Psalm 10 → 85
Reasoning: 9408 Output: 5647 Total: 15055
Argument
Here are lines of argument—moving from harder, text-internal links to broader thematic/structural ones—that can justify reading Psalm 85 as a logical follow-on (and answer) to Psalm 10. Lexical and formulaic links (identical or near-identical Hebrew signals) - The exact collocation לְדוֹר וָדוֹר appears in both: - Ps 10:6 אמר בלבו “בל אמוט; לְדוֹר וָדוֹר…” - Ps 85:6 הַלְעוֹלָם תאנף בנו… תִמְשֹׁךְ אַפְּךָ לְדוֹר וָדוֹר This is not just the same root; it is the same phrase with the same form. In Ps 10 it is the wicked’s boast; in Ps 85 it becomes the community’s question about God’s anger—a pointed transformation. - The “nose/anger” word-family (אַף) is a shared, distinctive marker: - Ps 10:4 רָשָׁע כְּגֹבַהּ אַפּוֹ (“in the height of his ‘nose’/anger”) - Ps 85:4, 6 מֵחֲרוֹן אַפֶּךָ; תִמְשֹׁךְ אַפְּךָ Same noun (אַף) used in two different directions: the wicked’s “high” anger vs. God’s anger being withdrawn. This “nose/anger” linkage is fairly marked in Biblical Hebrew idiom and binds the two poems conceptually. - The land triad (same lexeme with shifting pronominal perspective): - Ps 10:16 גּוֹיִם מֵאַרְצוֹ (“from his land”) - Ps 85:2 רָצִיתָ… אַרְצֶךָ (“your land”); Ps 85:10 בְּאַרְצֵנוּ (“in our land”) The sequence his land → your land → our land narrates movement from God being spoken of at a distance (Ps 10) to relational closeness and shared inhabitation (Ps 85). - Hearing/speaking cluster (שׁמע): - Ps 10:17 תַּאֲוַת עֲנָוִים שָׁמַעְתָּ… תַּקְשִׁיב אָזְנֶךָ - Ps 85:9 אֶשְׁמְעָה מַה־יְדַבֵּר הָאֵל יְהוָה… כִּי יְדַבֵּר שָׁלוֹם In Ps 10 God hears; in Ps 85 the community pledges to hear what God will speak. The “hearing” motif thus pivots from God’s hearing the oppressed to Israel hearing God’s promised peace. - “Give” (נ־ת־ן) across both psalms: - Ps 10:14 תַּבִּיט לָתֵת בְּיָדֶךָ - Ps 85:8 יְשְׁעֲךָ תִּתֵּן לָנוּ; 85:13 יִתֵּן יְהוָה הַטּוֹב; וְאַרְצֵנוּ תִּתֵּן יְבוּלָהּ The request that God “put it in [his] hand” (Ps 10) resolves into God “giving” good, salvation, and agricultural yield (Ps 85). - “Way/path” (דֶּרֶךְ) in both: - Ps 10:5 דְּרָכָיו (“his ways”) - Ps 85:14 לְדֶרֶךְ פְּעָמָיו Ps 10 laments the (prosperous) “ways” of the wicked; Ps 85 ends with “righteousness” preparing a “way” for God’s steps—another reversal. Semantic and structural “answering” pairs (complaint → resolution) - Distance → nearness: - Ps 10:1 לָמָה… תַּעֲמֹד בְּרָח֑וֹק (“Why do you stand far off?”) - Ps 85:10 אַךְ קָרוֹב לִירֵאָיו יִשְׁעוֹ (“Surely his salvation is near to those who fear him”) The spatial problem in 10 is directly resolved in 85. - Hiddenness of face → Dwelling of glory: - Ps 10:11 הִסְתִּיר פָּנָיו; בַּל־רָאָה לָנֶצַח - Ps 85:10 לִשְׁכּוֹן כָּבוֹד בְּאַרְצֵנוּ From God’s “hidden face” to God’s “glory dwelling” is a clear presence-reversal. - Wicked’s monologue → Divine oracle: - Ps 10 repeats אָמַר בְּלִבּוֹ (vv. 6, 11, 13), the inward speech of the רָשָׁע. - Ps 85:9 counters with אֶשְׁמְעָה מַה־יְדַבֵּר הָאֵל יְהוָה—“I will hear what God the LORD will speak.” The internal, self-assured voice of the wicked is superseded by God’s public word of peace. - Oppression → judicial order and shalom: - Ps 10 catalogues ambush, deceit, and predation of the עָנִי/דַּךְ/יָתוֹם, and prays, “שְׁבֹר זְרוֹעַ רָשָׁע… תִּדְרוֹשׁ רִשְׁעוֹ” (v. 15). - Ps 85 answers with a vision