Psalm 7 → 128
Reasoning: 15616 Output: 4675 Total: 20291
Argument
Here are ways to argue that Psalm 128 “logically follows” Psalm 7, grouped by kind of evidence and with the stronger linguistic links first. Shared words and roots (rarer or identical forms first) - סביב “around” appears in both, and in parallel scenes of gathering: - Ps 7:8 “וַעֲדַת לְאֻמִּים תְּסוֹבְבֶךָ” the assembly of the peoples will surround you (God). - Ps 128:3 “סָבִיב לְשֻׁלְחָנֶךָ” your children are “around” your table. Micro/macro echo: the cosmic circle around God in judgment becomes the domestic circle around the table in blessing. - כף “hand/palm” with pronominal suffix, same noun and field of meaning (moral status of one’s hands vs fruit of one’s hands): - Ps 7:4 “אִם־יֶשׁ־עָוֶל בְּכַפָּי” if there is injustice in my hands. - Ps 128:2 “יְגִיעַ כַּפֶּיךָ כִּי תֹאכֵל” you shall eat the labor of your hands. Retributive symmetry: in Ps 7 clean hands plead for vindication; in Ps 128 clean hands enjoy their own yield. - חיי “life” with suffix, same noun: - Ps 7:6 “וְיִרְמֹס לָאָרֶץ חַיָּי” my life. - Ps 128:5 “כָּל יְמֵי חַיֶּיךָ” all the days of your life. Movement from threatened life to long life. - Root שלם: peace vs “my ally/one at peace with me” (rare form): - Ps 7:5 “שׁוֹלְמִי” my one-at-peace (cf. “ally”). - Ps 128:6 “שָׁלוֹם עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵל” peace upon Israel. The “shalom” David wants respected in Ps 7 becomes national Shalom in Ps 128. - Song terminology, same root שיר: - Ps 7 superscription: “אֲשֶׁר־שָׁר לַיהוָה” which he sang to YHWH. - Ps 128 superscription: “שִׁיר הַמַּעֲלוֹת” a song of ascents. The vow/promise to sing (Ps 7:18) segues to an actual “Song.” - “Behold” formula הִנֵּה introducing exempla in both: - Ps 7:15 “הִנֵּה יְחַבֵּל אָוֶן… וְיָלַד שֶׁקֶר” behold, he conceives iniquity … and gives birth to falsehood. - Ps 128:4 “הִנֵּה כִּי־כֵן יְבֹרַךְ גָּבֶר יְרֵא יְהוָה” behold, thus shall the man who fears YHWH be blessed. Same discourse marker, two moral “case studies,” negative then positive. “Upward” vocabulary and setting - Ps 7 piles up “height” words: “קוּמָה… הִנָּשֵׂא” (arise, be exalted, v.7), “לַמָּרוֹם שׁוּבָה” (return to the heights, v.8), and ends with “שֵׁם־יְהוָה עֶלְיוֹן” (Most High, v.18). - Ps 128 is a “שִׁיר הַמַּעֲלוֹת” (Song of Ascents), the pilgrim’s “going up.” So, after God’s rising to judge (Ps 7), the worshiper rises to Zion (Ps 128). Retributive logic and matched semantic fields - Evil ends, good ensues: - Ps 7:10 “יִגְמָר־נָא רַע רְשָׁעִים… וּתְכוֹנֵן צַדִּיק” let the evil of the wicked come to an end; establish the righteous. - Ps 128:1–2 “אַשְׁרֵי כָּל־יְרֵא יְהוָה… יְגִיעַ כַּפֶּיךָ כִּי תֹאכֵל” blessed is everyone who fears YHWH… you will eat your labor. The jussive wish of Ps 7 is realized as a wisdom promise in Ps 128. - Daily anger vs lifelong good: - Ps 7:12 “וְאֵל זֹעֵם בְּכָל־יוֹם” God is angry every day. - Ps 128:5 “וּרְאֵה בְּטוּב יְרוּשָׁלִַם כָּל יְמֵי חַיֶּיךָ” see the good of Jerusalem all the days of your life. Same temporal frame (“every day” / “all the days”), reversed outcome. - Predator-eating vs peaceful eating: - Ps 7:2–3 “הוֹשִׁיעֵנִי… פֶּן־יִטְרֹף כְּאַרְיֵה נַפְשִׁי” rescue me lest he tear me like a lion. - Ps 128:2 “תֹּאכֵל” you shall eat, and v.3 a tranquil table scene. Violence that “devours” gives way to a host who eats in peace. - Death vs life: - Ps 7:14 “כְּלֵי־מָוֶת” weapons of death. - Ps 128:5 “יְמֵי חַיֶּיךָ” days of your life. - Conception/birth imagery inverted: - Ps 7:15 “יְחַבֵּל… הָרָה עָמָל… וְיָלַד שָׁקֶר” conceives trouble, gives birth to falsehood. - Ps 128:3 “אֶשְׁתְּךָ כְּגֶפֶן פֹּרִיָּה… בָּנֶיךָ כִּשְׁתִילֵי זֵיתִים” wife as a fruitful vine; children as olive shoots. The wicked’s “fertility” produces lies; the