Psalm 10 → 43
Reasoning: 8896 Output: 4424 Total: 13320
Argument
Short orientation: Psalm 10 is a lament over predatory evildoers, charging God with distance and hiddenness, and asking Him to “arise,” investigate, and judge. Psalm 43 is an individual plea that God judge, plead the petitioner’s case, and lead him back to the sanctuary to give thanks. Read together, 43 can be taken as the next step after 10: the legal/judicial appeal is activated and the petitioner moves from complaint about distance to return-to-presence and praise. Ways to argue that Psalm 43 “follows on” from Psalm 10 1) Identical framing of divine absence (high-significance: identical forms/phrases) - למה … (“Why …?”): Ps 10:1 למה יהוה תעמוד ברחוק … תעלים לעתות בצרה; Ps 43:2 למה זנחתני … למה־קדר אתהלך. Both open by pressing the same why-question about God’s perceived absence. - Distance/hiddenness: Ps 10:1 תעמוד ברחוק; 10:11 הסתיר פניו; 10:8–9 במסתרים (“in hidden places”). Ps 43 answers the distance motif with movement into presence: 43:3–4 “Send your light and your truth … bring me … to your holy hill … to the altar.” The “hiddenness” problem in 10 is answered by “light/presence” in 43. 2) Forensic progression (same root; shared courtroom semantics) - שפט: Ps 10:5 מרום משפטיך מנגדו (“Your judgments are on high, out of his sight”); 10:18 לשפט יתום ודך. Ps 43:1 opens with the courtroom petition: שפטני אלהים (“Judge me, O God”). - דרש (investigate/require): Ps 10 hammers at דרש (“the wicked says… לא תדרוש,” v13; the psalmist prays “תדרש רשע,” v15). In Ps 43 this becomes concrete litigation: וריבה ריבי (“plead my cause,” 43:1). So the complaint that God’s “judgments” are out of sight (10:5) turns into a formal request for adjudication (43:1). - Legal actors: Ps 10 ends with YHWH enthroned as judge-king (10:16–18). Ps 43 begins by invoking that Judge to act (“Judge me… plead my cause… deliver me”). 3) Truth vs. deceit; light vs. ambush (same roots; conceptual antithesis) - מרמה “deceit”: Ps 10:7 פיהו מלא … ומרמות (plural noun). Ps 43:1 מאיש־מרמה (singular noun). Same noun/root; the foe in 10 is characterized by deceit, and the petitioner in 43 seeks deliverance from a deceitful man. - אמת “truth” as the divine counter to deceit: Ps 43:3 שלח־אורך ואמיתך. 43 explicitly asks for God’s “truth” to counter the “deceit” of 10. - אור “light” vs. סתר/מסתרים “hiding”: Ps 10:8–11 the wicked works “in ambush/in hiding” and claims God “hides his face.” Ps 43:3 requests “Your light” to end darkness and concealment and guide to God’s presence. 4) Enemy/oppressor vocabulary and experience (overlapping field) - Ps 10:2–10 depicts the רשע hunting the עני, with “צוררים” (10:5) and terror (10:18). Ps 43:1–2 names the same antagonism with different labels: מגוי לא־חסיד; מאיש־מרמה ועולה; בלחץ אויב. While lexemes vary, the social reality (oppression by a hostile person/group) is continuous. - Note the shift from general social predation (10) to a focused legal/personal case (43). 5) “Face”/presence motif (shared lexeme; complementary function) - Ps 10:11 הסתיר פניו (“He has hidden his face”). Ps 10:7–8 the wicked acts “under the tongue,” “in hiding,” i.e., concealed space/face. - Ps 43:5 ישועות פני (“the salvations of my face/ countenance”). The hidden divine face in 10 corresponds to a downcast human face in 43, which anticipates being lifted by God’s salvation. The movement from hidden face (10) to saved/brightened face (43) is a tight thematic bridge. 