where חֶסֶד־וֶאֱמֶת נִפְגָּשׁוּ, צֶדֶק וְשָׁלוֹם נָשָׁקוּ (v. 11), culminating in צֶדֶק לְפָנָיו יְהַלֵּךְ (v. 14). Justice that was “on high” and out of view (Ps 10:5 מָרוֹם מִשְׁפָּטֶיךָ) is now the very thing that “walks before” God. Bridging time-frames and pronouns (from his → your → our) - Ps 10:16 declares the kingship of YHWH and says “אָבְדוּ גוֹיִם מֵאַרְצוֹ” (nations perished from his land), a macro-deliverance claim. - Ps 85 immediately speaks of God’s favor to “your land” (אַרְצֶךָ, v. 2), and then of “our land” (בְּאַרְצֵנוּ, v. 10; וְאַרְצֵנוּ תִּתֵּן יְבוּלָהּ, v. 13). The shift of perspective implies that what Ps 10 proclaimed about God’s rule is now being appropriated by the worshiping community as restoration and blessing felt on the ground. The “anger” arc (shared lexeme, reversed direction) - Ps 10:4 highlights the rasha‘ “in the height of his nose/anger” (גֹּבַהּ אַפּוֹ). - Ps 85 twice pleads for God’s anger (אַף) to be turned back (מֵחֲרוֹן אַפֶּךָ; תִמְשֹׁךְ אַפְּךָ), then anticipates God’s peaceful word (יְדַבֵּר שָׁלוֹם). The story moves from human arrogance (high nose) to divine forbearance (withdrawing nose/anger). Covenantal and liturgical logic - Ps 10 is an individual/communal lament with forensic edges (מִשְׁפָּט, שָׁפַט, “seek out” the wicked). It ends with a kingship/doxology and a programmatic hope: God will judge the orphan and the crushed so that “no man of the earth” terrorize again (10:18). - Ps 85 reads like the communal liturgy that follows such a deliverance: God has favored the land, restored fortunes, forgiven iniquity, turned from anger (vv. 2–4), and is asked to complete the turn (שׁוּבֵנוּ… תָּשׁוּב תְּחַיֵּנוּ, vv. 5–7). The oracle of peace (v. 9) and the vision of righteousness/peace meeting (vv. 11–12) are precisely the covenantal outcomes prayed for in Ps 10. Life-setting and historical sequencing - Ps 10 plausibly fits a period of internal lawlessness or external predation when the poor are preyed upon and God seems distant. - Ps 85 fits the communal aftermath: restoration of fortunes (שַׁבְתָּ שְׁבִית יַעֲקֹב), withdrawal of wrath, and prayer for full renewal, including agricultural blessing (וְאַרְצֵנוּ תִּתֵּן יְבוּלָהּ). That moves naturally from security/justice in Ps 10:18 to fertility and glory in Ps 85:10, 13. - The sequence “YHWH king… nations gone from his land” (Ps 10:16) → “You favored your land / restored Jacob” (Ps 85:2) is a particularly tight historical/theological dovetail. Stylistic correspondences - Both open with direct address to YHWH in petitionary/complaint style and both pivot to confident conclusion. - Both exploit wisdom-ethical vocabulary (e.g., רָשָׁע, מְזִמּוֹת, כֶּסֶל/folly in Ps 85:9; מִשְׁפָּט/צֶדֶק) to frame the crisis as a moral order issue that only divine governance can restore. In sum: several uncommon and/or pointedly parallel items (the exact לְדוֹר וָדוֹר phrase; the אַף/anger motif; the “his land → your land → our land” progression; the distance/hiddenness vs. nearness/dwelling contrast; hearing/speaking symmetry) create strong textual seams. Thematically, Ps 85 reads like the liturgical and theological answer to the lament and petition of Ps 10: the God who seemed far has come near; the wicked’s boast is overturned by a divine oracle of peace; justice that was “too high” to see now walks before God in the land that yields its fruit.
