Psalm 9 → 117
Reasoning: 8384 Output: 4116 Total: 12500
Argument
Here are lines of argument, from strongest lexical ties to broader thematic and liturgical logic, that can justify reading Psalm 117 as a logical follow‑on to Psalm 9. High‑weight lexical links (exact forms or rare words) - The nations vocabulary appears in both, and in the same paired way: - גוים “nations” occurs repeatedly in Ps 9 (vv. 6, 16, 18, 20, 21) and in Ps 117:1. The exact phrase כל־גוים “all nations” appears in both (Ps 9:18; Ps 117:1). - אֻמִּים “peoples” (a rarer synonym) appears in Ps 9:9 (לְאֻמִּים) and Ps 117:1 (הָאֻמִּים). The use of both גוים and (ל/ה)אֻמִּים in the same psalm is unusual and marks a strong link. - Identical temporal form לְעוֹלָם “forever” occurs in both: Ps 9:8 (וַיהוָה לְעוֹלָם יֵשֵׁב) and Ps 117:2 (וֶאֱמֶת־יְהוָה לְעוֹלָם). Identical form and identical function (grounding a theological claim) are significant. - Imperative + reason (כי) pattern: - Ps 9 uses imperatives to praise/proclaim, followed by כי‑reasons (e.g., vv. 5, 12–13, 19). - Ps 117 precisely matches that rhetorical shape: imperatives “הַלְלוּ… שַׁבְּחֻהוּ” followed by a כי‑clause giving the reason (v. 2). Conceptual and formulaic complementarity (divine attributes) - Ps 9 stresses YHWH’s kingship and justice vocabulary: מִשְׁפָּט, דִּין, צֶדֶק, מֵישָׁרִים (vv. 5, 8–9, 17). - Ps 117 supplies the complementary covenant pair: חֶסֶד and אֱמֶת (v. 2). - “צֶדֶק/מִשְׁפָּט” and “חֶסֶד/אֱמֶת” are the classic two halves of YHWH’s royal-covenantal identity; Ps 9 gives the throne/justice half (“כּוֹנֵן לַמִּשְׁפָּט כִּסְאוֹ,” 9:8), Ps 117 gives the loyal‑love/faithfulness half. Together they form a complete theological portrait. A tight narrative/logical progression across the two psalms - From proclamation in Zion to response by the nations: - Ps 9:12: “זַמְּרוּ לַיהוָה יֹשֵׁב צִיּוֹן; הַגִּידוּ בָעַמִּים עֲלִילוֹתָיו.” Zion is commanded to announce God’s deeds among the peoples. - Ps 117:1 is the plausible outcome: those very גוים/אֻמִּים now themselves praise YHWH. The proclamation of 9:12 leads to the participation of 117:1. - From judgment/education of the nations to their worship: - Ps 9 ends: “שִׁיתָה יְהוָה מוֹרָה לָהֶם; יֵדְעוּ גוֹיִם אֱנוֹשׁ הֵמָּה” (9:21). The nations are to learn their place before YHWH. - Ps 117 shows that “lesson” consummated as praise: after encountering YHWH’s might and truth, “כָּל־הָאֻמִּים” laud him. - A reversal of Ps 9’s negative universal: - Ps 9:18: “כָּל־גּוֹיִם שְׁכֵחֵי אֱלֹהִים” (all the nations who forget God) are destined for Sheol. - Ps 117:1: “הַלְלוּ אֶת־יְהוָה כָּל־גּוֹיִם” (all nations praise YHWH). The “forgetting” is replaced by “praising,” a logical fulfillment of 9’s call to declare among them (9:12) and its prayer that they come to right knowledge (9:21). - From deliverance of the afflicted in Israel to the nations’ acknowledgment: - Ps 9 centers on YHWH as משגב for the דך/ענוים/אביון in Zion (9:10–11, 13–15, 19), and petitions that he not abandon them. - Ps 117 grounds the nations’ praise in exactly that reality for Israel: “כִּי גָבַר עָלֵינוּ חַסְדּוֹ” — his covenant love has prevailed “over us” (i.e., Israel). The nations praise because of what he has done for his people, the very works Zion was told to publicize (9:12–15). Stylistic and formal similarities - Parallelism with paired ethnonyms: - Ps 9: “גוים // לְאֻמִּים” (9:6, 9, 20–21). - Ps 117: “כָּל־גּוֹיִם // כָּל־הָאֻמִּים” (117:1). - Praise‑imperatives addressed to a group: - Ps 9: “זַמְּרוּ לַיהוָה” (9:12). - Ps 117: “הַלְלוּ… שַׁבְּחֻהוּ” (117:1). In Ps 9 the addressees are Zion; in Ps 117 the addressees are the nations—a natural outward expansion. - The “because” (כי) rationale after an imperative: - Ps 9 repeatedly explains praise/petition with כי (vv. 5, 13, 19). - Ps 117:2 gives the nations’ reason to praise with כי: “גָבַר עָלֵינוּ חַסְדּוֹ…” - Shared temporal horizon: - Ps 9’s “לְעוֹלָם / לָנֶצַח / לָעַד” (vv. 6–8, 19) matches Ps 117:2’s “לְעוֹלָם,” situating both in YHWH’s enduring reign. Liturgical/historical plausibility (sequence in Israelite life) - Ps 9 reads like a thanksgiving/enhtronement‑judgment psalm: victory over enemies, YHWH enthroned for judgment, entry to Zion’s gates, call to declare among the peoples. - A natural next step in temple liturgy is the Hallel invitation that extends praise outward; Ps 117 (part of the Hallel) does exactly that—summoning the nations to celebrate YHWH’s covenant fidelity to Israel. The movement is: deliverance celebrated in Zion (Ps 9) → proclamation to the peoples (Ps 9:12) → nations join the praise (Ps 117). In sum - Lexically, the shared and relatively rare ethnonyms (גוים + אֻמִּים) and the identical form לְעוֹלָם bind the two. - Theologically, Ps 9 supplies “צדק/משפט” from the throne; Ps 117 supplies the matching “חסד/אמת.” - Rhetorically, Ps 117 reads as the realized response to Ps 9’s program: Zion proclaims; the nations learn; then all nations and all peoples praise YHWH because his faithful love to Israel has prevailed forever.
Evaluation
Score: 6.0
Evaluated at: 2025-12-06T04:14:50 (UTC)
Evaluator model: gpt-5
Evaluator version: v2
Reasoning: 4992 Output: 4950 Total: 9942
Checklist
- Has verse refs: Yes
- Factual error detected: No
- Only generic motifs: No
- Counterargument considered: No
- LXX/MT numbering acknowledged: No
Vocabulary specificity: 3.0 / 10
Solid links: כל־גוים (Ps 9:18; 117:1), גוים//לאמים, לעולם, and Zion-to-nations arc (9:12→117:1). But vocabulary is common, no editorial markers, and psalms sit far apart; counterpoints unaddressed. No caps.
Prompt
Consider Psalm 9 and Psalm 117 (reproduced below). What arguments could you make to justify that Psalm 117 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 117:
Psalm 117
1. הַֽלְל֣וּ
אֶת־
יְ֭הוָה
כָּל־
גּוֹיִ֑ם
שַׁ֝בְּח֗וּהוּ
כָּל־
הָאֻמִּֽים׃
2. כִּ֥י
גָ֘בַ֤ר
עָלֵ֨ינוּ ׀
חַסְדּ֗וֹ
וֶֽאֱמֶת־
יְהוָ֥ה
לְעוֹלָ֗ם
הַֽלְלוּ־
יָֽהּ׃