Psalm 9 → 26
Reasoning: 10176 Output: 5924 Total: 16100
Argument
Short thesis: If Psalm 9 is a communal “victory-and-judgment” hymn that culminates in a vow to praise in Zion, Psalm 26 reads like the personal follow‑through: the worshiper arrives at the sanctuary, asks for vindication, ritually purifies, and publicly recounts God’s wonders. The two psalms are tied by rare or distinctive phrases, shared roots in key themes (judgment, trust, uprightness), and a natural cultic sequence (gates → altar → assembly). Strongest lexical/stylistic ties (identical or nearly identical wording) - “to tell all your wonders”: Ps 9:2 אֲסַפְּרָה כָּל־נִפְלְאוֹתֶיךָ ↔ Ps 26:7 וּלְסַפֵּר כָּל־נִפְלְאוֹתֶיךָ. Identical collocation כָּל־נִפְלְאוֹתֶיךָ with the same verb root ספר (“to recount”). This is the clearest verbal hook: a vow (Ps 9) and its performance (Ps 26). - Thanks/praise from the same “yada” root: Ps 9:2 אוֹדֶה יְהוָה (“I will thank/praise YHWH”) ↔ Ps 26:7 לְשְׁמִעַ בְקוֹל תּוֹדָה (“to cause the voice of thanksgiving to be heard”). Same root ידה; different word class, same praise act. - Judgment vocabulary centered on שׁ־פ־ט: - Ps 9 piles up the root: מִשְׁפָּטִי… יָשַׁבְתָּ לְכִסֵּא שׁוֹפֵט צֶדֶק (9:5); כּוֹנֵן לַמִּשְׁפָּט כִּסְאוֹ (9:8); יִשְׁפֹּט־תֵּבֵל (9:9). - Ps 26 opens with the direct imperative: שָׁפְטֵנִי יְהוָה (26:1). The cosmic judge of Ps 9 becomes the personal judge of Ps 26—an intentional scale shift that reads like a sequel. - Trust vocabulary ב־ט־ח: - Ps 9:11 וְיִבְטְחוּ בְךָ יוֹדְעֵי שְׁמֶךָ. - Ps 26:1 וּבַיהוָה בָּטַחְתִּי לֹא אֶמְעָד. Same root, same faith posture—communal in Ps 9, individualized in Ps 26. Semantic/motif bridges built on the same lexemes/roots - “Upright/level” root י־ש־ר: - Ps 9:9 יָדִין… בְּמֵישָׁרִים (“uprightly”). - Ps 26:12 רַגְלִי עָמְדָה בְמִישׁוֹר (“my foot stands on level ground”). The judge who rules “uprightly” (Ps 9) grants the petitioner “level ground” to stand on (Ps 26). - Hand/foot imagery, with striking reversals: - Hands: Ps 9:17 בְּפֹעַל כַּפָּיו נוֹקֵשׁ רָשָׁע (“the wicked is ensnared in the work of his own hands”) ↔ Ps 26:6 אֶרְחַץ בְּנִקָּיוֹן כַּפָּי (“I wash my hands in innocence”), and 26:10 וִימִינָם מָלְאָה שֹׁחַד (“their right hand is full of bribes”). Wicked hands vs washed hands; the contrast completes the moral polarity of Ps 9. - Feet: Ps 9:16 נִלְכְּדָה רַגְלָם (“their foot is caught”) ↔ Ps 26:12 רַגְלִי עָמְדָה בְמִישׁוֹר (“my foot stands on level ground”). The enemies stumble; the petitioner stands firm. Note also 26:1 לֹא אֶמְעָד (“I will not slip”) against 9:4 יִכָּשְׁלוּ (“they will stumble”). - “Sitting/dwelling” root י־שׁ־ב: - Ps 9:12 זַמְּרוּ לַיהוָה יֹשֵׁב צִיּוֹן (“Sing to YHWH, enthroned in Zion”). - Ps 26:4–5 לֹא־יָשַׁבְתִּי… לֹא אֵשֵׁב (“I have not sat… I will not sit”) with the wicked; 26:8 “I love the dwelling of your house” מְעוֹן בֵיתֶךָ. The one who refuses to “sit” with evildoers chooses to be where YHWH “sits/abides.” - Bloodguilt: Ps 9:13 כִּי־דוֹרֵשׁ דָּמִים (“the avenger of blood”) ↔ Ps 26:9 עִם־אַנְשֵׁי דָמִים (“men of blood”). Ps 26’s plea not to be gathered with “men of blood” is the personal corollary of Ps 9’s assertion that God avenges bloodshed. - Public proclamation in worship: - Ps 9:12 הַגִּידוּ בָעַמִּים עֲלִילוֹתָיו; 9:15 לְמַעַן אֲסַפְּרָה… בְּשַׁעֲרֵי בַת־צִיּוֹן. - Ps 26:7 לַשְׁמִעַ בְּקוֹל תּוֹדָה וּלְסַפֵּר כָּל־נִפְלְאוֹתֶיךָ; 26:12 בְּמַקְהֵלִים אֲבָרֵךְ יְהוָה. “Among