Evaluation
Score: 6.8
Evaluated at: 2025-12-10T04:12:57 (UTC)
Evaluator model: gpt-5
Evaluator version: v2
Reasoning: 4032 Output: 6500 Total: 10532
Checklist
- Has verse refs: Yes
- Factual error detected: No
- Only generic motifs: No
- Counterargument considered: Yes
- LXX/MT numbering acknowledged: No
Vocabulary specificity: 4.0 / 10
Strong anchors: exact לדור ודור; אַף (10:4; 85:4,6); distance→nearness (10:1; 85:10); ‘אמר בלבו’ vs ‘אשמעה’; land ‘מארצו/ארצך/בארצנו’. Yet many links (שמע, נתן, דרך) are common; non-adjacency unaddressed.
Prompt
Consider Psalm 10 and Psalm 85 (reproduced below). What arguments could you make to justify that Psalm 85 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 85:
Psalm 85
1. לַמְנַצֵּ֬חַ ׀
לִבְנֵי־
קֹ֬רַח
מִזְמֽוֹר׃
2. רָצִ֣יתָ
יְהוָ֣ה
אַרְצֶ֑ךָ
שַׁ֝֗בְתָּ
שבות
שְׁבִ֣ית
יַעֲקֹֽב׃
3. נָ֭שָׂאתָ
עֲוֺ֣ן
עַמֶּ֑ךָ
כִּסִּ֖יתָ
כָל־
חַטָּאתָ֣ם
סֶֽלָה׃
4. אָסַ֥פְתָּ
כָל־
עֶבְרָתֶ֑ךָ
הֱ֝שִׁיב֗וֹתָ
מֵחֲר֥וֹן
אַפֶּֽךָ׃
5. שׁ֭וּבֵנוּ
אֱלֹהֵ֣י
יִשְׁעֵ֑נוּ
וְהָפֵ֖ר
כַּֽעַסְךָ֣
עִמָּֽנוּ׃
6. הַלְעוֹלָ֥ם
תֶּֽאֱנַף־
בָּ֑נוּ
תִּמְשֹׁ֥ךְ
אַ֝פְּךָ֗
לְדֹ֣ר
וָדֹֽר׃
7. הֲֽלֹא־
אַ֭תָּה
תָּשׁ֣וּב
תְּחַיֵּ֑נוּ
וְ֝עַמְּךָ֗
יִשְׂמְחוּ־
בָֽךְ׃
8. הַרְאֵ֣נוּ
יְהוָ֣ה
חַסְדֶּ֑ךָ
וְ֝יֶשְׁעֲךָ֗
תִּתֶּן־
לָֽנוּ׃
9. אֶשְׁמְעָ֗ה
מַה־
יְדַבֵּר֮
הָאֵ֢ל ׀
יְה֫וָ֥ה
כִּ֤י ׀
יְדַבֵּ֬ר
שָׁל֗וֹם
אֶל־
עַמּ֥וֹ
וְאֶל־
חֲסִידָ֑יו
וְֽאַל־
יָשׁ֥וּבוּ
לְכִסְלָֽה׃
10. אַ֤ךְ ׀
קָר֣וֹב
לִירֵאָ֣יו
יִשְׁע֑וֹ
לִשְׁכֹּ֖ן
כָּב֣וֹד
בְּאַרְצֵֽנוּ׃
11. חֶֽסֶד־
וֶאֱמֶ֥ת
נִפְגָּ֑שׁוּ
צֶ֖דֶק
וְשָׁל֣וֹם
נָשָֽׁקוּ׃
12. אֱ֭מֶת
מֵאֶ֣רֶץ
תִּצְמָ֑ח
וְ֝צֶ֗דֶק
מִשָּׁמַ֥יִם
נִשְׁקָֽף׃
13. גַּם־
יְ֭הוָה
יִתֵּ֣ן
הַטּ֑וֹב
וְ֝אַרְצֵ֗נוּ
תִּתֵּ֥ן
יְבוּלָֽהּ׃
14. צֶ֭דֶק
לְפָנָ֣יו
יְהַלֵּ֑ךְ
וְיָשֵׂ֖ם
לְדֶ֣רֶךְ
פְּעָמָֽיו׃