Psalm 10 → 13
Reasoning: 6720 Output: 4057 Total: 10777
Argument
Here are converging reasons (textual, lexical, and form‑critical) for reading Psalm 13 as a logical follow‑on to Psalm 10. Shared openings and the same divine‑hiddenness problem - Same complaint, reframed: Ps 10:1 “למה… תעמוד ברחוק, תעלים… בצרה” (Why do you stand far off, why hide in trouble?) → Ps 13:2 “עד־אנה… תשכחני נצח, עד־אנה תסתיר את פניך ממני” (How long will you forget me forever, how long will you hide your face from me?). The move from “Why?” to “How long?” is a natural narrative progression from questioning God’s inaction to enduring its duration. - Identical “hide the face” collocation: Ps 10:11 “הסתיר פניו” vs. Ps 13:2 “תסתיר את פניך ממני.” Exact lexeme + collocation is relatively marked and strongly links the poems. “Forget” + “forever” as a picked‑up motif - Ps 10:11 reports the wicked’s taunt: “שכח אל… בל־ראה לנצח” (God has forgotten… will never see), and Ps 10:12 prays “אל־תשכח עניים.” Ps 13:2 turns that taunt into a prayerful agony: “תשכחני נצח.” Same root שכח and the time‑word נצח recur; the identical temporal adverb heightens the linkage. Rare/specific lexical correspondences - Identical verbal form אמוט (1cs): Ps 10:6 the wicked boasts “בל אמוט” (I shall not be moved), Ps 13:5 fears “צרי יגילו כי אמוט” (my foes will rejoice when I am moved). Same form, opposite speakers; Ps 13 pointedly reverses the wicked confidence of Ps 10. - Root נבט in petition to see/consider: Ps 10:14 “תביט” (you look) → Ps 13:4 “הביטה” (look!). Same root and prayer function. - Heart vocabulary internalized: Ps 10 repeatedly “אמר בלבו/בְּלִבּוֹ” (vv. 6, 11, 13) describing the wicked’s inner talk; Ps 13 answers with the sufferer’s interior: “יגון בלבבי” and “יגֵל לבי” (v. 6). Same semantic field (לב/לבב), now transferred from the wicked’s inner monologue to the faithful sufferer’s inner pain and joy. - Enemy lexemes: Ps 10 has “צורריו” (v. 5) and the “רשע” throughout; Ps 13 concentrates them as “אויבי” (vv. 3, 5) and “צרי” (v. 5). Different lemmas, same semantic set of adversaries. Scene and plot continuity - Ps 10 depicts the predation and collapse of the poor: “ידכה… ונפל” (v. 10), the wicked in ambush (vv. 8–10), and their boast “בל אמוט” (v. 6). Ps 13 reads like the first‑person voice of that same victim now near death: “האירה עיני פן אישן המוות… צרי יגילו כי אמוט” (vv. 4–5). The general social lament of Ps 10 narrows to an individual lament in Ps 13. - Both psalms use the covenant‑curse idiom of divine hiddenness (הסתר פנים; cf. Deut 31:17–18). Ps 10 reports it as the wicked’s cynical claim; Ps 13 pleads directly against it. That is a logical rhetorical development from accusation to supplication. Form and structural parallels - Both are laments that pivot to confidence/praise: - Ps 10: petition “קומה… אל, נשא ידך… אל תשכח” (v. 12) → confidence/doxology “יהוה מלך עולם ועד… שמעת… לשפוט יתום ודך” (vv. 16–18). - Ps 13: complaint “עד־אנה… תסתיר” (vv. 2–3) → petition “הביטה, ענני… האירה עיני” (v. 4) → trust/praise “ואני בחסדך בטחתי… אשירה ליהוה כי גמל עלי” (v. 6). - Both deploy the classic “complaint → petition → assurance/praise” arc; Ps 13 is a shorter, concentrated reprise that could function as the personal sequel to Ps 10’s communal/representative lament. Subtle root/network echoes - “Counsel/schemes” field: Ps 10 has “מזימות” (vv. 2, 4) of the wicked; Ps 13:3 has “אשית עצות בנפשי” (I set counsels in my soul). Different roots but a pointed semantic counter: the wicked plot externally; the sufferer wrestles with counsel internally. - Height/exaltation field: Ps 10:5 “מרום משפטיך” (your judgments are on high); Ps 13:3 “ירום אויבי עלי” (my enemy will be exalted over me). Same root רום highlights the reversal—God’s lofty judgments vs. the enemy’s rising dominance. Liturgical/editorial fit - Ps 9–10 form an acrostic unit that ends in assurance that God hears the desire of the humble (10:17–18). Ps 13 can be read as the next movement: the humble one himself prays “look/answer… lest I sleep in death,” then vows praise. The shared formulas and endings make it very plausible that Ps 13 was intended to be used right after the 9–10 unit in worship, moving from communal complaint to individual plea and trust. In sum: identical or near‑identical phrases (“הסתיר פניו/תסתיר פניך,” “אל תשכח/תשכחני,” “לנצח,” the 1cs “אמוט,” root נבט), the same opening problem reframed in time (“למה” → “עד־אנה”), tightly overlapping semantic fields (heart, enemies, counsel/plots), and matching lament‑to‑praise structures together make a strong case that Psalm 13 is a deliberate, logical follow‑on to Psalm 10—narratively, lexically, and liturgically.
