Psalm 10 → 17
Reasoning: 13120 Output: 5650 Total: 18770
Argument
Short answer: Psalm 17 reads like a deliberate “answer” to Psalm 10. It picks up the same situation (a righteous person hunted by arrogant predators), reuses several of Psalm 10’s rarer words and images, and then inverts Psalm 10’s complaints (God far and hidden; the wicked boast they will not be moved) into direct petitions and confident reversals (God hears, sees, draws near; the righteous’ steps will not slip; the psalmist will behold God’s face). Below are the main lines of evidence. A. Strong lexical ties (rarer/identical forms and roots) - Identical cry: קוּמָה יְהוָה “Arise, YHWH” (Ps 10:12; Ps 17:13). - Identical collocation בַּל תִּמְצָא “you will not find” (Ps 10:15; Ps 17:3). In Ps 10 it targets the wicked’s evil; in Ps 17 it’s God’s testing of the petitioner’s integrity—an intentional forensic echo. - “Hiding/ambush” in exactly the same diction: - במסתּר/במִסְתָּרִים “in hiding places” (Ps 10:8–9; Ps 17:12). - “Like a lion” כְּאַרְיֵה (Ps 10:9; Ps 17:12), with “sitting” יֹשֵׁב (Ps 17:12) matching 10:8–9’s predatory “sitting in ambush” ישב. - Rare demonstrative זוּ used the same way (Ps 10:2; Ps 17:9). - The root זמ״ם “plan, scheme”: מְזִמּוֹת (Ps 10:2, 4) vs. זַמֹּתִי (Ps 17:3), contrasting the wicked’s plots with the petitioner’s self-discipline. - The root צפן “hide/store”: יִצְפֹּנוּ “lie in wait” (Ps 10:8) vs. וּמִצְּפוּנְךָ “your hidden store/treasure” (Ps 17:14) – same root, shifted from sinister concealment to God’s hidden provision. - The root מו״ט “slip, be moved” with בַּל “not”: the wicked’s boast בַּל אֶמּוֹט “I shall not be moved” (Ps 10:6) is inverted by the righteous prayer בַּל נָמֹטּוּ פְעָמָי “my steps will not slip” (Ps 17:5). - Speech ethics: מרמה “deceit” in both—wicked mouth “full of … deceit” (Ps 10:7) vs. the petitioner’s lips “without deceit” (Ps 17:1). - Pride lexeme גאו(ה/ת): בְּגַאֲוַת רָשָׁע (Ps 10:2) vs. דִבְּרוּ בְגֵאוּת (Ps 17:10). - “Ear/eye” petition formulas concentrated in both: - Ear: תַקְשִׁיב אָזְנֶךָ “incline your ear” (Ps 10:17) corresponds to הַקְשִׁיבָה … הַאֲזִינָה … הַט אָזְנְךָ (Ps 17:1, 6). - Eye: Ps 10 plays on seeing/hiding (10:8, 11, 14), and Ps 17 answers with “From you let my judgment go forth; your eyes behold uprightness” (17:2), “Keep me as the apple of the eye” (17:8), and climactically “In righteousness I shall behold your face” (17:15). - “Judgment” lexeme: מִשְׁפָּטֶיךָ (Ps 10:5), לִשְׁפֹּט (10:18) answered by מִשְׁפָּטִי יֵצֵא (Ps 17:2). B. Motif-level continuities and deliberate inversions - Distance vs. nearness: - Complaint: “Why do you stand far off? … You hide yourself” (Ps 10:1). - Answer: “Arise, YHWH … meet him” קַדְּמָה פָנָיו (Ps 17:13), plus tender proximity under the wings (17:8). - God hidden vs. God seen: - Wicked claim: “He has hidden his face; he will never see” (Ps 10:11). - Response: “Your eyes behold uprightness” (Ps 17:2) and “I will behold your face” (Ps 17:15). - Predator imagery carried forward: - Ps 10’s ambusher “like a lion in its covert” (10:9) reappears in Ps 17 with heightened intensity: “like a lion eager to tear, like a young lion sitting in hiding places” (17:12). - Speech ethics reversed: - Ps 10:7 catalogues the predator’s mouth (cursing, deceit, oppression); Ps 17:1 frontloads the petitioner’s clean lips. - The “unshakable” claim reallocated: - The wicked’s boast “I shall not be moved” (Ps 10:6) is replaced by the righteous request “my steps will not slip” (Ps 