Psalm 10 → 112
Reasoning: 10112 Output: 5464 Total: 15576
Argument
Here are converging arguments—formal, lexical, and thematic—that make Psalm 112 read like a deliberate answer to Psalm 10. 1) Form and placement - Both are alphabetic compositions. Psalm 10 completes the disrupted acrostic begun in Psalm 9; Psalm 112 is a tidy, didactic acrostic. Moving from a broken/complaint acrostic (Ps 10) to a fully ordered wisdom acrostic (Ps 112) already feels like “resolution follows crisis.” - Genre progression: Psalm 10 is an individual/community lament about predatory wickedness; Psalm 112 is a wisdom “beatitude” (אשרי־איש) that models the life that rectifies the very social ills lamented in Psalm 10. This is a typical Israelite life-cycle/canonical movement from “cry” to “instruction/praise.” 2) High‑significance lexical hooks (same roots or identical forms; rarer items weighted more) - תאוַת (desire), identical construct form: • Ps 10:3 תַּאֲוַת נַפְשׁוֹ (the wicked boasts in his desire) • Ps 10:17 תַּאֲוַת עֲנָוִים (God hears the desire of the humble) • Ps 112:10 תַּאֲוַת רְשָׁעִים תֹּאבֵד (the desire of the wicked perishes) This creates a tight arc: the wicked’s “desire” flaunted (10:3) is overcome by God’s siding with the humble’s “desire” (10:17) and finally extinguished (112:10). - מוט (be moved): • Wicked’s boast in Ps 10:6: בַּל אֶמּוֹט (I shall not be moved) • Promise for the righteous in Ps 112:6: לְעוֹלָם לֹא יִמּוֹט (he shall never be moved) Same root; Psalm 112 “corrects” the subject of the claim. - לב (heart) + כון (establish): • Ps 10:17 תָּכִין לִבָּם (you will establish their heart) • Ps 112:7–8 נָכוֹן לִבּוֹ … סָמוּךְ לִבּוֹ (his heart is steady/established) Same root (כון) around “heart” in both psalms; the divine action petitioned in 10 appears realized as the righteous man’s inner state in 112. - צרר (adversary/oppressor): • Ps 10:5 כָּל־צֹרְרָיו (all his adversaries) • Ps 112:8 יִרְאֶה בְצָרָיו (he will look upon his adversaries) Same noun; in 10 the wicked snorts at adversaries, in 112 the righteous calmly sees his. - ראה (see): • Ps 10:11 בַּל־רָאָה לָנֶצַח (he says God will never see) • Ps 10:14 רָאִיתָ (you have seen) • Ps 112:8–10 יִרְאֶה בְצָרָיו; רָשָׁע יִרְאֶה (he/they will see) In Ps 10 vision is contested; in Ps 112 both righteous and wicked end up “seeing,” but with opposite outcomes (confidence vs. vexation). - משפט (justice): • Ps 10:5 מִשְׁפָּטֶיךָ מִנֶּגְדּוֹ (Your judgments are far above/beyond him) • Ps 10:18 לִשְׁפֹּט יָתוֹם וָדָךְ (to judge the orphan and crushed) • Ps 112:5 יְכַלְכֵּל דְּבָרָיו בְּמִשְׁפָּט (he conducts his affairs with justice) The wicked disregards divine mishpat in 10; the righteous practices mishpat in 112. - Time permanence vocabulary: • Ps 10:6 לְדוֹר וָדוֹר; Ps 10:16 יְהוָה מֶלֶךְ עוֹלָם וָעֶד • Ps 112:3, 9 צִדְקָתוֹ עוֹמֶדֶת לָעַד; 112:6 לְעוֹלָם לֹא יִמּוֹט; לְזֵכֶר עוֹלָם The wicked claims perpetuity in 10; 112 relocates “forever” to the righteous and his righteousness/memory. - זכר/שכח (remember/forget): • Ps 10:12 אַל־תִּשְׁכַּח עֲנָוִים (do not forget the afflicted) • Ps 112:6 לְזֵכֶר עוֹלָם יִהְיֶה צַדִּיק (the righteous will be for everlasting remembrance) An explicit antonymic answer: the plea that God not “forget” the needy is matched by the promise that the righteous will be “remembered.” - Poor/neediness, mirrored by opposite behaviors: • Ps 10:2, 9–10 עָנִי/חֵלְכָה/דַךְ are hunted and crushed by the wicked • Ps 112:9 פִּזַּר נָתַן לָאֶבְיוֹנִים (he scatters/gives to the poor) Different nouns (עני/דך/חלכא vs אביון), but the social referent is the same; and the rare verb פִּזַּר marks active, habitual generosity. - Anger/vexation: • Ps 10:14 עָמָל וָכַעַס (trouble and vexation God sees) • Ps 112:10 רָשָׁע יִרְאֶה וְכָעָס (the wicked will see and be vexed) In 10 “vexation” characterizes the oppressed; in 112 it lands on the wicked. 