. 13–17), vow of praise (v. 18).
  - Psalm 71: Plea (vv. 1–4), confession of life‑long trust (vv. 5–8), complaint of frailty and enemy plot (vv. 9–13), confidence and vow (vv. 14–16), purpose to instruct the next generation and doxology (vv. 17–24).
- The shared courtroom idiom (שְׁפֹט, מִשְׁפָּט, צֶדֶק) is prominent in both, but Psalm 71 relocates the “court” outcome into a life‑catechesis (“taught from my youth” … “even to old age let me declare your arm”), i.e., a logical sequel.

4) The enemies’ script is the same, but later
- Pursuit vocabulary and capture scenario:
  - Ps 7:6 “Let the enemy pursue (יִרַדֹּף) my soul and overtake it…”
  - Ps 71:11 “God has forsaken him; pursue (רִדְפוּ) and seize him, for there is no rescuer (אֵין מַצִּיל).”
  Psalm 71 explicitly puts into the enemies’ mouths the fear voiced in Psalm 7. This is a conspicuous “answering echo.”
- Retributive logic:
  - Ps 7:15–17 the evildoer falls into his own pit; his violence descends on his head.
  - Ps 71:13 let the adversaries be shamed and consumed; let reproach cover those who seek my harm.
  Same doctrine of lex talionis; different diction, suitably aged and less graphic.

5) The praise ending in Ps 7 is “opened up” by Ps 71
- Psalm 7 closes: אוֹדֶה יְהוָה כְּצִדְקוֹ; וַאֲזַמְּרָה שֵׁם־יְהוָה עֶלְיוֹן.
- Psalm 71 expands this into sustained praise language and instrumentation (נבל, כנור), repeated אוֹדֶה/אֲזַמְּרָה, and a didactic horizon (“that I may declare your arm to a generation to come,” 71:18). Formally, Psalm 71 reads as the fulfillment and elaboration of the vow of Psalm 7.

6) Life‑cycle logic (biographical plausibility)
- Psalm 7’s superscription (“concerning the words of Cush the Benjamite”) locates the lament amid Benjamite hostility (plausibly Saul’s circle). It is a “hunted youth/early career” prayer, emphasizing innocence and forensic vindication.
- Psalm 71 explicitly frames the speaker’s lifespan (from womb/youth to old age and gray hair, vv. 5–6, 9, 17–18). The taunt “God has forsaken him; pursue and seize him” (71:11) mirrors the kind of derision David faced in old‑age crises (e.g., 2 Sam 16–17; note Shimei the Benjamite’s taunt that YHWH has given David up). Thus, historically and narratively, Psalm 71 is a plausible “later‑life” sequel to the situation presupposed in Psalm 7.
- Developmental shift: Psalm 7 centers on protestation of innocence (“If I have done this…”) and appeal for judgment. Psalm 71 has no oath of innocence; instead, it rests in God’s righteousness and aims to pass on testimony (“you taught me from my youth… let me declare to the next generation”). That is exactly how a “follow‑on” prayer from an older voice should sound.

7) Additional stylistic and thematic correspondences
- Protective metaphors: Ps 7:11 “my shield is with God” (מָגִנִּי עַל־אֱלֹהִים); Ps 71:7 “you are my strong refuge” (מַחֲסִי־עֹז). Different imagery, same class of protection metaphors.
- Near/far divine presence: Ps 7:7 “Arise… be exalted… awake for me” (קומה… הִנָּשֵׂא… וְעוּרָה אֵלַי); Ps 71:12 “O God, do not be far… hasten to help” (אַל־תִּרְחַק… חוּשָׁה). Same plea in different idioms.
- Highness language: Ps 7:8 “return on high” (לַמָּרוֹם שׁוּבָה); Ps 71:19 “your righteousness… to the height” (עַד־מָרוֹם). God’s “height” brackets judgment (Ps 7) and salvation (Ps 71).

8) Weighing significance (rarity and exactness)
- Highest‑value links (identical and/or rarer): בך יהוה חסיתי; ואין מציל; צִוִּיתָ; ואזמרה; למרום/מרום; the pursuit verb רדף used in a matched scenario.
- Medium‑value links (same root/semantic domain): the dense צדק cluster; rescue vocabulary (ישע/נצל/פלט/פדה); שוב as reversal; descent/ascent between שחת/עפר/תהומות־הארץ.
- Lower‑value (conceptual echoes): protection metaphors; day‑long language; plea for nearness.

