Psalm 7 → 125
Reasoning: 10688 Output: 4635 Total: 15323
Argument
Here are ways to argue that Psalm 125 is a logical sequel or answer to Psalm 7, grouped by kind of evidence and weighted (as requested) toward rarer or tighter matches. 1) Most specific lexical links (rarer/more distinctive) - Hands + iniquity (עוֶל/עַוְלָה with hand language): - Ps 7:4 “אִם־יֶשׁ־עָוֶל בְּכַפָּי” (if there is wrong in my palms). - Ps 125:3 “לְמַעַן לֹא־יִשְׁלְחוּ הַצַּדִּיקִים בְּעַוְלָתָה יְדֵיהֶם” (so the righteous do not stretch out their hands to iniquity). This is a strikingly specific collocation: avlāh with hands/palms. It is relatively rare and ties the individual’s oath of innocence (Ps 7) to the community’s prayer for protection from being driven to wrongdoing (Ps 125). - “Upright” and “heart” as a set (ישר + לב): - Ps 7:10–11 “בֹּחֵן לִבּוֹת… מוֹשִׁיעַ יִשְׁרֵי־לֵב.” - Ps 125:4 “וְלִישָׁרִים בְּלִבּוֹתָם.” Same root and collocation (upright + hearts), moving from the Judge who examines hearts and saves the upright (Ps 7) to a blessing over those upright-in-heart (Ps 125). - אָוֶן (iniquity) with פעל: - Ps 7:15 “יְחַבֶּל־אָוֶן… וְיָלַד שָׁקֶר… חִצָּיו… יִפְעָל.” - Ps 125:5 “אֶת־פֹּעֲלֵי הָאָוֶן.” The noun אָוֶן matches, and the use of פעל for evildoing appears in both (verb in Ps 7; participial noun in Ps 125). “פֹעֲלֵי הָאָוֶן” is a technical phrase for evildoers and lines up well with Ps 7’s iniquity-doers. - Surround (סביב) motif (same root and imagery): - Ps 7:8 “וַעֲדַת לְאֻמִּים תְּסוֹבְבֶךָּ.” - Ps 125:2 “הָרִים סָבִיב לָהּ… יְהוָה סָבִיב לְעַמּוֹ.” The shift is artful: in Ps 7 the nations encircle God as He judges; in Ps 125 the hills encircle Jerusalem and YHWH encircles His people. The same root and image are redeployed as the outcome of the judgment scene. - ש-ל-ם root: - Ps 7:5 “אִם־גָּמַלְתִּי שׁוֹלְמִי רָע” (if I repaid evil to my ally/one at peace with me). - Ps 125:5 “שָׁלוֹם עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵל.” The relatively uncommon noun “שׁוֹלְמִי” (one at peace with me) anticipates the closing benediction “Peace upon Israel,” moving from contested “peace” in the individual’s case to realized peace for the nation. 2) Thematic/semantic pairs that tighten the sequence - Establish vs. not totter: - Ps 7:10 “וּתְכוֹנֵן צַדִּיק” (establish the righteous). - Ps 125:1 “הַבֹּטְחִים בַּיהוָה… לֹא־יִמּוֹט” (the trusters… will not totter). “תכון” (establish) and “לא ימוט” (not be moved) are a well-known pair; Ps 125 reads as the answer to the petition of Ps 7 by declaring the righteous (here, the trusters) stabilized like Zion. - Righteous vs wicked axis: - Ps 7 is saturated with צדיק/רשע language (vv. 9–13). - Ps 125:3 balances “שֵׁבֶט הָרֶשַׁע” over “גּוֹרַל הַצַּדִּיקִים,” then vv. 4–5 explicitly separate “טובים/ישרים” from “פֹּעֲלֵי הָאָוֶן.” Ps 125 universalizes Ps 7’s private plea into communal moral order. - Trust/refuge domain: - Ps 7:2 “בְּךָ חָסִיתִי… הוֹשִׁיעֵנִי” (I take refuge… save me). - Ps 125:1 “הַבֹּטְחִים בַּיהוָה” (those who trust in YHWH). The refuge of the “I” becomes the trust of the “we,” culminating in communal security. - Divine judgment yielding protection: - Ps 7:7–12 Divine court imagery (קֻמָה… מִשְׁפָּט צִוִּיתָ; “YHWH judges the peoples”). - Ps 125:3–5 After judgment, the rod of wickedness won’t rest on the righteous, and deviators are led off with evildoers. The outcome Ps 7 prays for is the reality Ps 125 pronounces. 