Psalm 10 → 115

Reasoning: 10880 Output: 6087 Total: 16967

Argument

Below are ways to argue that Psalm 115 “logically follows” Psalm 10. I group them by (a) direct lexical/phrase links in Hebrew, (b) body-part and sensory imagery that is continued and inverted, (c) structural/genre movement (lament to communal trust/hallelujah), and (d) historical-liturgy logic. I mark especially strong links by noting when the same root and word-class recur.

A. Lexical and phrase-level links (same roots and forms where possible)
- Helper (root ע-ז-ר, same semantic core, close forms):
  - Ps 10:14: “יָתוֹם אַתָּה הָיִיתָ עוֹזֵר” – “you have been the helper of the orphan” (participle, עוֹזֵר).
  - Ps 115:9–11: refrain “עֶזְרָם וּמָגִנָּם הוּא” – “He is their help and their shield” (noun עֶזְרָם). The same root frames the transition from the individual needy (Ps 10) to Israel/the priests/the fearers of YHWH (Ps 115).
- Ears (noun, same root אז”נ):
  - Ps 10:17: “תַּקְשִׁיב אָזְנֶךָ” – “incline your ear(s).”
  - Ps 115:6: “אָזְנַיִם לָהֶם וְלֹא יִשְׁמָעוּ” – “they have ears but do not hear.” The “God-who-listens” of Ps 10 is explicitly contrasted with idols that cannot.
- Eyes (same noun עַיִן; hands (יָד); mouth (פֶּה); nose (אַף); tongue/throat imagery):
  - Ps 10:7–8, 12, 14: the wicked’s mouth/tongue; his eyes stalking; God’s hand lifted; God sees.
  - Ps 115:5–7: idols’ mouth/eyes/ears/nose/hands/feet/throat—organs that do nothing. Psalm 115 recasts the very sensory vocabulary of Psalm 10 into an anti-idol polemic: YHWH uses eyes/ears/hand; idols’ are inert.
- “Bless” (root בר”ך):
  - Ps 10:3: “וּבֹצֵעַ בֵּרֵךְ נִאֵץ יְהוָה” (the wicked “blesses”/brazenly invokes, i.e., disparages—euphemistic use) and “הִלֵּל רָשָׁע” (“the wicked boasts/praises himself”).
  - Ps 115:12–15, 18: “יְבָרֵךְ… יְבָרֵךְ… נְבָרֵךְ יָהּ” – the root בר”ך saturates Ps 115, now in the proper direction (God blesses; we bless). The root הל”ל also flips from the wicked’s self-boast (Ps 10:3) to “הַלְלוּ־יָהּ” (Ps 115:18).
- “Give” (root נת”ן):
  - Ps 10:14: “לָתֵת בְּיָדֶךָ” – “to put into your hand.”
  - Ps 115:1: “תֵּן כָּבוֹד” – “give glory”; Ps 115:16 “וְהָאָרֶץ נָתַן לִבְנֵי־אָדָם.” Same root binds petition, doxology, and cosmology.
- Nations/earth and the time horizon:
  - Ps 10:16: “יְהוָה מֶלֶךְ עוֹלָם וָעֶד; אָבְדוּ גוֹיִם מֵאַרְצוֹ.”
  - Ps 115:2: “לָמָּה יֹאמְרוּ הַגּוֹיִם…,” and Ps 115:16: “הַשָּׁמַיִם… לַיהוָה, וְהָאָרֶץ נָתַן לִבְנֵי־אָדָם,” Ps 115:18: “מֵעַתָּה וְעַד־עוֹלָם.” The “forever”/“earth”/“nations” complex is continued and expanded.
- Rhetorical “Why?”:
  - Ps 10:1: “לָמָה יְהוָה תַּעֲמֹד בְּרָחוֹק…”
  - Ps 115:2: “לָמָּה יֹאמְרוּ הַגּוֹיִם…” Both psalms open with a “למה”-question that problematizes divine presence.
- Hiddenness/forget vs remember (antonymous, but forming a tight call-and-answer):
  - Ps 10:11–12: “שָׁכַח אֵל… אַל־תִּשְׁכַּח עֲנָוִים.”
  - Ps 115:12: “יְהוָה זְכָרָנוּ יְבָרֵךְ.” The plea “do not forget” is met by “YHWH has remembered us.” Even though the roots differ (שכ”ח vs זכ”ר), their antonymy makes the linkage pointed.

B. The body-part/sensory motif is continued but inverted
- Psalm 10’s world is one where the wicked use body and senses to predate (mouth full of deceit, eyes lie in wait, hands act violently), and the psalmist pleads for God’s seeing/hearing hand to intervene.
- Psalm 115 answers by ridiculing idols’ body parts: mouths that cannot speak, eyes that cannot see, ears that cannot hear, nose that cannot smell, hands that cannot feel, feet that cannot walk, and no sound in their throat. This not only rebuts the wicked’s claim “בַּל יִדְרֹשׁ… בַּל־רָאָה” (Ps 10:4, 11), it sharpens the contrast: YHWH truly perceives and acts; “gods” of the nations cannot.