Conclusion: On lexical, formal, thematic, and life‑historical grounds, Psalm 71 can be read as a deliberate “answering” sequel to Psalm 7. It reprises key phrases from Psalm 7—most strikingly בך יהוה חסיתי, ואין מציל, צִוִּיתָ, and ואזמרה—reframes the courtroom appeal in terms of God’s saving righteousness, and situates the prayer at the other end of a life first marked by Benjamite pursuit. The result is a coherent two‑stage spiritual narrative: the hunted servant’s plea for righteous judgment (Psalm 7) ripens into the aged saint’s testimony and renewed plea for rescue, coupled with a vow to teach the next generation (Psalm 71).

Evaluation

Score: 6.0

Evaluated at: 2025-11-25T03:44:53 (UTC)

Evaluator model: gpt-5

Evaluator version: v2

Reasoning: 4608 Output: 7975 Total: 12583

Vocabulary specificity: 3.0 / 10

Accurate verse-linked overlaps (בך…חסיתי; אין מציל; צִוִּיתָ; אֲזַמְּרָה; רָדַף) and coherent life-stage rationale, but formulas are common across Psalms; rarity claims unproven; no counter-evidence engaged. Strong, not decisive.

Prompt

Consider Psalm 7 and Psalm 71 (reproduced below). What arguments could you make to justify that Psalm 71 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 71:
Psalm 71
1. בְּךָֽ־
        יְהוָ֥ה
        חָסִ֑יתִי
        אַל־
        אֵב֥וֹשָׁה
        לְעוֹלָֽם׃
2. בְּצִדְקָתְךָ֗
        תַּצִּילֵ֥נִי
        וּֽתְפַלְּטֵ֑נִי
        הַטֵּֽה־
        אֵלַ֥י
        אָ֝זְנְךָ֗
        וְהוֹשִׁיעֵֽנִי׃
3. הֱיֵ֤ה
        לִ֨י ׀
        לְצ֥וּר
        מָע֡וֹן
        לָב֗וֹא
        תָּמִ֗יד
        צִוִּ֥יתָ
        לְהוֹשִׁיעֵ֑נִי
        כִּֽי־
        סַלְעִ֖י
        וּמְצוּדָתִ֣י
        אָֽתָּה׃
4. אֱ‍ֽלֹהַ֗י
        פַּ֭לְּטֵנִי
        מִיַּ֣ד
        רָשָׁ֑ע
        מִכַּ֖ף
        מְעַוֵּ֣ל
        וְחוֹמֵץ׃
5. כִּֽי־
        אַתָּ֥ה
        תִקְוָתִ֑י
        אֲדֹנָ֥י
        יְ֝הוִ֗ה
        מִבְטַחִ֥י
        מִנְּעוּרָֽי׃
6. עָלֶ֤יךָ ׀
        נִסְמַ֬כְתִּי
        מִבֶּ֗טֶן
        מִמְּעֵ֣י
        אִ֭מִּי
        אַתָּ֣ה
        גוֹזִ֑י
        בְּךָ֖
        תְהִלָּתִ֣י
        תָמִֽיד׃
7. כְּ֭מוֹפֵת
        הָיִ֣יתִי
        לְרַבִּ֑ים
        וְ֝אַתָּ֗ה
        מַֽחֲסִי־
        עֹֽז׃
8. יִמָּ֣לֵא
        פִ֭י
        תְּהִלָּתֶ֑ךָ
        כָּל־
        הַ֝יּ֗וֹם
        תִּפְאַרְתֶּֽךָ׃
9. אַֽל־
        תַּ֭שְׁלִיכֵנִי
        לְעֵ֣ת
        זִקְנָ֑ה
        כִּכְל֥וֹת
        כֹּ֝חִ֗י
        אַֽל־
        תַּעַזְבֵֽנִי׃
