Psalm 9 → 90
Reasoning: 8192 Output: 6396 Total: 14588
Argument
Here are ways to argue that Psalm 90 “follows” Psalm 9 in sense and logic, drawing on style, form, Hebrew lexis and roots, and typical Israelite thematic sequences. I weight rarer words and tighter matches more heavily. Highest‑weight lexical hooks (rare words, identical forms/roots) - אנוש “mortal man” (identical noun): Ps 9:20–21 “אַל־יָעֹז אֱנוֹשׁ … יֵדְעוּ גוֹיִם אֱנוֹשׁ הֵמָּה” matches Ps 90:3 “תָּשֵׁב אֱנוֹשׁ עַד־דַּכָּא.” Psalm 9 ends by insisting the nations learn they are only “’enosh,” and Psalm 90 immediately unfolds what being ’enosh means: being turned back to frailty and death. This is the single strongest seam. - דך/דכא “crushed, lowly” (same rare root): Ps 9:10 “מִשְׂגָּב לַדָּךְ” and Ps 90:3 “עַד־דַּכָּא.” The figure guarded in Ps 9 (the dakh, the crushed) is, in Ps 90, the universal human condition to which God returns ’enosh. Same root; rare vocabulary; thematic deepening. - תבל “world” (identical noun): Ps 9:9 “יִשְׁפֹּט־תֵבֵל בְּצֶדֶק” and Ps 90:2 “וַתְּחֹלֵל אֶרֶץ וְתֵבֵל.” Psalm 9’s cosmic judgment of the “world” is complemented by Psalm 90’s cosmic creation of the “world.” This moves naturally from kingship/judgment to creation/eternity. - כונן “establish, set firm” (same root, similar stems): Ps 9:8 “כּוֹנֵן לַמִּשְׁפָּט כִּסְאוֹ” and Ps 90:17 “וּמַעֲשֵׂה יָדֵינוּ כּוֹנְנָה … כּוֹנְנֵהוּ.” The God who “established his throne for judgment” is asked to “establish the work of our hands.” Identical root, and Psalm 90’s prayer presumes Psalm 9’s enthronement. - ידע “know” cluster (same root, multiple hits): Ps 9 is saturated with ידע (vv. 11, 17, 21: יוֹדְעֵי שְׁמֶךָ; נוֹדַע יְהוָה; יֵדְעוּ), and Ps 90 immediately continues with “מִי־יוֹדֵעַ” (v. 11) and “הוֹדַע” (v. 12). The call for the nations to “know” in Ps 9 flows into the plea for God to “make us know” in Ps 90. - שוב “turn/return” (same root, varied forms): Ps 9:4 “בְשׁוּב־אֹיְבַי,” v. 18 “יָשׁוּבוּ רְשָׁעִים,” and Ps 90:3 “תָּשֵׁב אֱנוֹשׁ … שׁוּבוּ בְנֵי־אָדָם,” v. 13 “שׁוּבָה יְהוָה.” Psalm 9’s reversals (enemies turned back; wicked returning to Sheol) broaden in Psalm 90 into the great human “return” and a reciprocal plea for God to “return.” - עולם “everlasting” (identical lexeme, framing time): Ps 9:6, 8 “לְעוֹלָם,” “לְעוֹלָם יֵשֵׁב” vs. Ps 90:2 “וּמֵעוֹלָם עַד־עוֹלָם אַתָּה אֵל.” Psalm 90 restates and amplifies Psalm 9’s “forever” with the classic “from everlasting to everlasting.” - הגה/הגיון (same rare root, rare nouns): Ps 9:17 “הִגָּיוֹן סֶלָה” and Ps 90:9 “שָׁנֵינוּ כְּמוֹ־הֶגֶה.” Two uncommon nouns from הגה tie a musical/meditative aside in Ps 9 to the “sigh/breath” brevity of life in Ps 90. - מורה “terror/dread” vs יראה “fear” (semantic pairing): Ps 9:21 “שִׁיתָה יְהוָה מוֹרָה לָהֶם …” and Ps 90:11 “וּכְיִרְאָתְךָ עֶבְרָתֶךָ.” Psalm 9 asks God to set dread upon the nations; Psalm 90 correlates God’s wrath to the fear due to him. The thematic logic is tight even though the exact noun differs. Secondary lexical/thematic links - Refuge imagery with rarer nouns: Ps 9:10 “מִשְׂגָּב לַדָּךְ … מִשְׂגָּב לְעִתּוֹת בַּצָּרָה” and Ps 90:1 “מָעוֹן אַתָּה הָיִיתָ לָּנוּ.” Different words, same motif: God as protective dwelling/stronghold. - Joy/praise verbs in cohortatives: Ps 9:3 “אֶשְׂמְחָה … אֲזַמְּרָה,” v. 15 “אָגִילָה,” and Ps 90:14 “וּנְרַנְּנָה וְנִשְׂמְחָה.” Shared stylistic register: resolve to rejoice/sing after appeal. - “Work of hands” vs “work of hands”: Ps 9:17 “בְּפֹעַל כַּפָּיו נוֹקֵשׁ רָשָׁע” and Ps 90:17 “וּמַעֲשֵׂה יָדֵינוּ כּוֹנְנָה.” The wicked is caught by his own handiwork (Ps 9); the faithful ask God to establish theirs (Ps 90). Same semantic field; antithetical moral outcome. - Water/sinking/sweeping images of