the peoples” at “the gates” (Ps 9) becomes “in the assemblies” at the altar/house (Ps 26)—same public‑praise program, with movement into the sanctuary. Cultic/life-sequence logic (gates → altar → assembly) - Psalm 9 moves the action to Zion’s space and issues a vow: - Spatial markers: “יֹשֵׁב צִיּוֹן” (9:12); “בְּשַׁעֲרֵי בַת־צִיּוֹן” (9:15). - Vow content: “לְמַעַן אֲסַפְּרָה כָּל־תְּהִלָּתֶיךָ… אָגִילָה בִּישׁוּעָתֶךָ” (9:15). - Psalm 26 narrates the next cultic step once one has come through the gates: - Entrance-purity and proximity to the altar: “אֶרְחַץ בְּנִקָּיוֹן כַּפָּי וַאֲסֹבְבָה אֶת־מִזְבַּחֲךָ יְהוָה” (26:6). This fits the known Israelite approach ritual (cf. Exod 30:17–21: washing before approaching the altar). - Presence in the house: “אָהַבְתִּי מְעוֹן בֵּיתֶךָ וּמְקוֹם מִשְׁכַּן כְּבוֹדֶךָ” (26:8). - Public testimony in liturgical assembly: “לַשְׁמִעַ בְּקוֹל תּוֹדָה… בְּמַקְהֵלִים אֲבָרֵךְ יְהוָה” (26:7, 12). - Thus, Psalm 26 reads like the enacted fulfillment of Psalm 9’s vow to praise in Zion: from the city “gates” to circling the “altar,” with thanksgiving voiced in the “assemblies.” Thematic resolutions from Psalm 9 to Psalm 26 - From God’s cosmic judgment to personal vindication: Ps 9 dwells on YHWH’s throne and justice over nations (9:5, 8–9, 20–21); Ps 26 opens “שָׁפְטֵנִי יְהוָה… בְּתֻמִּי הָלַכְתִּי” (26:1–2), submitting the individual to that same judge. - From the enemies’ downfall to the petitioner’s stability: Ps 9:4 יִכָּשְׁלוּ וְיֹאבְדוּ (“they stumble and perish”) ↔ Ps 26:1 לֹא אֶמְעָד and 26:12 רַגְלִי עָמְדָה בְמִישׁוֹר. - From guilty hands to clean hands: Ps 9:17 (the wicked ensnared by their hands) anticipates Ps 26:6, 10 (washed hands vs hands full of bribes). - Destiny of the wicked vs separation of the righteous: Ps 9:18 יָשׁוּבוּ רְשָׁעִים לִשְׁאוֹלָה; Ps 26:9 “אַל־תֶּאֱסֹף עִם־חַטָּאִים נַפְשִׁי”—“do not gather me with them.” The plea presupposes the fate already sketched in Ps 9. Form and editorial fit - Both are “Of David” and both interweave praise with petition, moving between declaration and imperative (Ps 9:20–21 “קוּמָה… שִׁיתָה”; Ps 26:1–2, 11 “שָׁפְטֵנִי… בְּחָנֵנִי… פְּדֵנִי וְחָנֵּנִי”). - Cohortatives/volitives that sound like vows in Ps 9 (“אֲסַפְּרָה… אֲזַמְּרָה… אָגִילָה”) are matched by volitives in Ps 26 tied to cultic action (“וַאֲסֹבְבָה… אֲבָרֵךְ”). Why these links are probative (weighing by rarity and match) - Highest weight: exact phrase “לספר/אספרה כל־נפלאותיך”; the same noun “נפלאות” with “כל” is much rarer than generic praise language and flags deliberate echo. - High weight: same lexemes/roots used in the same semantic field—שפט (judgment), בטח (trust), ישב (sit/dwell), ישר (upright/level)—not merely synonyms. - Medium weight but vivid: tightly paired body-part motifs (hands/feet) with antithetical outcomes (caught vs standing; guilty vs washed), and “דמים” (bloodguilt avenged vs avoiding “men of blood”). Overall: Read consecutively, Psalm 9 announces YHWH’s just reign, celebrates the defeat of enemies, and vows public praise in Zion’s gates. Psalm 26 presumes that setting: the worshiper passes those gates, submits to divine examination, purifies at the altar, separates from the wicked God will judge, and fulfills the vow by “telling all your wonders” in the assemblies. Lexical hooks, shared roots, and a credible cultic sequence together justify taking Psalm 26 as a logical follow‑on to Psalm 9.