righteous household’s fertility produces children and fruit. - Measure-for-measure with “toil”: - Ps 7:17 “יָשׁוּב עֲמָלוֹ בְּרֹאשׁוֹ” his toil returns on his head (for harm). - Ps 128:2 “יְגִיעַ כַּפֶּיךָ כִּי תֹאכֵל” you will eat the yield of your toil (for good). The same moral economy, inverted outcomes. Macro-structure and life-setting - From courtroom to festival table: - Ps 7 is an individual plea for forensic vindication (if I am innocent, judge me; end evil). - Ps 128 is a wisdom beatitude likely used in pilgrimage/family blessing. In Israelite practice, deliverance is often followed by a thank-offering in Zion and a communal meal; Ps 7’s vow to sing (v.18) naturally issues in a “Song of Ascents” (Ps 128), with the family gathered and blessing “from Zion” (128:5). - Divine council mirrored in the household: - Ps 7:8–9: God enthroned “on high,” “the assembly of the peoples” encircling him, judgment issued. - Ps 128:3: the household head at table, encircled by wife and children. The ordered home is a microcosm of the ordered cosmos after judgment; hence the closing “Peace upon Israel” (128:6) after “YHWH judges the peoples” (7:9). - From Benjamite strife to Jerusalem’s good: - Ps 7’s superscription evokes conflict with a “Benjamite” (tribal-political strife in the early Davidic story). - Ps 128 looks like the settled, Zion-centered ideal (“יִבָרֶכְךָ יְהוָה מִצִּיּוֹן… בְּטוּב יְרוּשָׁלִַם”), the historical outcome the Psalter as a whole moves toward. Stylistic continuities - Similes shape both psalms, but with opposite valence: - Ps 7:3 “כְּאַרְיֵה” like a lion (threat). - Ps 128:3 “כְּגֶפֶן… כִּשְׁתִילֵי זֵיתִים” like a vine… like olive shoots (blessing). - From first-person lament to second-person beatitude: - Ps 7 is “I/me” before God; Ps 128 applies the principle as “you” to any fearer of YHWH. Editorially, the personal plea is universalized as wisdom instruction. In sum: Psalm 7 asks God to rise, judge, end evil, and vindicate the upright; Psalm 128 depicts the world in which that prayer has been granted: the God-fearer walks in God’s ways, eats the labor of his hands, enjoys a fertile household, receives blessing from Zion, sees the good of Jerusalem for all his days, and Israel enjoys shalom. The lexical overlaps (סביב; כף; חיי; the שלם/שלום root; the שיר/שׁר root; shared “upward” language) and the tightly matched imagery (predation vs table, false birth vs fruitful family, daily wrath vs lifelong good) make a coherent, sequential reading plausible.
Evaluation
Score: 7.0
Evaluated at: 2025-11-27T03:38:28 (UTC)
Evaluator model: gpt-5
Evaluator version: v2
Reasoning: 3264 Output: 5516 Total: 8780
Checklist
- Has verse refs: Yes
- Factual error detected: No
- Only generic motifs: No
- Counterargument considered: No
- LXX/MT numbering acknowledged: No
Vocabulary specificity: 3.5 / 10
Multiple precise, correct verse-level links (סביב; בכפי; חיי; שׁוֹלְמִי/שלום; הִנֵּה; ‘upward’ lexemes) and coherent sequenced rationale. Yet vocabulary is common across Psalms; no editorial signal; psalms far apart; counterarguments unaddressed.
Prompt
Consider Psalm 7 and Psalm 128 (reproduced below). What arguments could you make to justify that Psalm 128 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 128:
Psalm 128
1. שִׁ֗יר
הַֽמַּ֫עֲל֥וֹת
אַ֭שְׁרֵי
כָּל־
יְרֵ֣א
יְהוָ֑ה
הַ֝הֹלֵ֗ךְ
בִּדְרָכָֽיו׃
2. יְגִ֣יעַ
כַּ֭פֶּיךָ
כִּ֣י
תֹאכֵ֑ל
אַ֝שְׁרֶ֗יךָ
וְט֣וֹב
לָֽךְ׃
3. אֶשְׁתְּךָ֤ ׀
כְּגֶ֥פֶן
פֹּרִיָּה֮
בְּיַרְכְּתֵ֢י
בֵ֫יתֶ֥ךָ
בָּ֭נֶיךָ
כִּשְׁתִלֵ֣י
זֵיתִ֑ים
סָ֝בִ֗יב
לְשֻׁלְחָנֶֽךָ׃
4. הִנֵּ֣ה
כִי־
כֵ֭ן
יְבֹ֥רַךְ
גָּ֗בֶר
יְרֵ֣א
יְהוָֽה׃
5. יְבָרֶכְךָ֥
יְהוָ֗ה
מִצִ֫יּ֥וֹן
וּ֖dרְאֵה
בְּט֣וּב
יְרוּשָׁלִָ֑ם
כֹּ֝֗ל
יְמֵ֣י
חַיֶּֽיךָ׃
6. וּרְאֵֽה־
בָנִ֥ים
לְבָנֶ֑יךָ
שָׁ֝ל֗וֹם
עַל־
יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