6) Internal speech and God-shaped heart (coherent psychological sequence) - Ps 10 repeats “אמר בלבו” of the wicked (vv6, 11, 13), contrasting with God’s promise “תכין לבם … תּקשיב אזנך” to the humble (10:17). - Ps 43:5 mirrors this interiority as the righteous speak to their own נפש: מה־תשתוחחי נפשי … הוחילי לאלהים. The “prepared heart” of 10:17 becomes the self-exhorting, hoping heart of 43:5. 7) From enthronement to sanctuary approach (liturgical logic) - Ps 10 culminates in kingship and judicial action: יהוה מלך עולם ועד … לשפט יתום ודך (10:16–18). - Ps 43 turns that theological verdict into liturgy: “They will bring me … to your holy hill … to the altar … and I will praise you with the lyre” (43:3–4). This is the classic lament → adjudication → thanksgiving-offering sequence familiar in Israelite worship. 8) “Nations” as a continuing setting - Ps 10:16 אבדו גוים מארצו. Ps 43:1 מגוי לא־חסיד. In both, “nations” provide the hostile environment; 10 asserts the kingly purge, 43 pleads for personal vindication amid/against an unfaithful nation. 9) Additional lexical or formal correspondences - למה (identical form) opens both—rare as a pairing across nonadjacent psalms. - נפש appears in both (10:3; 43:5), though with different possessors; it supports the inner-life throughline. - Shared “again/still” particle עוד: 10:18 בל־יוסיף עוד (“let him no longer continue…”); 43:5 כי־עוד אודנו (“for I will yet praise Him”). The cessation of the oppressor’s “again” (10) is answered by the psalmist’s “again” of praise (43). Putting it together as a sequence - Complaint of distance (10:1, 11) → Appeal for forensic intervention (10:13–15) → Confidence in the Judge-King (10:16–18). - Then, Psalm 43 opens by activating the lawsuit: “Judge me, plead my case, deliver me” (43:1), asks for the concrete remedy to hiddenness (send “light and truth,” 43:3), moves into the presence at Zion’s altar (43:3–4), and closes with the inner resolve that God will be praised (43:5)—precisely the worshipful outcome implied by the kingship/judgment affirmation of Psalm 10. In short, the strongest links are: - Identical complaint form למה … and the motif of divine distance answered by “light” and sanctuary. - Forensic root שפט and legal setting advancing from 10’s “judgments” to 43’s “judge me/plead my cause.” - Exact-root noun מרמה/מרמות countered by God’s אמת. - Face/presence lexeme and movement from hiddenness to praise. - The lament → adjudication → sanctuary thanksgiving pattern common in Israelite life and liturgy.
Evaluation
Score: 6.0
Evaluated at: 2025-12-09T03:48:44 (UTC)
Evaluator model: gpt-5
Evaluator version: v2
Reasoning: 2624 Output: 5253 Total: 7877
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
Multiple root-level links (למה; שפט; מרמה/אמת; פנים) and a plausible complaint→adjudication→sanctuary progression. However, vocabulary is common, and it ignores strong editorial pairings (Ps 42–43; Ps 9–10). No cap applied.
Prompt
Consider Psalm 10 and Psalm 43 (reproduced below). What arguments could you make to justify that Psalm 43 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 43:
Psalm 43
1. שָׁפְטֵ֤נִי
אֱלֹהִ֨ים ׀
וְרִ֘יבָ֤ה
רִיבִ֗י
מִגּ֥וֹי
לֹא־
חָסִ֑יד
מֵ֤אִישׁ־
מִרְמָ֖ה
וְעַוְלָ֣ה
תְפַלְּטֵֽנִי׃
2. כִּֽי־
אַתָּ֤ה ׀
אֱלֹהֵ֣י
מָֽעוּזִּי֮
לָמָ֢ה
זְנַ֫חְתָּ֥נִי
לָֽמָּה־
קֹדֵ֥ר
אֶתְהַלֵּ֗ךְ
בְּלַ֣חַץ
אוֹיֵֽב׃
3. שְׁלַח־
אוֹרְךָ֣
וַ֭אֲמִתְּךָ
הֵ֣מָּה
יַנְח֑וּנִי
יְבִיא֥וּנִי
אֶל־
הַֽר־
קָ֝דְשְׁךָ֗
וְאֶל־
מִשְׁכְּנוֹתֶֽיךָ׃
4. וְאָב֤וֹאָה ׀
אֶל־
מִזְבַּ֬ח
אֱלֹהִ֗ים
אֶל־
אֵל֮
שִׂמְחַ֢ת
גִּ֫ילִ֥י
וְאוֹדְךָ֥
בְכִנּ֗וֹר
אֱלֹהִ֥ים
אֱלֹהָֽי׃
5. מַה־
תִּשְׁתּ֬וֹחֲחִ֨י ׀
נַפְשִׁי֮
וּֽמַה־
תֶּהֱמִ֢י
עָ֫לָ֥י
הוֹחִ֣ילִי
לֵֽ֭אלֹהִים
כִּי־
ע֣וֹד
אוֹדֶ֑נּוּ
יְשׁוּעֹ֥ת
פָּ֝נַ֗י
וֵֽאלֹהָֽי׃