judgment/mortality: Ps 9:16 “טָבְעוּ גוֹיִם” and Ps 90:5 “זְרַמְתָּם” (swept away). Different verbs, same picture of human downfall under divine action. Form and stylistic affinities - Hybrid hymn-lament shape in both: Psalm 9 alternates praise for God’s judicial acts with petition (“קוּמָה יְהוָה …”); Psalm 90 blends a grand theological preface (God’s eternity, human mortality) with petition (“שׁוּבָה יְהוָה … שַׂבְּעֵנוּ … כּוֹנְנָה”). The praise-to-petition movement and direct address to YHWH match. - Imperatives to God at climactic points: Ps 9 closes with forceful imperatives (“קוּמָה … שִׁיתָה”), and Ps 90 climaxes likewise (“שׁוּבָה … שַׂבְּעֵנוּ … יֵרָאֶה … כּוֹנְנָה”). The “follow-on” feels natural in liturgical reading. - Zion/throne to creation/eternity: Ps 9 stresses God “sitting” and “enthroned” in Zion and for judgment; Ps 90 universalizes to the pre-creation “from everlasting to everlasting,” a typical ANE move from kingship/enthronement to cosmology. Narrative or life‑cycle logic - Moral lesson → existential wisdom: Ps 9 ends by demanding the nations learn their mortality (אֱנוֹשׁ); Ps 90 begins by meditating on that mortality under God’s eternity and asking for “a heart of wisdom” (לִמְנוֹת יָמֵינוּ … לְבַב חָכְמָה). Didactic progression is explicit. - Divine warfare/judgment → return/mercy: Ps 9 celebrates God’s judicial victory and asks him to arise; Ps 90, framed as “a prayer of Moses,” fits the next liturgical stage: after judgment, the community pleads “שׁוּבָה יְהוָה … וְהִנָּחֵם” for compassion and restoration. This parallels Israel’s historical rhythms (deliverance/judgment followed by repentance and plea for mercy). - Enthronement → creation: In broader ANE and Israelite theology, the king’s or deity’s enthronement is followed by the establishment of cosmic order. Ps 9:8 “כּוֹנֵן לַמִּשְׁפָּט כִּסְאוֹ” (throne established) is followed aptly by Ps 90:2 “בְּטֶרֶם הָרִים יֻלָּדוּ … אַתָּה אֵל” (cosmic pre‑eminence). A possible “reading seam” from the last lines of Ps 9 into the opening of Ps 90 - Ps 9:21: “שִׁיתָה יְהוָה מוֹרָה לָהֶם יֵדְעוּ גוֹיִם אֱנוֹשׁ הֵמָּה.” Set dread, let the nations know they are ’enosh. - Ps 90:3–12 answers: Yes—’enosh is turned back to crushedness and dust; therefore, teach us to know/number our days; our years pass “like a sigh” (כְמוֹ־הֶגֶה). - Ps 9:8 “כּוֹנֵן … כִּסְאוֹ” → Ps 90:17 “כּוֹנְנָה … מַעֲשֵׂה יָדֵינוּ.” The establishment of God’s throne logically grounds the prayer that he establish his people’s work. Summary - Lexically, the pair shares unusually weighty links: אֱנוֹשׁ; דך/דכא; תֵבֵל; כונן; the ידע cluster; שוב cluster; עולם; and the rare הגה/הגיון pairing. - Stylistically and formally, both are praise‑petition compositions with climactic imperatives, moving from proclamation of God’s rule to plea for help. - Thematically, Ps 9’s call for the nations to learn their mortality and fear (מורה) is taken up by Ps 90’s meditation on human frailty and the right fear of God (יראה), shifting from courtroom victory to existential wisdom and covenantal mercy. - In Israelite religious logic, enthronement/judgment (Ps 9) naturally precedes creation/eternity reflection and the plea for God to “return” to bless and establish his people (Ps 90). On these grounds, Psalm 90 can be read as a coherent and even artful follow‑on to Psalm 9.
Evaluation
Score: 6.5
Evaluated at: 2025-12-05T04:05:10 (UTC)
Evaluator model: gpt-5
Evaluator version: v2
Reasoning: 3520 Output: 7229 Total: 10749
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 verified lexical ties (’enosh; דך/דכא; היגיון/הגה; כונן; תבל) and plausible flow, but many are common. Ignores strong Ps 9–10 acrostic pairing and distant books/superscriptions. No editorial marker; thus mid score.
