Psalm 9 → 72

Reasoning: 8640 Output: 6757 Total: 15397

Argument

Short thesis: Psalm 9 enthrones YHWH as universal judge who protects the downtrodden and calls all nations to recognize him; Psalm 72 asks that this very divine justice and protection be mediated through the Davidic king so that the nations submit, serve, and are blessed. Stylistically and lexically, 72 reads like an intentional “answer” (or institutionalization) of the hopes articulated in 9.

Most significant lexical/formal ties (rarer/identical forms first):
- Identical judicial verbs and forms, with the same semantics, but shifted from God (Ps 9) to the king (Ps 72)
  - yishpot יִשְׁפֹּט (Qal impf 3ms): Ps 9:9 “וְהוּא יִשְׁפֹּט־תֵבֵל בְּצֶדֶק”; Ps 72:4 “יִשְׁפֹּט עֲנִיֵּי־עָם”
  - yadin יָדִין (Qal impf 3ms): Ps 9:9 “יָדִין לְאֻמִּים בְּמֵישָׁרִים”; Ps 72:2 “יָדִין עַמְּךָ בְצֶדֶק”
  - This is a very strong link: identical forms, identical semantic field (judging), with the subject moving from YHWH (Ps 9) to the king (Ps 72), exactly what you would expect if 72 “follows on” by localizing divine rule in the royal viceroy.
- “Kol goyim” כָּל־גּוֹיִם (exact phrase appears in both, but with opposite trajectories)
  - Ps 9:18 “כָּל־גּוֹיִם שְׁכֵחֵי אֱלֹהִים” (nations who forget God go to Sheol)
  - Ps 72:11,17 “כָּל־גּוֹיִם יַעַבְדֻהוּ … כָּל־גּוֹיִם יְאַשְּׁרוּהוּ” (all nations serve/bless the king)
  - Logical follow-on: the prayer of Ps 9 that nations face God’s judgment and come to know their place (9:21) becomes, in 72, their willing subjection and blessing.
- Protection/deliverance for the poor and crushed, with unusually dense and overlapping lexemes
  - אֶבְיוֹן evyon: Ps 9:19 “כִּי לֹא לָנֶצַח יִשָּׁכַח אֶבְיוֹן”; Ps 72:4,12–13 (4x: “לִבְנֵי אֶבְיוֹן … יַצִּיל אֶבְיוֹן … וְאֶבְיוֹן … אֶבְיוֹנִים”)
  - עָנִי/עֲנִיִּים ani/aniyyim: Ps 9:13,19; Ps 72:2,4,12–13 (same social set)
  - דַּךְ dakh (crushed) vs דכּא d-k-’ (to crush): Ps 9:10 “מִשְׂגָּב לַדָּךְ”; Ps 72:4 “וִידַכֵּא עוֹשֵׁק” (the one who crushes will be crushed)
  - This is a pointed thematic and root-level reversal: in Ps 9 the “crushed” need refuge; in Ps 72 the king “crushes” the crusher so the crushed are safe.
- Blood-justice nexus (relatively marked vocabulary)
  - Ps 9:13 “דֹרֵשׁ דָּמִים … לֹא שָׁכַח צַעֲקַת עֲנָוִים” (the Avenger of blood remembers)
  - Ps 72:14 “וּמֵחָמָס יִגְאַל נַפְשָׁם וְיֵיקַר דָּמָם בְּעֵינָיו” (their blood is precious; he redeems from violence)
  - Rare “blood-accountability” frame appears in both, now mediated by the king in 72 (redeem, precious blood) in direct continuity with 9’s divine blood-vengeance.
- “Wonders” (נִפְלָאוֹת), a relatively marked praise word in the Psalter
  - Ps 9:2 “אֲסַפְּרָה כָּל־נִפְלְאוֹתֶיךָ”
  - Ps 72:18 “עֹשֵׂה נִפְלָאוֹת לְבַדּוֹ”
  - 72’s doxology reads like a climactic echo of 9’s opening pledge to recount YHWH’s wonders.
- “Name” (שֵׁם) as the focus of praise/proclamation
  - Ps 9:3,11 “אֲזַמְּרָה שִׁמְךָ עֶלְיוֹן … יוֹדְעֵי שְׁמֶךָ”
  - Ps 72:17,19 “יְהִי שְׁמוֹ לְעוֹלָם … וּבָרוּךְ שֵׁם כְּבוֹדוֹ לְעוֹלָם”
  - The “name” that is sung in Ps 9 becomes the “name” established forever in Ps 72 (now also applied to the king within a doxology that preserves priority of YHWH’s Name).
- Eternal horizon keywords
  - Ps 9:6,8 “לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד … וַיהוָה לְעוֹלָם יֵשֵׁב”
  - Ps 72:5,7,17,19 “דּוֹר דּוֹרִים … עַד־בְּלִי יָרֵחַ … יְהִי שְׁמוֹ לְעוֹלָם … לְעוֹלָם”
  - Both frame justice in perpetuity; 72 elaborates the same horizon into royal permanence.

