Psalm 10 → 21
Reasoning: 6656 Output: 5880 Total: 12536
Argument
Here is a set of mutually reinforcing arguments that Psalm 21 can be read as the answer and sequel to Psalm 10. I group them by type and give the most probative Hebrew correspondences (rarer lexemes, identical forms, and repeated syntagms first, more general motifs later). Shared and distinctive vocabulary, often in identical forms - Mezimma “plot, scheme” with the same verb: Ps 10:2, 4 בִּמְזִמּוֹת… זוּ חָשָׁבוּ; כָּל־מְזִמּוֹתָיו vs. Ps 21:12 חָשְׁבוּ מְזִמָּה בַּל־יוּכָלוּ. The collocation חָשְׁבוּ מְזִמָּה in both makes Ps 21 look like a narrative continuation: the very “schemes” that prosper in Ps 10 are thwarted in Ps 21. - The “desire” granted: Ps 10:17 תַּאֲוַת עֲנָוִים שָׁמַעְתָּ יְהוָה vs. Ps 21:3 תַּאֲוַת לִבּוֹ נָתַתָּה לוֹ. Same noun תַּאֲוָה; in 10 God hears the desire of the humble, in 21 He gives the king the desire of his heart. The request→grant logic is explicit. - The “not …” particle בַּל + yiqtol used repeatedly in both, creating a distinctive sound pattern: - Ps 10:4 בַּל־יִדְרֹשׁ; 10:6 בַּל־אֶמּוֹט; 10:11 בַּל־רָאָה; 10:15 בַּל־תִּמְצָא - Ps 21:3 בַּל־מָנַעְתָּ; 21:8 בַּל־יִמּוֹט; 21:12 בַּל־יוּכָלוּ Notably, the wicked’s boast “I shall not be moved” (בַּל־אֶמּוֹט, Ps 10:6) is answered by “the king … will not be moved” (בַּל־יִמּוֹט, Ps 21:8), shifting immovability from the arrogant to the faithful king. - “Find” in the same 2ms imperfect form: Ps 10:15 תִּדְרֹשׁ… בַּל־תִּמְצָא vs. Ps 21:9 תִּמְצָא יָדְךָ לְכָל־אֹיְבֶיךָ; יְמִינְךָ תִּמְצָא שֹׂנְאֶיךָ. In 10 the plea is that God “seek” and “not find” the wickedness—i.e., annihilate it; in 21 God’s hand now “finds” the enemies to destroy them. - “Anger/nose” אַף: Ps 10:4 כְּגֹבַהּ אַפּוֹ “in the height of his nose/anger” (arrogance of the wicked) vs. Ps 21:10 יְהוָה בְּאַפּוֹ יְבַלְּעֵם “the LORD in his anger will swallow them.” The “nose” belongs to the wicked in 10; to YHWH in 21. - “Face/presence” פָּנִים as the hinge: Ps 10:11 הִסְתִּיר פָּנָיו “He has hidden his face” (the wicked’s claim) vs. Ps 21:7 תְּחַדֵּהוּ בְשִׂמְחָה אֶת־פָּנֶיךָ; 21:10 לְעֵת פָּנֶיךָ. Hidden face in 10 becomes the joyous presence of God’s face in 21—the exact reversal the lament seeks. - “From the earth” removal language with אבד: Ps 10:16 אָבְדוּ גוֹיִם מֵאַרְצוֹ vs. Ps 21:11 פִּרְיָמוֹ מֵאֶרֶץ תְּאַבֵּד; וְזַרְעָם מִבְּנֵי אָדָם. Same root אבד and the same preposition מִן/מֵ־ + אֶרֶץ. 10 states/narrates the outcome; 21 specifies how God will make it happen—by extirpating the enemies’ “fruit” and “seed.” - “Lift/exalt” response to the plea “Arise”: Ps 10:12 קוּמָה יְהוָה… נְשָׂא יָדֶךָ vs. Ps 21:14 רוּמָה יְהוָה בְּעֻזֶּךָ. The imperative to rise and lift the hand becomes an imperative to be exalted in the strength by which He has just acted. Thematic and structural continuities (form-critical and rhetorical) - Lament → Thanksgiving sequence. Psalm 10 is an individual/national lament detailing the oppressor’s violence and pleading for intervention; Psalm 21 is a royal thanksgiving for victory and deliverance, with a closing praise. This is the classic OT sequence: petition (lament) followed by praise for the granted petition. - “Why are you far?” to “time of your face.” Psalm 10 opens with divine distance: “Why, LORD, do you stand far off? Why do you hide… in times of trouble?” (10:1). Psalm 21 explicitly names “the time of your face/presence” (21:10) and describes joy “before your face” (21:7). The temporal marker לְעֵת in both (10:1; 21:10) tightens the link: the “time of trouble” is answered by the “time of your face.” - The wicked’s speech vs. the king’s heart. In Psalm 10 the wicked’s inner speech dominates: אָמַר בְּלִבּוֹ (vv. 6, 11, 13). In Psalm 21 God grants “the desire of his heart” (תַּאֲוַת לִבּוֹ, v. 3). The same arena—the לֵב—moves from deceitful self-talk to God-shaped desire, now fulfilled. - Reversal of the predator-prey dynamic. In