C. Structural/genre progression (lament to communal trust/doxology)
- Psalm 10 is an individual lament: “Why are you far?… Arise, YHWH… break the arm of the wicked… You have heard the desire of the afflicted…”
- That movement culminates in enthronement (10:16) and confidence that God hears (10:17–18).
- Psalm 115 reads like the liturgical “answer” in the congregation:
  - Not to us… to your name give glory (115:1) picks up the doxological consequence of 10:16.
  - The nations’ taunt “Where is their God?” (115:2) directly engages the perception of divine distance in 10:1.
  - Refrains of trust (Israel/House of Aaron/you who fear YHWH), “He is their help (עֶזְרָם) and shield” (115:9–11), corporatize the assurance granted to the orphaned and crushed in Psalm 10.
  - The blessing cascade (115:12–15) and the vow “we will bless Yah from now and forever” (115:18) are the communal answer to the confidence statements in 10:17–18.

D. Theological/cosmological through-line
- From “Man of the earth shall no more terrorize” (10:18) to “the heavens are YHWH’s, but the earth He has given to humanity” (115:16). Psalm 115 universalizes Psalm 10’s “man of the earth”: humanity’s realm is earth—but it is under YHWH’s heaven. That cosmic allocation explains “our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He wills” (115:3) and why the earthly oppressor will not finally prevail (10:18).
- Desire and will: Psalm 10 oscillates between the wicked’s desire (תַּאֲוַת נַפְשׁוֹ, 10:3) and the afflicted’s desire that God hears (תַּאֲוַת עֲנָוִים, 10:17). Psalm 115:3 caps this with “כֹּל אֲשֶׁר־חָפֵץ עָשָׂה” — divine will prevails over both human desires.

E. Liturgical-historical plausibility
- The taunt “Where is their God?” (115:2) is the stock derision Israel faced in crisis/exile (cf. Ps 42:4, 10; 79:10). In Psalm 10, God’s perceived distance (“תַּעֲמֹד בְּרָחוֹק… הִסְתִּיר פָּנָיו”) would naturally provoke that taunt. Psalm 115 supplies the congregational reply suited to festival use (it is part of the Hallel), turning the private lament of Psalm 10 into communal trust and praise after (or in anticipation of) deliverance.
- The shift from “Arise, YHWH… lift your hand” (10:12) to “Not to us… to your name give glory” (115:1) mirrors a familiar covenant-liturgical arc: plea for intervention → vindication of YHWH’s name among the nations → public confession that idols are nothing → communal benediction.

F. Smaller but real stylistic links
- Both open with second-person address to YHWH and a problem framed by “לָמָה.”
- Both close with an “’til forever” horizon (10:16 “עוֹלָם וָעֶד” and 115:18 “וְעַד־עוֹלָם”), bookending crisis with everlasting kingship and everlasting praise.
- Shared lexemes: גּוֹיִם, אֶרֶץ/מֵאַרְצוֹ, אֱלֹהִים, יְהוָה, נת”ן, עזר, אזן, עין, יד, פה, אף, בר”ך, הל”ל — many of them strategically redeployed in 115 as answers or reversals of 10.

A possible “logical sequence” in one line:
- Psalm 10: The wicked boasts of his desires, mouths violence, eyes prey on the poor, claims God hides and forgets. The sufferer cries, “Arise… lift your hand… hear the desire of the humble,” and confesses, “YHWH is King forever.”
- Psalm 115: The congregation answers the nations’ taunt with, “Our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He wills,” exposes the idols’ powerless senses (contrast to YHWH’s attentive ear and active hand in Ps 10), summons Israel/priests/fearers to trust “their help and shield,” announces “YHWH has remembered us; He will bless,” and vows unending praise.

Taken together, these lexical hooks (especially עזר; אזן/עין/יד/פה/אַף; נתן; ברך; הלל), mirrored rhetorical openings, the inversion of sensory imagery, and the move from lament to communal Hallel create a coherent argument that Psalm 115 is a fitting, even crafted, follow-on to Psalm 10.

Evaluation

Score: 2.0

Evaluated at: 2025-12-12T03:41:02 (UTC)

Evaluator model: gpt-5

Evaluator version: v2

Reasoning: 3904 Output: 6913 Total: 10817

Vocabulary specificity: 3.0 / 10

Multiple accurate verse-linked correspondences (עזר; ears/eyes/hand; נתן; ברך). But factual error: ‘Both open with למה’—115:1 begins ‘לא לנו.’ Cap max=2. Also motifs are common; idol list recurs (Ps 135).