3) Idea-for-idea reversals and fulfillments - Attitude toward YHWH: • Ps 10:3 נִאֵץ יְהוָה (he spurns YHWH) • Ps 112:1 הַלְלוּ־יָהּ … יָרֵא אֶת־יְהוָה (praise YHWH; blessed is the man who fears YHWH) Spurning vs fearing/praising—an exact antithesis. - Relation to mishpat: • Ps 10:5 God’s judgments are “aloof” to the wicked • Ps 112:5 the righteous orders his affairs “in justice” - Treatment of the poor: • Ps 10:8–10 ambushes in the “hiding places” for the helpless • Ps 112:4–5, 9 “light rises in darkness,” he is “gracious and merciful,” lends, and “gives to the poor” Darkness/ambush vs light/generosity is a strong imagistic reversal. - Stability and fear: • Ps 10:6 the wicked’s boast “I shall not be moved” • Ps 112:6–8 the righteous truly “will not be moved,” “will not fear bad news,” “his heart is firm, trusting in YHWH” - What the wicked “see”: • Ps 10:11 he claims “He will never see” • Ps 112:10 the wicked “will see and be enraged,” “gnash his teeth and melt away,” and his “desire perishes” The outcome he denied (divine seeing) rebounds on him; he himself must “see” his loss. - Power metaphors answered: • Ps 10:15 שְׁבֹר זְרוֹעַ רָשָׁע (break the arm of the wicked) • Ps 112:9 קַרְנוֹ תָרוּם בְּכָבוֹד (his horn will be exalted in honor) Arm broken vs horn raised—stock Hebrew symbols for power reversed between wicked and righteous. Even a sound-play link is possible: Ps 10’s זְרוֹעַ (zeroaʿ, arm) and Ps 112’s זַרְעוֹ (zarʿo, his seed, v. 2) practically bracket the psalm: the wicked’s “arm” broken; the righteous’s “seed” mighty in the land. - Macro-justice: • Ps 10:18 God will judge “the orphan and the crushed,” so that “man of the earth” will no longer terrify • Ps 112:2, 9 God installs an enduring house/seed whose resources and justice stabilize the community and relieve the poor Psalm 112 reads like God’s means of answering Psalm 10’s prayer: an established, generous righteous household. 4) Event-sequence common in Israel’s piety and social life - Cry of the oppressed (Psalm 10) → YHWH hears and establishes their heart (10:17) → emergence/installation of the ירא־יהוה household head (Psalm 112) whose wealth/justice/generosity concretely protect and provide for the needy (112:3–5, 9), while the wicked’s power collapses (112:10). This is exactly how Israel’s wisdom and liturgy imagine God’s justice taking flesh in community leaders. - The enthronement note in 10:16 (יְהוָה מֶלֶךְ עוֹלָם וָעֶד) dovetails with Psalm 112’s hallelujah frame and “forever” language; under YHWH’s kingship the stable order is the righteous, generous house whose righteousness “stands forever.” 5) Why these links are probative - Rare/marked lexemes and identical forms carry most weight here: the repeated תַּאֲוַת construct, the motif “לא/בל אמוט,” the כון+לב cluster, the shared adversary term צריו/צורריו, and the sustained “forever” vocabulary. These are not generic pious words but a network that flips and fulfills Psalm 10’s tensions. - The closing lines are especially telling: Psalm 10 prays for the collapse of wicked power and the securing of the oppressed; Psalm 112 closes by showing the wicked “see and rage,” their “desire perishes,” while the righteous is honored and permanent. It reads like a purposeful resolution. In sum: Psalm 112 answers Psalm 10 point-for-point—stylistically (acrostic order after a broken acrostic), lexically (shared and, in cases like תַּאֲוַת, identical forms), and thematically (what the wicked claim in 10 is granted instead to the righteous in 112; what the oppressed lack in 10 is supplied through the righteous in 112). This makes a strong case that Psalm 112 can be read as a logical, crafted follow-up to Psalm 10.