10. כִּֽי־
        אָמְר֣וּ
        אוֹיְבַ֣י
        לִ֑י
        וְשֹׁמְרֵ֥י
        נַ֝פְשִׁ֗י
        נוֹעֲצ֥וּ
        יַחְדָּֽו׃
11. לֵ֭אמֹר
        אֱלֹהִ֣ים
        עֲזָב֑וֹ
        רִֽדְפ֥וּ
        וְ֝תִפְשֻׂ֗וּהוּ
        כִּי־
        אֵ֥ין
        מַצִּֽיל׃
12. אֱ֭לֹהִים
        אַל־
        תִּרְחַ֣ק
        מִמֶּ֑נִּי
        אֱ֝לֹהַ֗י
        לְעֶזְרָ֥תִי
        חישה
        חֽוּשָׁה׃
13. יֵבֹ֣שׁוּ
        יִכְלוּ֮
        שֹׂטְנֵ֢י
        נַ֫פְשִׁ֥י
        יַֽעֲט֣וּ
        חֶ֭רְפָּה
        וּכְלִמָּ֑ה
        מְ֝בַקְשֵׁ֗י
        רָעָתִֽי׃
14. וַ֭אֲנִי
        תָּמִ֣יד
        אֲיַחֵ֑ל
        וְ֝הוֹסַפְתִּ֗י
        עַל־
        כָּל־
        תְּהִלָּתֶֽךָ׃
15. פִּ֤י ׀
        יְסַפֵּ֬ר
        צִדְקָתֶ֗ךָ
        כָּל־
        הַיּ֥וֹם
        תְּשׁוּעָתֶ֑ךָ
        כִּ֤י
        לֹ֖א
        יָדַ֣עְתִּי
        סְפֹרֽוֹת׃
16. אָב֗וֹא
        בִּ֭גְבֻרוֹת
        אֲדֹנָ֣י
        יְהִ֑cוה
        אַזְכִּ֖יר
        צִדְקָתְךָ֣
        לְבַדֶּֽךָ׃
17. אֱ‍ֽלֹהִ֗ים
        לִמַּדְתַּ֥נִי
        מִנְּעוּרָ֑י
        וְעַד־
        הֵ֝֗נָּה
        אַגִּ֥יד
        נִפְלְאוֹתֶֽיךָ׃
18. וְגַ֤ם
        עַד־
        זִקְנָ֨ה ׀
        וְשֵׂיבָה֮
        אֱלֹהִ֢ים
        אַֽל־
        תַּעַ֫זְבֵ֥נִי
        עַד־
        אַגִּ֣יד
        זְרוֹעֲךָ֣
        לְד֑וֹר
        לְכָל־
        יָ֝ב֗וֹא
        גְּבוּרָתֶֽךָ׃
19. וְצִדְקָתְךָ֥
        אֱלֹהִ֗ים
        עַד־
        מָ֫ר֥וֹם
        אֲשֶׁר־
        עָשִׂ֥יתָ
        גְדֹל֑וֹת
        אֱ֝לֹהִ֗ים
        מִ֣י
        כָמֽוֹךָ׃
20. אֲשֶׁ֤ר
        הראיתנו
        הִרְאִיתַ֨נִי ׀
        צָר֥וֹת
        רַבּ֗וֹת
        וְרָ֫ע֥וֹת
        תָּשׁ֥וּב
        תחיינו
        תְּחַיֵּ֑ינִי
        וּֽמִתְּהֹמ֥וֹת
        הָ֝אָ֗רֶץ
        תָּשׁ֥וּב
        תַּעֲלֵֽנִי׃
21. תֶּ֤רֶב ׀
        גְּֽדֻלָּתִ֗י
        וְתִסֹּ֥ב
        תְּֽנַחֲמֵֽנִי׃
22. גַּם־
        אֲנִ֤י ׀
        אוֹדְךָ֣
        בִכְלִי־
        נֶבֶל֮
        אֲמִתְּךָ֢
        אֱלֹ֫הָ֥י
        אֲזַמְּרָ֣ה
        לְךָ֣
        בְכִנּ֑וֹר
        קְ֝ד֗וֹשׁ
        יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
23. תְּרַנֵּ֣נָּ֣ה
        שְׂ֭פָתַי
        כִּ֣י
        אֲזַמְּרָה־
        לָּ֑ךְ
        וְ֝נַפְשִׁ֗י
        אֲשֶׁ֣ר
        פָּדִֽיתָ׃
24. גַּם־
        לְשׁוֹנִ֗י
        כָּל־
        הַ֭יּוֹם
        תֶּהְגֶּ֣ה
        צִדְקָתֶ֑ךָ
        כִּי־
        בֹ֥שׁוּ
        כִֽי־
        חָ֝פְר֗וּ
        מְבַקְשֵׁ֥י
        רָעָתִֽי׃