Psalm 10 → 15
Reasoning: 7232 Output: 4712 Total: 11944
Argument
Here are ways to argue that Psalm 15 is a deliberate and logical follow-up to Psalm 10, moving from lament over the triumph of the wicked to an answer that defines the righteous person who may dwell with God. I group the links by (a) explicit lexical/formulaic hooks, (b) motif/thematic continuities and reversals, and (c) form/life-setting logic that would make Psalm 15 a fitting sequel. Direct lexical and formulaic hooks (rarer/shared/identical forms first) - מוט “to be moved”: Ps 10:6 בל אמֹט (“I shall not be moved,” boast of the wicked), answered in Ps 15:5 לא ימּוט לעולם (“he shall not be moved forever,” promise to the righteous). Same root and collocation with negation; Psalm 15 transfers the wicked’s boast to the righteous as God’s guarantee. - נקי “innocent”: Ps 10:8 יַהֲרֹג נָקִי (“he murders the innocent”); Ps 15:5 וְשֹׁחַד עַל־נָקִי לֹא לָקָח (“does not take a bribe against the innocent”). Same adjective in both; 15 directly targets the mechanism (bribery) by which the “innocent” are wronged in 10. - בלבבו / בלבו, “in his heart,” with inner speech: Ps 10 thrice has אָמַר בְּלִבּוֹ (vv. 6, 11, 13), the inner talk of the wicked; Ps 15:2 answers with וְדֹבֵר אֱמֶת בִּלְבָבו, inner truthfulness. Same construction “in his heart,” but inverted content (deceitful inner speech vs. truthful inner speech). - לשון “tongue” and speech ethics: Ps 10:7 “his mouth is full of oaths/cursing, deceit” … “under his tongue are mischief and iniquity”; Ps 15:3 “does not slander on his tongue.” Identical noun; diametrically opposed use of speech. - עולם “forever”: Ps 10:16 יהוה מלך עולם ועד; Ps 15:5 לא ימוט לעולם. The time horizon of God’s kingship in Psalm 10 is matched by the permanence granted to the righteous in Psalm 15. - Honor/valuation reversal: Ps 10:3 וּבֹצֵעַ בֵּרֵךְ נִאֵץ יְהוָה (“he blesses the greedy; he spurns the LORD”); Ps 15:4 וְאֶת־יִרְאֵי יְהוָה יְכַבֵּד (“he honors those who fear the LORD”). Same semantic field of whom one “honors/blesses” but reversed: the wicked praises gain (בצע), the righteous honors God-fearers. - בצע “unjust gain” and שוחד “bribe”: the greedy (בֹצֵעַ) are “blessed” by the wicked (Ps 10:3), while the righteous refuses interest and bribe (Ps 15:5). Not identical lexemes, but same rare moral domain: illicit enrichment that perverts justice. - משפט/צדק: Ps 10:5 מָרוֹם מִשְׁפָּטֶיךָ מִנֶּגְדּוֹ (“Your judgments are far from him”); Ps 15:2 וּפֹעֵל צֶדֶק (“does righteousness”). The agent of Psalm 15 does the very justice/righteousness the wicked of Psalm 10 ignores. - נשא “to lift”: Ps 10:12 קוּמָה יְהוָה … נְשָׂא יָדֶךָ (“lift your hand”); Ps 15:3 וְחֶרְפָּה לֹא נָשָׂא (“does not lift up reproach”). Same root plays in two registers: the psalmist asks God to “lift” His hand against injustice; the righteous refuses to “lift” disgrace against a neighbor. Motif-level continuities and deliberate reversals - From divine hiddenness to divine presence: Ps 10 laments God’s distance/hiddenness (10:1, 11); Ps 15 asks who may dwell in God’s tent and on His holy hill (15:1). The answer to “Why are you far off?” is “Here is who may come near and abide.” - From the predator’s lair to God’s tent: Ps 10:9 “like a lion in his sukkah (lair)” and “in secret places” vs. Ps 15:1 “in your tent … on your holy hill.” Two dwellings: the covert of violence vs. the sanctuary of holiness. - From ambush and violence to neighborly integrity: Ps 10:8–10 lurk, ambush, crush the helpless; Ps 15:2–3 integrity, truth, no harm to a neighbor, no slander. Same social field (the vulnerable vs. the one with power), opposite behavior. - From perverted courts to straight courts: Ps 10 targets killing the נָקִי and boasts that God “will not seek” (לא תדרוש); Ps 10:18 prays “to judge the orphan and the crushed.” Ps 15 names the concrete courtroom corruptions the righteous refuses: interest/bribe against the innocent. The ethical code in 15 is exactly what would secure the justice sought in 10. - Inner discourse transformation: In 10 the wicked’s “heart-sayings” deny accountability and divine scrutiny; in 15 the righteous “speaks truth in his heart.” The locus of the problem and the solution is the