Evaluation
Score: 7.5
Evaluated at: 2025-12-03T04:23:11 (UTC)
Evaluator model: gpt-5
Evaluator version: v2
Reasoning: 3200 Output: 6758 Total: 9958
Checklist
- Has verse refs: Yes
- Factual error detected: No
- Only generic motifs: No
- Counterargument considered: No
- LXX/MT numbering acknowledged: No
Vocabulary specificity: 6.5 / 10
Multiple precise lexical hooks (לספר/אספרה כל־נפלאותיך; שׁפט; בטח; מישור; hands/feet contrasts) and a plausible cultic sequence; no errors. But roots are common and non-adjacent placement weakens uniqueness; no counter-arguments addressed.
Prompt
Consider Psalm 9 and Psalm 26 (reproduced below). What arguments could you make to justify that Psalm 26 logically follows on from Psalm 9? 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 9:
Psalm 9
1. לַ֭מְנַצֵּחַ
עַלְמ֥וּת
לַבֵּ֗ן
מִזְמ֥וֹר
לְדָוִֽד׃
2. אוֹדֶ֣ה
יְ֭הוָה
בְּכָל־
לִבִּ֑י
אֲ֝סַפְּרָ֗ה
כָּל־
נִפְלְאוֹתֶֽיךָ׃
3. אֶשְׂמְחָ֣ה
וְאֶעֶלְצָ֣ה
בָ֑ךְ
אֲזַמְּרָ֖ה
שִׁמְךָ֣
עֶלְיֽוֹן׃
4. בְּשׁוּב־
אוֹיְבַ֥י
אָח֑וֹר
יִכָּשְׁל֥וּ
וְ֝יֹאבְד֗וּ
מִפָּנֶֽיךָ׃
5. כִּֽי־
עָ֭שִׂיתָ
מִשְׁפָּטִ֣י
וְדִינִ֑י
יָשַׁ֥בְתָּ
לְ֝כִסֵּ֗א
שׁוֹפֵ֥ט
צֶֽדֶק׃
6. גָּעַ֣רְתָּ
ג֭וֹיִם
אִבַּ֣דְתָּ
רָשָׁ֑ע
שְׁמָ֥ם
מָ֝חִ֗יתָ
לְעוֹלָ֥ם
וָעֶֽד׃
7. הָֽאוֹיֵ֨ב ׀
תַּ֥מּוּ
חֳרָב֗וֹת
לָ֫נֶ֥צַח
וְעָרִ֥ים
נָתַ֑שְׁתָּ
אָבַ֖ד
זִכְרָ֣ם
הֵֽמָּה׃
8. וַֽ֭יהוָה
לְעוֹלָ֣ם
יֵשֵׁ֑ב
כּוֹנֵ֖ן
לַמִּשְׁפָּ֣ט
כִּסְאֽוֹ׃
9. וְה֗וּא
יִשְׁפֹּֽט־
תֵּבֵ֥ל
בְּצֶ֑דֶק
יָדִ֥ין
לְ֝אֻמִּ֗ים
בְּמֵישָֽׁtרִים׃
10. וִ֘יהִ֤י
יְהוָ֣ה
מִשְׂגָּ֣ב
לַדָּ֑ךְ
מִ֝שְׂגָּ֗ב
לְעִתּ֥וֹת
בַּצָּרָֽה׃
11. וְיִבְטְח֣וּ
בְ֭ךָ
יוֹדְעֵ֣י
שְׁמֶ֑ךָ
כִּ֤י
לֹֽא־
עָזַ֖בְתָּ
דֹרְשֶׁ֣יךָ
יְהוָֽה׃
12. זַמְּר֗וּ
לַ֭יהוָה
יֹשֵׁ֣ב
צִיּ֑וֹן
הַגִּ֥ידוּ
בָ֝עַמִּ֗ים
עֲלִֽילוֹתָֽיו׃