Evaluation
Score: 6.8
Evaluated at: 2025-12-08T03:52:47 (UTC)
Evaluator model: gpt-5
Evaluator version: v2
Reasoning: 4544 Output: 4889 Total: 9433
Checklist
- Has verse refs: Yes
- Factual error detected: No
- Only generic motifs: No
- Counterargument considered: No
- LXX/MT numbering acknowledged: No
Vocabulary specificity: 4.5 / 10
Numerous precise links (הסתר פנים; שכח/נצח; אמוט; נבט) and plausible ‘למה→עד־אנה’ progression, but these lexemes are common laments; no decisive editorial marker; Pss 11–12 intervene; counterarguments unaddressed.
Prompt
Consider Psalm 10 and Psalm 13 (reproduced below). What arguments could you make to justify that Psalm 13 logically follows on from Psalm 10? 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 10:
Psalm 10
1. לָמָ֣ה
יְ֭הוָה
תַּעֲמֹ֣ד
בְּרָח֑וֹק
תַּ֝עְלִ֗ים
לְעִתּ֥וֹת
בַּצָּרָֽה׃
2. בְּגַאֲוַ֣ת
רָ֭שָׁע
יִדְלַ֣ק
עָנִ֑י
יִתָּפְשׂ֓וּ ׀
בִּמְזִמּ֖וֹת
ז֣וּ
חָשָֽׁבוּ׃
3. כִּֽי־
הִלֵּ֣ל
רָ֭שָׁע
עַל־
תַּאֲוַ֣ת
נַפְשׁ֑וֹ
וּבֹצֵ֥עַ
בֵּ֝רֵ֗ךְ
נִ֘אֵ֥ץ ׀
יְהוָֽה׃
4. רָשָׁ֗ע
כְּגֹ֣בַהּ
אַ֭פּוֹ
בַּל־
יִדְרֹ֑שׁ
אֵ֥ין
אֱ֝לֹהִ֗ים
כָּל־
מְזִמּוֹתָֽיו׃
5. יָ֘חִ֤ילוּ
דרכו
דְרָכָ֨יו ׀
בְּכָל־
עֵ֗ת
מָר֣וֹם
מִ֭שְׁפָּטֶיךָ
מִנֶּגְדּ֑וֹ
כָּל־
צ֝וֹרְרָ֗יו
יָפִ֥יחַ
בָּהֶֽם׃
6. אָמַ֣ר
בְּ֭לִבּוֹ
בַּל־
אֶמּ֑וֹט
לְדֹ֥ר
וָ֝דֹ֗ר
אֲשֶׁ֣ר
לֹֽא־
בְרָֽע׃
7. אָלָ֤ה ׀
פִּ֣יהוּ
מָ֭לֵא
וּמִרְמ֣וֹת
וָתֹ֑ךְ
תַּ֥חַת
לְ֝שׁוֹנ֗וֹ
עָמָ֥ל
וָאָֽוֶן׃
8. יֵשֵׁ֤ב ׀
בְּמַאְרַ֬ב
חֲצֵרִ֗ים
בַּֽ֭מִּסְתָּרִים
יַהֲרֹ֣ג
נָקִ֑י
עֵ֝ינָ֗יו