heart. - Stability motif re-assigned: In 10 the wicked claims unshakability (בל אמוט); in 15 God grants true unshakability (לא ימוט) to the righteous. Same motif, different subject, functioning as editorial rebuttal. - Valuation community: 10 shows a society that “blesses the greedy” and “spurns YHWH”; 15 depicts a counter-society that “honors those who fear YHWH,” refuses to wrong a קרוב, and keeps oaths even to one’s hurt. It is a moral inversion of the social order lamented in 10. Form-critical and life-setting logic - Lament to entrance liturgy: Psalm 10 is an individual/community lament appealing to God the King-Judge (10:12–18). Psalm 15 is an entrance liturgy/wisdom rubric describing who is qualified to approach the King in His sanctuary. As a sequence, the complaint and petition for just rule (10) are followed by the covenantal terms of admission to God’s presence (15). - Court-to-temple progression: 10 ends with kingship and judicial language (10:16–18); 15 opens with temple-access language (tent/hill). In ancient Israelite worship, seeking divine judgment often culminated in temple approach; 15 reads like the liturgical “gate-criteria” after the plea for judgment in 10 has been voiced. - Canonical arc through Psalms 10–15: The intervening psalms intensify the same dossier and bridge 10 to 15. - 11: tests of the righteous; God evaluates from His holy temple (11:4), anticipating 15’s holy hill. - 12: the crisis of lying lips and double heart, matching 10’s speech-violence and answered by 15’s tongue/heart integrity. - 13: “How long?” prolongs divine hiddenness from 10. - 14: “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God’,” directly echoing 10’s אָמַר בְּלִבּוֹ and “אין אלוהים” (10:4). Psalm 15 then supplies the positive antitype: the God-fearer whose heart speaks truth and whose conduct is blameless. This five-psalm arc culminates perfectly in 15’s concise specification of the righteous. Further small but telling correspondences - Oath language: Ps 10:7 “oaths/curses” (אָלָה) fill the wicked mouth; Ps 15:4 “he swears to his own hurt and does not change.” Both regulate speech under oath; 15 reforms the abuse seen in 10. - Concern for the weak: Ps 10 focuses on עָנִי/דַךְ/יָתוֹם; Ps 15’s prohibitions (no bribe/interest, no harm to a neighbor, no slander) are precisely the social behaviors that protect such people in Israel’s law. - Time and land: Ps 10 removes nations “from His land” and ends “from the earth”; Ps 15 anchors the righteous on “your holy hill” and promises permanence “forever.” Who remains in the land/presence is the question both resolve. Put together, these lexical hooks, motif reversals, and form-setting dynamics make a strong case that Psalm 15 is crafted to answer Psalm 10’s crisis. The wicked man of Psalm 10, who says in his heart “I shall not be moved,” is displaced by the righteous man of Psalm 15, who will indeed “not be moved forever.” The social world where the innocent are ambushed and bribed against is replaced by a covenant community defined by truth, justice, and fidelity—precisely the outcome Psalm 10 prays for before the King who reigns “forever and ever.”
Evaluation
Score: 7.5
Evaluated at: 2025-12-08T03:55:20 (UTC)
Evaluator model: gpt-5
Evaluator version: v2
Reasoning: 3840 Output: 5537 Total: 9377
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
Multiple precise lexeme hooks (בל אמוט/לא ימוט; נקי; בלבבו; לשון) with verse refs and coherent reversal rationale. But overlaps are common, and it ignores 9–10 acrostic unit and 15–24 entrance pairing.
Prompt
Consider Psalm 10 and Psalm 15 (reproduced below). What arguments could you make to justify that Psalm 15 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 15:
Psalm 15
1. מִזְמ֗וֹר
לְדָ֫וִ֥ד
י֭הֹוָה
מִי־
יָג֣וּר
בְּאָהֳלֶ֑ךָ
מִֽי־
יִ֝שְׁכֹּ֗ן
בְּהַ֣ר
קָדְשֶֽׁךָ׃
2. הוֹלֵ֣ךְ
תָּ֭מִים
וּפֹעֵ֥ל
צֶ֑דֶק
וְדֹבֵ֥ר
אֱ֝מֶ֗ת
בִּלְבָֽבוֹ׃
3. לֹֽא־
רָגַ֨ל ׀
עַל־
לְשֹׁנ֗וֹ
לֹא־
עָשָׂ֣ה
לְרֵעֵ֣הוּ
רָעָ֑ה
וְ֝חֶרְפָּ֗ה
לֹא־
נָשָׂ֥א
עַל־
קְרֹֽבוֹ׃
4. נִבְזֶ֤ה ׀
בְּֽעֵ֘ינָ֤יו
נִמְאָ֗ס
וְאֶת־
יִרְאֵ֣י
יְהוָ֣ה
יְכַבֵּ֑ד
נִשְׁבַּ֥ע
לְ֝הָרַ֗ע
וְלֹ֣א
יָמִֽר׃
5. כַּסְפּ֤וֹ ׀
לֹא־
נָתַ֣ן
בְּנֶשֶׁךְ֮
וְשֹׁ֥חַד
עַל־
נָקִ֗י
לֹ֥א
לָ֫קָ֥ח
עֹֽשֵׂה־
אֵ֑לֶּה
לֹ֖א
יִמּ֣וֹט
לְעוֹלָֽם׃