Evaluation
Score: 6.5
Evaluated at: 2025-12-11T03:45:49 (UTC)
Evaluator model: gpt-5
Evaluator version: v2
Reasoning: 4096 Output: 6296 Total: 10392
Checklist
- Has verse refs: Yes
- Factual error detected: No
- Only generic motifs: No
- Counterargument considered: No
- LXX/MT numbering acknowledged: No
Vocabulary specificity: 6.0 / 10
Many precise lexical links (תאוַת, בל/לא אמוט, תכין/נכון לב, צריו/צורריו, ראה; ‘forever’ cluster) and reversals, but no editorial marker; ignores strong 111–112 pairing and distance from Ps 10. Moderate specificity.
Prompt
Consider Psalm 10 and Psalm 112 (reproduced below). What arguments could you make to justify that Psalm 112 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 112:
Psalm 112
1. הַ֥לְלוּ
יָ֨הּ ׀
אַשְׁרֵי־
אִ֭ישׁ
יָרֵ֣א
אֶת־
יְהוָ֑ה
בְּ֝מִצְוֺתָ֗יו
חָפֵ֥ץ
מְאֹֽד׃
2. גִּבּ֣וֹר
בָּ֭אָרֶץ
יִהְיֶ֣ה
זַרְע֑וֹ
דּ֖וֹר
יְשָׁרִ֣ים
יְבֹרָֽךְ׃
3. הוֹן־
וָעֹ֥שֶׁר
בְּבֵית֑וֹ
וְ֝צִדְקָת֗וֹ
עֹמֶ֥דֶת
לָעַֽד׃
4. זָ֘רַ֤ח
בַּחֹ֣שֶׁךְ
א֭וֹר
לַיְשָׁרִ֑ים
חַנּ֖וּן
וְרַח֣וּם
וְצַדִּֽיק׃
5. טֽוֹב־
אִ֭ישׁ
חוֹנֵ֣ן
וּמַלְוֶ֑ה
יְכַלְכֵּ֖ל
דְּבָרָ֣יו
בְּמִשְׁפָּֽט׃
6. כִּֽי־
לְעוֹלָ֥ם
לֹא־
יִמּ֑וֹט
לְזֵ֥כֶר
ע֝וֹלָ֗ם
יִהְיֶ֥ה
צַדִּֽיק׃
7. מִשְּׁמוּעָ֣ה
רָ֭עָה
לֹ֣א
יִירָ֑א
נָכ֥וֹן
לִ֝בּ֗וֹ
בָּטֻ֥חַ
בַּיהוָֽה׃
8. סָמ֣וּךְ
לִ֭בּוֹ
לֹ֣א
יִירָ֑א
עַ֖ד
אֲשֶׁר־
יִרְאֶ֣ה
בְצָרָֽיו׃
9. פִּזַּ֤ר ׀
נָ֘תַ֤ן
לָאֶבְיוֹנִ֗ים
צִ֭דְקָתוֹ
עֹמֶ֣דֶת
לָעַ֑ד
קַ֝רְנ֗וֹ
תָּר֥וּם
בְּכָבֽוֹד׃
10. רָ֘שָׁ֤ע
יִרְאֶ֨ה ׀
וְכָעָ֗ס
שִׁנָּ֣יו
יַחֲרֹ֣ק
וְנָמָ֑ס
תַּאֲוַ֖ת
רְשָׁעִ֣ים
תֹּאבֵֽד׃