לְֽחֵלְכָ֥ה
יִצְפֹּֽנוּ׃
9. יֶאֱרֹ֬ב
בַּמִּסְתָּ֨ר ׀
כְּאַרְיֵ֬ה
בְסֻכֹּ֗ה
יֶ֭אֱרֹב
לַחֲט֣וֹף
עָנִ֑י
יַחְטֹ֥ף
עָ֝נִ֗י
בְּמָשְׁכ֥וֹ
בְרִשְׁתּֽוֹ׃
10. ודכה
יִדְכֶּ֥ה
יָשֹׁ֑חַ
וְנָפַ֥ל
בַּ֝עֲצוּמָּ֗יו
חלכאים
חֵ֣יל
כָּאִֽים׃
11. אָמַ֣ר
בְּ֭לִבּוֹ
שָׁ֣כַֽח
אֵ֑ל
הִסְתִּ֥יר
פָּ֝נָ֗יו
בַּל־
רָאָ֥ה
לָנֶֽצַח׃
12. קוּמָ֤ה
יְהוָ֗ה
אֵ֭ל
נְשָׂ֣א
יָדֶ֑ךָ
אַל־
תִּשְׁכַּ֥ח
עניים
עֲנָוִֽים׃
13. עַל־
מֶ֤ה ׀
נִאֵ֖ץ
רָשָׁ֥ע ׀
אֱלֹהִ֑ים
אָמַ֥ר
בְּ֝לִבּ֗וֹ
לֹ֣א
תִדְרֹֽשׁ׃
14. רָאִ֡תָה
כִּֽי־
אַתָּ֤ה ׀
עָ֘מָ֤ל
וָכַ֨עַס ׀
תַּבִּיט֮
לָתֵ֢ת
בְּיָ֫דֶ֥ךָ
עָ֭לֶיךָ
יַעֲזֹ֣ב
חֵלֶ֑כָה
יָ֝ת֗וֹם
אַתָּ֤ה ׀
הָיִ֬יתָ
עוֹזֵֽר׃
15. שְׁ֭בֹר
זְר֣וֹעַ
רָשָׁ֑ע
וָ֝רָ֗ע
תִּֽדְרוֹשׁ־
רִשְׁע֥וֹ
בַל־
תִּמְצָֽא׃
16. יְהוָ֣ה
מֶ֭לֶךְ
עוֹלָ֣ם
וָעֶ֑ד
אָבְד֥וּ
ג֝וֹיִ֗ם
מֵֽאַרְצֽוֹ׃
17. תַּאֲוַ֬ת
עֲנָוִ֣ים
שָׁמַ֣עְתָּ
יְהוָ֑ה
תָּכִ֥ין
לִ֝בָּ֗ם
תַּקְשִׁ֥יב
אָזְנֶֽךָ׃
18. לִשְׁפֹּ֥ט
יָת֗וֹם
וָ֫דָ֥ךְ
בַּל־
יוֹסִ֥יף
ע֑וֹד
לַעֲרֹ֥ץ
אֱ֝נ֗וֹשׁ
מִן־
הָאָֽרֶץ׃
Psalm 13:
Psalm 13
1. לַמְנַצֵּ֗חַ
מִזְמ֥וֹר
לְדָוִֽד׃
2. עַד־
אָ֣נָה
יְ֭הוָה
תִּשְׁכָּחֵ֣נִי
נֶ֑צַח
עַד־
אָ֓נָה ׀
תַּסְתִּ֖יר
אֶת־
פָּנֶ֣יךָ
מִמֶּֽנִיt
3. עַד־
אָ֨נָה
אָשִׁ֪ית
עֵצ֡וֹת
בְּנַפְשִׁ֗י
יָג֣וֹן
בִּלְבָבִ֣י
יוֹמָ֑ם
עַד־
אָ֓נָה ׀
יָר֖וּם
אֹיְבִ֣י
עָלָֽי׃
4. הַבִּ֣יטָֽה
עֲ֭נֵנִי
יְהוָ֣ה
אֱלֹהָ֑י
הָאִ֥ירָה
עֵ֝ינַ֗י
פֶּן־
אִישַׁ֥ן
הַמָּֽוֶת׃
5. פֶּן־
יֹאמַ֣ר
אֹיְבִ֣י
יְכָלְתִּ֑יו
צָרַ֥י
יָ֝גִ֗ילוּ
כִּ֣י
אֶמּֽוֹט׃
6. וַאֲנִ֤י ׀
בְּחַסְדְּךָ֣
בָטַחְתִּי֮
יָ֤גֵ֥ל
לִבִּ֗י
בִּֽישׁוּעָ֫תֶ֥ךָ
אָשִׁ֥ירָה
לַיהוָ֑ה
כִּ֖י
גָמַ֣ל
עָלָֽי׃