Thematic and structural continuities:
- From divine enthronement to royal investiture
  - Ps 9:5,8 depicts YHWH seated on the throne of judgment (“יָשַׁבְתָּ לְכִסֵּא שׁוֹפֵט צֶדֶק … כּוֹנֵן לַמִּשְׁפָּט כִּסְאוֹ”).
  - Ps 72:1 asks that YHWH’s “judgments” and “righteousness” be given “to the king” and “the king’s son” (i.e., viceroyal stewardship of YHWH’s rule).
  - This is a natural liturgical sequence known from ancient Israelite royal ideology: first affirm YHWH’s kingship; then invest the Davidic king with YHWH’s mishpat/tsedaqah to enact it on earth (compare the logic of Psalms 2, 72).
- From judgment upon the nations to their willing submission
  - Ps 9:16–21 portrays nations trapped by their schemes, judged, and taught their mortality; petitions: “יֵדְעוּ גוֹיִם אֱנֹושׁ הֵמָּה.”
  - Ps 72:9–11 shows enemies subdued (“עָפָר יְלַחֵכוּ”), kings bringing tribute, and “כָּל־גּוֹיִם יַעַבְדֻהוּ.”
  - Thus 72 reads like the positive outcome to Ps 9’s prayer: nations move from rebellion/forgetfulness to service/blessing.
- Care for the oppressed as the metric of just rule
  - Ps 9:10,13,19 emphasizes refuge for the crushed, remembrance of the afflicted’s cry, and the unfailing hope of the poor.
  - Ps 72:2,4,12–14 makes this the king’s primary brief: judge with righteousness, save the needy, have compassion on the poor, redeem from violence, esteem their blood as precious.
  - The social-justice goals of Ps 9 are institutionalized in the royal program of Ps 72.

Further reinforcing links:
- Ritual/cultic flow likely in ancient practice
  - Ps 9 celebrates YHWH enthroned in Zion and calls for proclamation among the nations (9:12 “זַמְּרוּ לַיהוָה יֹשֵׁב צִיּוֹן; הַגִּידוּ בָעַמִּים עֲלִילוֹתָיו”).
  - Ps 72 is a royal/coronation prayer (superscription “לִשְׁלֹמֹה”) that performs exactly this proclamation in the international sphere (tribute from Tarshish, Sheba, Seba; universal homage).
  - In a festival context, enthroning YHWH (Ps 9) and then petitioning for the king to embody his justice (Ps 72) is a coherent liturgical sequence.
- “Ben” linkage across headings and text
  - Ps 9’s unique heading “עַלְמוּת לַבֵּן” contains “לַבֵּן” (“to/for the son”), while Ps 72:1 centers on “לְבֶן־מֶלֶךְ” (“to the king’s son”).
  - While “לַבֵּן” in Ps 9 is debated, the recurrence of “son” language is suggestive in a Psalter that often foregrounds the Davidic “son.”
- Name and praise movement
  - Ps 9 opens with personal praise (“אוֹדֶה … אֲסַפְּרָה … אֲזַמְּרָה שִׁמְךָ”) and a call to announce among the peoples.
  - Ps 72 ends with globalized praise and a closing doxology that fills “the whole earth” with glory (72:19), as though answering Ps 9’s missional call.