17:5). - Forensic progression: - Ps 10 petitions God to “search out” the wicked (תִּדְרוֹשׁ רִשְׁעוֹ … בַּל תִּמְצָא, 10:15). - Ps 17 shows God’s examination of the petitioner: “You have tested me by night … you will find nothing” בַּל־תִּמְצָא (17:3), and asks for the verdict: “From your presence let my judgment come forth” (17:2). - Divine-warrior execution of judgment: - Ps 10: “Break the arm of the wicked” (10:15). - Ps 17: “Deliver my life from the wicked by your sword” (17:13–14). The same scenario moves from plea for punitive power to the Divine Warrior’s intervention. - Hiddenness flipped: - In Ps 10 the wicked hide to ambush; in Ps 17 the petitioner is the one hidden—“in the shadow of your wings hide me” (17:8). C. Thematic throughline: satisfaction and portion - Ps 10 contrasts the wicked man’s desires (תַּאֲוַת נַפְשׁוֹ, 10:3) and his temporary security. - Ps 17 contrasts the worldling’s portion “in life” and being “filled … with children” (17:14) with the psalmist’s different satisfaction: “As for me, in righteousness I shall behold your face; I shall be satisfied when I awake with your likeness” (17:15). This is a theological resolution to Ps 10’s portrait of arrogant prosperity. D. Form-critical/setting logic - Courtroom sequence: - Ps 10 is the opening complaint: God seems absent; the wicked oppress and boast; the petitioner calls for God to arise and judge the fatherless and oppressed. - Ps 17 is the hearing: the petitioner asserts innocence (17:1, 3–5), asks that the verdict issue “from your presence” (17:2), invokes the same “Arise, YHWH” formula (17:13), and expects the judge’s face at the end (17:15). - Life-setting sequence: - Predation in the land (ambush in villages/hiding places) → courtroom plea → divine-warrior deliverance → sanctuary closeness (“shadow of your wings”) → beatific satisfaction. That arc is precisely what Ps 10 initiates and Ps 17 advances. E. Editorial/collection signals - Ps 10 closes with assurance that God “has heard the desire of the humble … you will incline your ear” (10:17–18); Ps 17 opens by intensifying the hearing verbs: “hear … give ear … listen … incline your ear” (17:1, 6). This reads like the promised hearing of Ps 10 coming into effect. - In the Greek tradition Ps 9–10 are one psalm; Ps 17 is explicitly “A Prayer of David,” making it a natural representative of the “humble ones’” prayer just invoked in Ps 10:17. In sum: the cumulative weight of shared and relatively rare diction (זו; בל תמצא; זמם; במסתרים; the lion-ambush cluster), mirrored formulas (קומה יהוה; ear/eye verbs; משפט), and targeted inversions (hidden face vs. beholding face; the wicked’s “I shall not be moved” vs. the righteous “my steps will not slip”) makes a strong case that Psalm 17 can be read as a logical sequel to Psalm 10—moving from complaint about the arrogant predator to the righteous one’s examined plea and anticipated vision of God.
Evaluation
Score: 7.8
Evaluated at: 2025-12-08T03:57:55 (UTC)
Evaluator model: gpt-5
Evaluator version: v2
Reasoning: 4288 Output: 6503 Total: 10791
Checklist
- Has verse refs: Yes
- Factual error detected: No
- Only generic motifs: No
- Counterargument considered: No
- LXX/MT numbering acknowledged: Yes
Vocabulary specificity: 6.5 / 10
Multiple precise ties: בל תמצא (10:15;17:3), rare זו (10:2;17:9), lion-ambush במסתרים/ישב (10:8–9;17:12), קומה יהוה, and inverted אמוט/נמותו. However, many motifs are common and intervening psalms share them, weakening exclusivity. No caps.