3) Structural/formal progression that “makes sense” as a sequence - From oath-based individual lament to communal song of trust: - Ps 7 contains juridical oaths of innocence (אם… אם…) and an appeal for God to judge. - Ps 125 is a collective assurance (Song of Ascents) that the community is secure and morally ordered under God’s rule. This mirrors the common lament→trust trajectory: plea (Ps 7) followed by assurance/benediction (Ps 125). - Vow to sing → actual “Song”: - Ps 7:18 “אוֹדֶה… וַאֲזַמְּרָה שֵׁם־יְהוָה עֶלְיוֹן.” - Ps 125’s superscription “שִׁיר הַמַּעֲלוֹת” and its content function as the realized praise of a delivered pilgrim community. - Courtroom/enthronement → Zion/pilgrimage: - Ps 7:8 “וְעָלֶיהָ לַמָּרוֹם שׁוּבָה” (return on high) with the nations gathered around the Judge evokes a divine enthronement/judgment scene. - Ps 125 sets us on Zion among the encircling hills—the destination of pilgrims—where the judged order is now stable. The encirclement is inverted: nations around God in court (Ps 7) → God around His people in Zion (Ps 125). 4) Broader historical–mythic storyline that fits both - From threat by a Benjamite (Ps 7 title) to secure Jerusalem (Ps 125): A plausible Davidic arc: conflict from Saul’s house (Benjamin) gives way to a secured Zion/Jerusalem order. Ps 125’s Zion/peace frame reads as the historical-theological resolution of Ps 7’s royal/forensic crisis. - Legal gate to temple ascent: In Israelite life, vindication at law commonly led to thanksgiving at the sanctuary. Ps 7 is courtroom language; Ps 125 is liturgical ascent language—exactly the “next step” in lived piety. 5) Additional (secondary) lexical echoes - Time framing: - Ps 7:12 “אֵל זֹעֵם בְּכָל־יוֹם” (angry every day). - Ps 125:2 “מֵעַתָּה וְעַד־עוֹלָם” (from now and forever). Daily justice in Ps 7 transitions to permanent stability in Ps 125. - Dwelling language: - Ps 7:6 “וּכְבוֹדִי לֶעָפָר יַשְׁכֵּן” (my glory would dwell in the dust). - Ps 125:1 “כְּהַר־צִיּוֹן לֹא־יִמּוֹט לְעוֹלָם יֵשֵׁב” (abides forever). Different roots (שכן vs ישב) but shared “dwelling/abiding” semantic field, moving from threatened descent to dust to immovable dwelling on Zion. - People(s): - Ps 7:9 “יָדִין עַמִּים” (judge the peoples). - Ps 125:2 “יְהוָה סָבִיב לְעַמּוֹ” (YHWH surrounds His people). Universal judging God (Ps 7) becomes covenantal guardian (Ps 125). Bottom line Read this way, Psalm 125 answers Psalm 7. The specific lexical ties (especially עָוֶל with hands, ישר + לב, אָוֶן/פֹעֲלֵי הָאָוֶן, and the סביב motif), the establishment/not-totter pair, and the movement from individual forensic plea to communal stability on Zion together make a strong case that Psalm 125 could intentionally follow Psalm 7 as the narrative-liturgical resolution to the earlier lament and appeal.
Evaluation
Score: 6.5
Evaluated at: 2025-11-27T03:35:19 (UTC)
Evaluator model: gpt-5
Evaluator version: v2
Reasoning: 2880 Output: 5450 Total: 8330
Checklist
- Has verse refs: Yes
- Factual error detected: No
- Only generic motifs: No
- Counterargument considered: No
- LXX/MT numbering acknowledged: No
Vocabulary specificity: 5.0 / 10
Multiple precise lexical links (hands+avlah; upright-in-heart; פעלי־און; סביב) and plausible sequence, but motifs are common in Psalms; distant canonical placement; no editorial markers or counterarguments. No caps triggered.
Prompt
Consider Psalm 7 and Psalm 125 (reproduced below). What arguments could you make to justify that Psalm 125 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 125:
Psalm 125
1. שִׁ֗יר
הַֽמַּ֫עֲל֥וֹת
הַבֹּטְחִ֥ים
בַּיהוָ֑ה
כְּֽהַר־
צִיּ֥וֹן
לֹא־
יִ֝מּ֗וֹט
לְעוֹלָ֥ם
יֵשֵֽׁב׃
2. יְֽרוּשָׁלִַ֗ם
הָרִים֮
סָבִ֢יב
לָ֥הּ
וַ֭יהוָה
סָבִ֣יב
לְעַמּ֑וֹ
מֵ֝עַתָּ֗ה
וְעַד־
עוֹלָֽם׃
3. כִּ֤י ׀t
לֹ֪א
יָנ֡tוּחַ
שֵׁ֤בֶט
הָרֶ֗שַׁע
עַל֮
גּוֹרַ֢ל
הַֽצַּדִּ֫יקִ֥ים
לְמַ֡עַן
לֹא־
יִשְׁלְח֖וּ
הַצַדִּיקִ֨ים
בְּעַוְלָ֬תָה
יְדֵיהֶֽם׃
4. הֵיטִ֣יבָה
יְ֭הוָה
לַטּוֹבִ֑ים
וְ֝לִֽישָׁרִ֗ים
בְּלִבּוֹתָֽם׃
5. וְהַמַּטִּ֤ים
עַֽקַלְקַלּוֹתָ֗ם
יוֹלִיכֵ֣ם
יְ֭הוָה
אֶת־
פֹּעֲלֵ֣י
הָאָ֑וֶן
שָׁ֝ל֗וֹם
עַל־
יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