Prompt
Consider Psalm 9 and Psalm 90 (reproduced below). What arguments could you make to justify that Psalm 90 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 90:
Psalm 90
1. תְּפִלָּה֮
לְמֹשֶׁ֢ה
אִֽישׁ־
הָאֱלֹ֫הִ֥ים
אֲֽדֹנָ֗י
מָע֣וֹן
אַ֭תָּה
הָיִ֥יתָ
לָּ֗נוּ
בְּדֹ֣ר
וָדֹֽר׃
2. בְּטֶ֤רֶם ׀
הָ֘רִ֤ים
יֻלָּ֗דוּ
וַתְּח֣וֹלֵֽל
אֶ֣רֶץ
וְתֵבֵ֑ל
וּֽמֵעוֹלָ֥ם
עַד־
ע֝וֹלָ֗ם
אַתָּ֥ה
אֵֽל׃
3. תָּשֵׁ֣ב
אֱ֭נוֹשׁ
עַד־
דַּכָּ֑א
וַ֝תֹּ֗אמֶר
שׁ֣וּבוּ
בְנֵי־
אָדָֽם׃
4. כִּ֤י
אֶ֪לֶף
שָׁנִ֡ים
בְּֽעֵינֶ֗יךָ
כְּי֣וֹם
אֶ֭תְמוֹל
כִּ֣י
יַעֲבֹ֑ר
וְאַשְׁמוּרָ֥ה
בַלָּֽיְלָה׃
5. זְ֭רַמְתָּם
שֵׁנָ֣ה
יִהְי֑וּ
בַּ֝בֹּ֗קֶר
כֶּחָצִ֥יר
יַחֲלֹֽף׃
6. בַּ֭בֹּקֶר
יָצִ֣יץ
וְחָלָ֑ף
לָ֝עֶ֗רֶב
יְמוֹלֵ֥ל
וְיָבֵֽשׁ׃
7. כִּֽי־
כָלִ֥ינוּ
בְאַפֶּ֑ךָ
וּֽבַחֲמָתְךָ֥
נִבְהָֽלְנוּ׃
8. שת
שַׁתָּ֣ה
עֲוֺנֹתֵ֣ינוּ
לְנֶגְדֶּ֑ךָ
עֲ֝לֻמֵ֗נוּ
לִמְא֥וֹר
פָּנֶֽיךָ׃
9. כִּ֣י
כָל־
יָ֭מֵינוּ
פָּנ֣וּ
בְעֶבְרָתֶ֑ךָ
כִּלִּ֖ינוּ
שָׁנֵ֣ינוּ
כְמוֹ־
הֶֽגֶה׃
10. יְמֵֽי־
שְׁנוֹתֵ֨ינוּ
בָהֶ֥ם
שִׁבְעִ֪ים
שָׁנָ֡ה
וְאִ֤ם
בִּגְבוּרֹ֨ת ׀
שְׁמ֘וֹנִ֤ים
שָׁנָ֗ה
וְ֭רָהְבָּם
עָמָ֣ל
וָאָ֑וֶן
כִּי־
גָ֥ז
חִ֝֗ישׁ
וַנָּעֻֽפָה׃
11. מִֽי־
י֭וֹדֵעַ
עֹ֣ז
אַפֶּ֑ךָ
וּ֝כְיִרְאָתְךָ֗
עֶבְרָתֶֽךָ׃
12. לִמְנ֣וֹת
יָ֭מֵינוּ
כֵּ֣ן
הוֹדַ֑ע
וְ֝נָבִ֗א
לְבַ֣ב
חָכְמָֽה׃
13. שׁוּבָ֣ה
יְ֭הוָה
עַד־
מָתָ֑י
וְ֝הִנָּחֵ֗ם
עַל־
עֲבָדֶֽיךָ׃
14. שַׂבְּעֵ֣נוּ
בַבֹּ֣קֶר
חַסְדֶּ֑ךָ
וּֽנְרַנְּנָ֥ה
וְ֝נִשְׂמְחָ֗ה
בְּכָל־
יָמֵֽינוּ׃
15. שַׂ֭מְּחֵנוּ
כִּימ֣וֹת
עִנִּיתָ֑נוּ
שְׁ֝נ֗וֹת
רָאִ֥ינוּ
רָעָֽה׃
16. יֵרָאֶ֣ה
אֶל־
עֲבָדֶ֣יךָ
פָעֳלֶ֑ךָ
וַ֝הֲדָרְךָ֗
עַל־
בְּנֵיהֶֽם׃
17. וִיהִ֤י ׀
נֹ֤עַם
אֲדֹנָ֥י
אֱלֹהֵ֗ינוּ
עָ֫לֵ֥ינוּ
וּמַעֲשֵׂ֣ה
יָ֭דֵינוּ
כּוֹנְנָ֥ה
עָלֵ֑ינוּ
וּֽמַעֲשֵׂ֥ה
יָ֝דֵ֗ינוּ
כּוֹנְנֵֽהוּ׃