Notable shared vocabulary/root sets (with examples):
- mishpat/din/tsedek/tsedaqah: 9:5,8–9; 72:1–2,4
- shaphat/din: identical forms yishpot/yadin appear in both (strong)
- evyon/ani/dal/dakh~dakke: 9:10,13,19; 72:2,4,12–14 (strong cluster)
- dam/damim + redeem/remember: 9:13 vs 72:14 (marked theme)
- shem: 9:3,11 vs 72:17,19 (name theology expanded)
- nifle’ot: 9:2 vs 72:18 (rarer praise term)
- goyim, “kol goyim”: 9:16–21 vs 72:10–11,17 (same phrase; divergent outcomes)
- le’olam/’ad: 9:6,8; 72:5,7,17,19 (perpetuity emphasis)

In sum: Psalm 72 reads like a deliberate continuation of Psalm 9 on every level that matters for “follow-on” logic in the Psalter: identical judicial forms and vocabulary move from YHWH to his king; the same social targets (the crushed, poor, needy) become the king’s mandate; the same nations once judged now submit and bless; the same “Name” and “Wonders” praised by David are universalized in the royal/messianic horizon. Liturgically, 72 enacts the natural next step after 9’s enthronement of YHWH: the investiture and ideal program of his Davidic son so that the world is set right.

Evaluation

Score: 7.8

Evaluated at: 2025-12-05T03:39:53 (UTC)

Evaluator model: gpt-5

Evaluator version: v2

Reasoning: 4736 Output: 7623 Total: 12359

Vocabulary specificity: 6.5 / 10

Multiple exact Hebrew correspondences (יִשְׁפֹּט/יָדִין; אֶבְיוֹן/עָנִי; דָּךְ~ידכא; דָּמִים) and “כָּל־גּוֹיִם” reversal, plus coherent shift from YHWH’s judgment (Ps 9) to royal enactment (Ps 72). Doesn’t address obvious counterpoints.