Psalm 10 the wicked lurks, ambushes, ensnares with a רֶשֶׁת “net” (vv. 8–10). In Psalm 21 the roles are reversed: YHWH hunts the enemies; His hand/right hand “finds” them; they are set as “a furnace of fire” (תַּנּוּר אֵשׁ) and shot at with God’s “bowstrings” (בְּמֵיתָרֶיךָ, v. 13). The net/cord imagery is inverted into divine bowstrings. - “Arm/hand” judgment reappears as action. Psalm 10 asks: “Break the arm of the wicked” (שְׁבֹר זְרוֹעַ רָשָׁע, v. 15) and “lift your hand” (נְשָׂא יָדֶךָ, v. 12). Psalm 21 narrates: “Your hand will find all your enemies; your right hand will find those who hate you” (21:9). The requested “hand/arm” judgment is now happening. - Kingship thread. Psalm 10 concludes with the theological climax “YHWH is King forever and ever” (יְהוָה מֶלֶךְ עוֹלָם וָעֶד, v. 16). Psalm 21 opens by placing “the king” in that reality—he rejoices in YHWH’s strength and salvation (21:2), and “the king trusts in YHWH” (21:8). Divine kingship (10:16) flows into the vindicated Davidic kingship under God (21:2, 8). - Generational horizon reversed. Psalm 10 has the wicked boasting “to generation and generation I shall not be in adversity” (10:6), and ends with the prayer that “mortal man may no longer terrify from the earth” (10:18). Psalm 21 answers by cutting off the enemies’ future: “their fruit from the earth you will destroy, and their seed from among humankind” (21:11). The pretended permanence of the wicked’s line is ended. Further lexical and motif echoes - Mouth/tongue vs. lips. Psalm 10:7 “His mouth is full of oaths and deceit… under his tongue are mischief and iniquity.” Psalm 21:3 “the request of his lips you did not withhold.” The organ of speech that in 10 spreads violence now, in 21, petitions rightly and is answered. - Judgment “on high” vs. present action. Psalm 10:5 “Your judgments are on high, out of his sight.” Psalm 21:6 “Great is his glory in your salvation; splendor and majesty you bestow upon him.” The hidden/remote judgments become manifest, honor-conferring salvation. - Anger exchange. The “high nose” (arrogance) of the wicked in 10 is replaced by YHWH’s consuming anger in 21 (10:4 ↔ 21:10), a pointed reallocation of “wrath.” A plausible life-setting that binds them - In Israel’s royal/war liturgy, a crisis lament (Ps 10) could be voiced by the people and/or king when an arrogant oppressor (domestic or foreign) preys upon the weak. The plea centers on God arising, lifting His hand, frustrating the plots, and ending terror in the land. - Psalm 21 reads exactly like the victory/thanksgiving that would follow that crisis: the king, who trusted YHWH, has had the desires of his heart granted; the enemies’ schemes failed; God’s hand found and consumed them; their line is cut off; the community ends with a doxology calling God to be exalted in the very strength now displayed (21:14), answering the “Arise” of 10:12. Why these links are strong - Several of the overlaps are relatively marked in the Psalter: מְזִמָּה with חָשְׁבוּ; the repeated pattern בַּל + yiqtol; the double appearance of תַּאֲוָה in request/fulfillment slots; the precise “face” reversal (hide face → joy before face); shared roots in the same semantic frames (אבד + מִן־הָאָרֶץ; מוֹט; מָצָא). - Even where the diction differs, the motifs are tightly antithetical in a way that reads like cause→effect: the hunter becomes the hunted; the arrogant “nose” yields to divine anger; the hidden face is replaced by the time of God’s face; the wicked’s unshakeable boast gives way to the king’s God-secured stability. In sum: read straight through, Psalm 21 functions as the narrative and liturgical fulfillment of Psalm 10’s petitions. The very lexemes the lament highlights—desire, schemes, not being moved, hand/arm, face, from-the-earth removal—reappear in Psalm 21 either in identical forms or deliberate antitheses, showing that the God who was asked to arise in 10 has, in 21, arisen and acted.