Prompt

Consider Psalm 10 and Psalm 115 (reproduced below). What arguments could you make to justify that Psalm 115 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 115:
Psalm 115
1. לֹ֤א
        לָ֥נוּ
        יְהוָ֗ה
        לֹ֫א
        לָ֥נוּ
        כִּֽי־
        לְ֭שִׁמְךָ
        תֵּ֣ן
        כָּב֑וֹד
        עַל־
        חַ֝סְדְּךָ֗
        עַל־
        אֲמִתֶּֽךָ׃
2. לָ֭מָּה
        יֹאמְר֣וּ
        הַגּוֹיִ֑ם
        אַיֵּה־
        נָ֝֗א
        אֱלֹהֵיהֶֽם׃
3. וֵֽאלֹהֵ֥ינוּ
        בַשָּׁמָ֑יִם
        כֹּ֖ל
        אֲשֶׁר־
        חָפֵ֣ץ
        עָשָֽׂה׃
4. עֲ‍ֽ֭צַבֵּיהֶם
        כֶּ֣סֶף
        וְזָהָ֑ב
        מַ֝עֲשֵׂ֗ה
        יְדֵ֣י
        אָדָֽם׃
5. פֶּֽה־
        לָ֭הֶם
        וְלֹ֣א
        יְדַבֵּ֑רוּ
        עֵינַ֥יִם
        לָ֝הֶ֗ם
        וְלֹ֣א
        יִרְאֽוּ׃
6. אָזְנַ֣יִם
        לָ֭הֶם
        וְלֹ֣א
        יִשְׁמָ֑עוּ
        אַ֥ף
        לָ֝הֶ֗ם
        וְלֹ֣א
        יְרִיחֽוּן׃
7. יְדֵיהֶ֤ם ׀
        וְלֹ֬א
        יְמִישׁ֗וּן
        רַ֭גְלֵיהֶם
        וְלֹ֣א
        יְהַלֵּ֑כוּ
        לֹֽא־
        יֶ֝הְגּ֗וּ
        בִּגְרוֹנָֽם׃
8. כְּ֭מוֹהֶם
        יִהְי֣וּ
        עֹשֵׂיהֶ֑ם
        כֹּ֖ל
        אֲשֶׁר־
        בֹּטֵ֣חַ
        בָּהֶֽם׃
9. יִ֭שְׂרָאֵל
        בְּטַ֣ח
        בַּיהוָ֑ה
        עֶזְרָ֖ם
        וּמָגִנָּ֣ם
        הֽוּא׃
10. בֵּ֣ית
        אַ֭הֲרֹן
        בִּטְח֣וּ
        בַיהוָ֑ה
        עֶזְרָ֖ם
        וּמָגִנָּ֣ם
        הֽוּא׃
11. יִרְאֵ֣י
        יְ֭הוָה
        בִּטְח֣וּ
        בַיהוָ֑ה
        עֶזְרָ֖ם
        וּמָגִנָּ֣ם
        הֽוּא׃
12. יְהוָה֮
        זְכָרָ֢נוּ
        יְבָ֫רֵ֥ךְ
        יְ֭בָרֵךְ
        אֶת־
        בֵּ֣ית
        יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל
        יְ֝בָרֵ֗ךְ
        אֶת־
        בֵּ֥ית
        אַהֲרֹֽן׃
13. יְ֭בָרֵךְ
        יִרְאֵ֣י
        יְהוָ֑ה
        הַ֝קְּטַנִּ֗ים
        עִם־
        הַגְּדֹלִֽים׃
14. יֹסֵ֣ף
        יְהוָ֣ה
        עֲלֵיכֶ֑ם
        עֲ֝לֵיכֶ֗ם
        וְעַל־
        בְּנֵיכֶֽם׃
15. בְּרוּכִ֣ים
        אַ֭תֶּם
        לַיהוָ֑ה
        עֹ֝שֵׂ֗ה
        שָׁמַ֥יִם
        וָאָֽרֶץ׃
16. הַשָּׁמַ֣יִם
        שָׁ֭מַיִם
        לַיהוָ֑ה
        וְ֝הָאָ֗רֶץ
        נָתַ֥ן
        לִבְנֵי־
        אָדָֽם׃
17. לֹ֣א
        הַ֭מֵּתִים
        יְהַֽלְלוּ־
        יָ֑הּ
        וְ֝לֹ֗א
        כָּל־
        יֹרְדֵ֥י
        דוּמָֽה׃
18. וַאֲנַ֤חְנוּ ׀
        נְבָ֘רֵ֤ךְ
        יָ֗הּ
        מֵֽעַתָּ֥ה
        וְעַד־
        עוֹלָ֗ם
        הַֽלְלוּ־
        יָֽהּ׃