Prompt

Consider Psalm 9 and Psalm 72 (reproduced below). What arguments could you make to justify that Psalm 72 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 72:
Psalm 72
1. לִשְׁלֹמֹ֨ה ׀
        אֱ‍ֽלֹהִ֗ים
        מִ֭שְׁפָּטֶיךָ
        לְמֶ֣לֶךְ
        תֵּ֑ן
        וְצִדְקָתְךָ֥
        לְבֶן־
        מֶֽלֶךְ׃
2. יָדִ֣ין
        עַמְּךָ֣
        בְצֶ֑דֶק
        וַעֲנִיֶּ֥יךָ
        בְמִשְׁפָּֽט׃
3. יִשְׂא֤וּ
        הָרִ֓ים
        שָׁ֘ל֥וֹם
        לָעָ֑ם
        וּ֝גְבָע֗וֹת
        בִּצְדָקָֽה׃
4. יִשְׁפֹּ֤ט ׀
        עֲ‍ֽנִיֵּי־
        עָ֗ם
        י֭וֹשִׁיעַ
        לִבְנֵ֣י
        אֶבְי֑וֹן
        וִֽידַכֵּ֣א
        עוֹשֵֽׁק׃
5. יִֽירָא֥וּךָ
        עִם־
        שָׁ֑מֶשׁ
        וְלִפְנֵ֥י
        יָ֝רֵ֗חַ
        דּ֣וֹר
        דּוֹרִֽים׃
6. יֵ֭רֵד
        כְּמָטָ֣ר
        עַל־
        גֵּ֑ז
        כִּ֝רְבִיבִ֗ים
        זַרְזִ֥יף
        אָֽרֶץ׃
7. יִֽפְרַח־
        בְּיָמָ֥יו
        צַדִּ֑יק
        וְרֹ֥ב
        שָׁ֝ל֗וֹם
        עַד־
        בְּלִ֥י
        יָרֵֽחַ׃
8. וְ֭יֵרְדְּ
        מִיָּ֣ם
        עַד־
        יָ֑ם
        וּ֝מִנָּהָ֗ר
        עַד־
        אַפְסֵי־
        אָֽרֶץ׃
9. לְ֭פָנָיו
        יִכְרְע֣וּ
        צִיִּ֑ים
        וְ֝אֹיְבָ֗יו
        עָפָ֥ר
        יְלַחֵֽכוּ׃
10. מַלְכֵ֬י
        תַרְשִׁ֣ישׁ
        וְ֭אִיִּים
        מִנְחָ֣ה
        יָשִׁ֑יבוּ
        מַלְכֵ֥י
        שְׁבָ֥א
        וּ֝סְבָ֗א
        אֶשְׁכָּ֥ר
        יַקְרִֽיבוּ׃
11. וְיִשְׁתַּחֲווּ־
        ל֥וֹ
        כָל־
        מְלָכִ֑ים
        כָּל־
        גּוֹיִ֥ם
        יַֽעַבְדֽוּהוּ׃
12. כִּֽי־
        יַ֭צִּיל
        אֶבְי֣וֹן
        מְשַׁוֵּ֑עַ
        וְ֝עָנִ֗י
        וְֽאֵין־
        עֹזֵ֥ר
        לֽוֹ׃
13. יָ֭חֹס
        עַל־
        דַּ֣ל
        וְאֶבְי֑וֹן
        וְנַפְשׁ֖וֹת
        אֶבְיוֹנִ֣ים
        יוֹשִֽׁיעַ׃
14. מִתּ֣וֹךְ
        וּ֖dמֵחָמָס
        יִגְאַ֣ל
        נַפְשָׁ֑ם
        וְיֵיקַ֖ר
        דָּמָ֣ם
        בְּעֵינָֽיו׃
15. וִיחִ֗י
        וְיִתֶּן־
        לוֹ֮
        מִזְּהַ֢ב
        שְׁ֫בָ֥א
        וְיִתְפַּלֵּ֣ל
        בַּעֲד֣וֹ
        תָמִ֑יד
        כָּל־
        הַ֝יּ֗וֹם
        יְבָרֲכֶֽנְהֽוּ׃
16. יְהִ֤י
        פִסַּת־
        בַּ֨ר ׀
        בָּאָרֶץ֮
        בְּרֹ֢אשׁ
        הָ֫רִ֥ים
        יִרְעַ֣שׁ
        כַּלְּבָנ֣וֹן
        פִּרְי֑וֹ
        וְיָצִ֥יצוּ
        מֵ֝עִ֗יר
        כְּעֵ֣שֶׂב
        הָאָֽרֶץ׃
17. יְהִ֤י
        שְׁמ֨וֹ ׀
        לְֽעוֹלָ֗ם
        לִפְנֵי־
        שֶׁמֶשׁ֮
        ינין
        יִנּ֢וֹן
        שְׁ֫מ֥וֹ
        וְיִתְבָּ֥רְכוּ
        ב֑וֹ
        כָּל־
        גּוֹיִ֥ם
        יְאַשְּׁרֽוּהוּ׃
18. בָּר֤וּךְ ׀
        יְהוָ֣ה
        אֱ֭לֹהִים
        אֱלֹהֵ֣י
        יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל
        עֹשֵׂ֖ה
        נִפְלָא֣וֹת
        לְבַדּֽוֹ׃
19. וּבָר֤וּךְ ׀
        שֵׁ֥ם
        כְּבוֹד֗וֹ
        לְע֫וֹלָ֥ם
        וְיִמָּלֵ֣א
        כְ֭בוֹדוֹ
        אֶת־
        כֹּ֥ל
        הָאָ֗רֶץ
        אָ֘מֵ֥ן ׀
        וְאָמֵֽן׃
20. כָּלּ֥וּ
        תְפִלּ֑וֹת
        דָּ֝וִ֗ד
        בֶּן־
        יִשָֽׁי׃