13. כִּֽי־
דֹרֵ֣שׁ
דָּ֭מִים
אוֹתָ֣ם
זָכָ֑ר
לֹֽא־
שָׁ֝כַ֗ח
צַעֲקַ֥ת
עניים
עֲנָוִֽים׃
14. חָֽנְנֵ֬נִי
יְהוָ֗ה
רְאֵ֣ה
עָ֭נְיִי
מִשֹּׂנְאָ֑י
מְ֝רוֹמְמִ֗י
מִשַּׁ֥עֲרֵי
מָֽוֶת׃
15. לְמַ֥עַן
אֲסַפְּרָ֗ה
כָּֽל־
תְּהִלָּ֫תֶ֥יךָ
בְּשַֽׁעֲרֵ֥י
בַת־
צִיּ֑וֹן
אָ֝גִ֗ילָה
בִּישׁוּעָתֶֽךָ׃
16. טָבְע֣וּ
ג֭וֹיִם
בְּשַׁ֣חַת
עָשׂ֑וּ
בְּרֶֽשֶׁת־
ז֥וּ
טָ֝מָ֗נוּ
נִלְכְּדָ֥ה
רַגְלָֽם׃
17. נ֤וֹדַ֨ע ׀
יְהוָה֮
מִשְׁפָּ֢ט
עָ֫שָׂ֥ה
בְּפֹ֣עַל
כַּ֭פָּיו
נוֹקֵ֣שׁ
רָשָׁ֑ע
הִגָּי֥וֹן
סֶֽלָה׃
18. יָשׁ֣וּבוּ
רְשָׁעִ֣ים
לִשְׁא֑וֹלָה
כָּל־
גּ֝וֹיִ֗ם
שְׁכֵחֵ֥י
אֱלֹהִֽים׃
19. כִּ֤י
לֹ֣א
לָ֭נֶצַח
יִשָּׁכַ֣ח
אֶבְי֑וֹן
תִּקְוַ֥ת
ענוים
עֲ֝נִיִּ֗ים
תֹּאבַ֥ד
לָעַֽד׃
20. קוּמָ֣ה
יְ֭הוָה
אַל־
יָעֹ֣ז
אֱנ֑וֹשׁ
יִשָּׁפְט֥וּ
ג֝וֹיִ֗ם
עַל־
פָּנֶֽיךָ׃
21. שִׁ֘יתָ֤ה
יְהוָ֨ה ׀
מוֹרָ֗ה
לָ֫הֶ֥ם
יֵדְע֥וּ
גוֹיִ֑ם
אֱנ֖וֹשׁ
הֵ֣מָּה
סֶּֽלָה׃
Psalm 26:
Psalm 26
1. לְדָוִ֨ד ׀
שָׁפְטֵ֤נִי
יְהוָ֗ה
כִּֽי־
אֲ֭נִי
בְּתֻמִּ֣י
הָלַ֑כְתִּי
וּבַיהוָ֥ה
בָּ֝טַ֗חְתִּי
לֹ֣א
אֶמְעָֽד׃
2. בְּחָנֵ֣נִי
יְהוָ֣ה
וְנַסֵּ֑נִי
צרופה
צָרְפָ֖ה
כִלְיוֹתַ֣י
וְלִבִּֽי׃
3. כִּֽי־
חַ֭סְדְּךָ
לְנֶ֣גֶד
עֵינָ֑י
וְ֝הִתְהַלַּ֗כְתִּי
בַּאֲמִתֶּֽךָ׃
4. לֹא־
יָ֭שַׁבְתִּי
עִם־
מְתֵי־
שָׁ֑וא
וְעִ֥ם
נַ֝עֲלָמִ֗ים
לֹ֣א
אָבֽוֹא׃
5. שָׂ֭נֵאתִי
קְהַ֣ל
מְרֵעִ֑ים
וְעִם־
רְ֝שָׁעִ֗ים
לֹ֣א
אֵשֵֽׁב׃
6. אֶרְחַ֣ץ
בְּנִקָּי֣וֹן
כַּפָּ֑י
וַאֲסֹבְבָ֖ה
אֶת־
מִזְבַּחֲךָ֣
יְהוָֽה׃
7. לַ֭שְׁמִעַ
בְּק֣וֹל
תּוֹדָ֑ה
וּ֝לְסַפֵּ֗ר
כָּל־
נִפְלְאוֹתֶֽיךָ׃
8. יְֽהוָ֗ה
אָ֭הַבְתִּי
מְע֣וֹן
בֵּיתֶ֑ךָ
וּ֝מְק֗וֹם
מִשְׁכַּ֥ן
כְּבוֹדֶֽךָ׃
9. אַל־
תֶּאֱסֹ֣ף
עִם־
חַטָּאִ֣ים
נַפְשִׁ֑י
וְעִם־
אַנְשֵׁ֖י
דָמִ֣ים
חַיָּֽי׃
10. אֲשֶׁר־
בִּידֵיהֶ֥ם
זִמָּ֑ה
וִֽ֝ימִינָ֗ם
מָ֣לְאָה
שֹּֽׁחַד׃
11. וַ֭אֲנִי
בְּתֻמִּ֥י
אֵלֵ֗ךְ
פְּדֵ֣נִי
וְחָנֵּֽנִי׃
12. רַ֭גְלִי
עָֽמְדָ֣ה
בְמִישׁ֑וֹר
בְּ֝מַקְהֵלִ֗ים
אֲבָרֵ֥ךְ
יְהוָֽה׃