Evaluation
Score: 7.0
Evaluated at: 2025-12-08T04:02:52 (UTC)
Evaluator model: gpt-5
Evaluator version: v2
Reasoning: 4736 Output: 6741 Total: 11477
Checklist
- Has verse refs: Yes
- Factual error detected: No
- Only generic motifs: No
- Counterargument considered: No
- LXX/MT numbering acknowledged: No
Vocabulary specificity: 6.5 / 10
Multiple correct, specific correspondences (מְזִמָּה+חָשְׁבוּ; תַּאֲוָה; בַּל + yiqtol; פָּנִים; מוֹט; מָצָא). Coherent reversal narrative. Weakness: does not address Ps 9–10 acrostic unit or Ps 20–21 pairing; some motifs common.
Prompt
Consider Psalm 10 and Psalm 21 (reproduced below). What arguments could you make to justify that Psalm 21 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 21:
Psalm 21
1. לַמְנַצֵּ֗חַ
מִזְמ֥וֹר
לְדָוִֽד׃
2. יְֽהוָ֗ה
בְּעָזְּךָ֥
יִשְׂמַח־
מֶ֑לֶךְ
וּ֝בִישׁ֥וּעָתְךָ֗
מַה־
יגיל
יָּ֥גֶל
מְאֹֽד׃
3. תַּאֲוַ֣ת
לִ֭בּוֹ
נָתַ֣תָּה
לּ֑וֹ
וַאֲרֶ֥שֶׁת
שְׂ֝פָתָ֗יו
בַּל־
מָנַ֥עְתָּ
סֶּֽלָה׃
4. כִּֽי־
תְ֭קַדְּמֶנּוּ
בִּרְכ֣וֹת
ט֑וֹב
תָּשִׁ֥ית
לְ֝רֹאשׁ֗וֹ
עֲטֶ֣רֶת
פָּֽז׃
5. חַיִּ֤ים ׀
שָׁאַ֣ל
מִ֭מְּךָ
נָתַ֣תָּה
לּ֑וֹ
אֹ֥רֶךְ
יָ֝מִ֗ים
עוֹלָ֥ם
וָעֶֽד׃
6. גָּד֣וֹל
כְּ֭בוֹדוֹ
בִּישׁוּעָתֶ֑ךָ
ה֥וֹד
וְ֝הָדָר
תְּשַׁוֶּ֥ה
עָלָֽיו׃
7. כִּֽי־
תְשִׁיתֵ֣הוּ
בְרָכ֣וֹת
לָעַ֑ד
תְּחַדֵּ֥הוּ
בְ֝שִׂמְחָ֗ה
אֶת־
פָּנֶֽיךָ׃
8. כִּֽי־
הַ֭מֶּלֶךְ
בֹּטֵ֣חַ
בַּיהוָ֑ה
וּבְחֶ֥סֶד
עֶ֝לְי֗וֹן
בַּל־
יִמּֽוֹט׃
9. תִּמְצָ֣א
יָ֭דְךָ
לְכָל־
אֹיְבֶ֑יךָ
יְ֝מִֽינְךָ
תִּמְצָ֥א
שֹׂנְאֶֽיךָ׃
10. תְּשִׁיתֵ֤מוֹ ׀
כְּתַנּ֥וּר
אֵשׁ֮
לְעֵ֢ת
פָּ֫נֶ֥יךָ
יְ֭הוָה
בְּאַפּ֣וֹ
יְבַלְּעֵ֑ם
וְֽתֹאכְלֵ֥ם
אֵֽשׁ׃
11. פִּ֭רְיָמוֹ
מֵאֶ֣רֶץ
תְּאַבֵּ֑ד
וְ֝זַרְעָ֗ם
מִבְּנֵ֥י
אָדָֽם׃
12. כִּי־
נָט֣וּ
עָלֶ֣יךָ
רָעָ֑ה
חָֽשְׁב֥וּ
מְ֝זִמָּ֗ה
בַּל־
יוּכָֽלוּ׃
13. כִּ֭י
תְּשִׁיתֵ֣מוֹ
שֶׁ֑כֶם
בְּ֝מֵֽיתָרֶ֗יךָ
תְּכוֹנֵ֥ן
עַל־
פְּנֵיהֶֽם׃
14. ר֣וּמָה
יְהוָ֣ה
בְּעֻזֶּ֑ךָ
נָשִׁ֥ירָה
וּֽ֝נְזַמְּרָה
גְּבוּרָתֶֽךָ׃