Prompt
Consider Psalm 10 and Psalm 17 (reproduced below). What arguments could you make to justify that Psalm 17 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 17:
Psalm 17
1. תְּפִלָּ֗ה
לְדָ֫וִ֥ד
שִׁמְעָ֤ה
יְהוָ֨ה ׀
צֶ֗דֶק
הַקְשִׁ֥יבָה
רִנָּתִ֗י
הַאֲזִ֥ינָה
תְפִלָּתִ֑י
בְּ֝לֹ֗א
שִׂפְתֵ֥י
מִרְמָֽה׃
2. מִ֭לְּפָנֶיךָ
מִשְׁפָּטִ֣י
יֵצֵ֑א
עֵ֝ינֶ֗יךָ
תֶּחֱזֶ֥ינָה
מֵישָׁרִֽים׃
3. בָּ֘חַ֤נְתָּ
לִבִּ֨י ׀
פָּ֘קַ֤דְתָּ
לַּ֗יְלָה
צְרַפְתַּ֥נִי
בַל־
תִּמְצָ֑א
זַ֝מֹּתִ֗י
בַּל־
יַעֲבָר־
פִּֽי׃
4. לִפְעֻלּ֣וֹת
אָ֭דָם
בִּדְבַ֣ר
שְׂפָתֶ֑יךָ
אֲנִ֥י
שָׁ֝מַ֗רְתִּי
אָרְח֥וֹת
פָּרִֽיץ׃
5. תָּמֹ֣ךְ
אֲ֭שֻׁרַי
בְּמַעְגְּלוֹתֶ֑יךָ
בַּל־
נָמ֥וֹטּוּ
פְעָמָֽי׃
6. אֲנִֽי־
קְרָאתִ֣יךָ
כִֽי־
תַעֲנֵ֣נִי
אֵ֑ל
הַֽט־
אָזְנְךָ֥
לִ֝֗י
שְׁמַ֣ע
אִמְרָתִֽי׃
7. הַפְלֵ֣ה
חֲ֭סָדֶיךָ
מוֹשִׁ֣יעַ
חוֹסִ֑ים
מִ֝מִּתְקוֹמְמִ֗ים
בִּֽימִינֶֽךָ׃
8. שָׁ֭מְרֵנִי
כְּאִישׁ֣וֹן
בַּת־
עָ֑יִן
בְּצֵ֥ל
כְּ֝נָפֶ֗יךָ
תַּסְתִּירֵֽנִי׃
9. מִפְּנֵ֣י
רְ֭שָׁעִים
ז֣וּ
שַׁדּ֑וּנִי
אֹיְבַ֥י
בְּ֝נֶ֗פֶשׁ
יַקִּ֥יפוּ
עָלָֽי׃
10. חֶלְבָּ֥מוֹ
סָּגְר֑וּ
פִּ֝֗ימוֹ
דִּבְּר֥וּ
בְגֵאֽוּת׃
11. אַ֭שֻּׁרֵינוּ
עַתָּ֣ה
סבבוני
סְבָב֑וּנוּ
עֵינֵיהֶ֥ם
יָ֝שִׁ֗יתוּ
לִנְט֥וֹת
בָּאָֽרֶץ׃
12. דִּמְיֹנ֗וֹ
כְּ֭אַרְיֵה
יִכְס֣וֹף
לִטְר֑וֹף
וְ֝כִכְפִ֗יר
יֹשֵׁ֥ב
בְּמִסְתָּרִֽים׃
13. קוּמָ֤ה
יְהוָ֗ה
קַדְּמָ֣ה
פָ֭נָיו
הַכְרִיעֵ֑הוּ
פַּלְּטָ֥ה
נַ֝פְשִׁ֗י
מֵרָשָׁ֥ע
חַרְבֶּֽךָ׃
14. מִֽמְתִ֥ים
יָדְךָ֨ ׀
יְהוָ֡ה
מִֽמְתִ֬ים
מֵחֶ֗לֶד
חֶלְקָ֥ם
בַּֽחַיִּים֮
וצפינך
וּֽצְפוּנְךָ֮
תְּמַלֵּ֢א
בִ֫טְנָ֥ם
יִשְׂבּ֥עוּ
בָנִ֑ים
וְהִנִּ֥יחוּ
יִ֝תְרָ֗ם
לְעוֹלְלֵֽיהֶם׃
15. אֲנִ֗י
בְּ֭צֶדֶק
אֶחֱזֶ֣ה
פָנֶ֑יךָ
אֶשְׂבְּעָ֥ה
בְ֝הָקִ֗יץ
תְּמוּנָתֶֽךָ׃