Psalm 10 → 120
Reasoning: 6976 Output: 4774 Total: 11750
Argument
Here are lines of evidence that make Psalm 120 a plausible, logical follow‑on to Psalm 10. I organize them by type: structure, rhetoric, shared vocabulary/roots, imagery, and life-setting. Structure and rhetorical flow - From unanswered distress to answered distress: - Ps 10:1 opens with complaint: “לָמָה יְהוָה תַּעֲמֹד בְּרָחֹק תַּעְלִים לְעִתּוֹת בַּצָּרָה” — “Why do you stand far off… hide in times of distress?” - Ps 120:1 answers that opening problem: “אֶל־יְהוָה בַּצָּרָתָה לִּי קָרָאתִי וַיַּעֲנֵנִי” — “In my distress I called to the LORD, and He answered me.” The same distress term (צָרָה) is explicitly present in both, but in Ps 120 the silence of Ps 10 has turned into response. - Classic lament shape in both: complaint about enemies + cry to YHWH + confidence/anticipated judgment. Ps 10 ends with confidence in YHWH’s kingship and justice (10:16–18); Ps 120 begins with that confidence realized in “He answered me,” even as the psalmist still suffers. Shared vocabulary and roots (Hebrew) - צָרָה “distress”: Ps 10:1 “לְעִתּוֹת בַּצָּרָה”; Ps 120:1 “בַּצָּרָתָה לִּי.” The uncommon morphology in both lines (10: “לעִתּוֹת” + “בַּצָּרָה”; 120: the archaizing “בַּצָּרָתָה”) makes the overlap more striking than a generic use of “distress.” - Speech-sin cluster: שָׂפָה/לָשׁוֹן + רְמִיָּה/מִרְמָה: - Ps 10:7 “אָלָה פִיהוּ מָלֵא וּמִרְמוֹת… תַּחַת לְשׁוֹנוֹ עָמָל וָאָוֶן” — mouth/tongue filled with deceit and harm. - Ps 120:2 “מִשְּׂפַת־שֶׁקֶר מִלָּשׁוֹן רְמִיָּה” and again in 120:3 “לָשׁוֹן רְמִיָּה.” Same wordfield; same root ר־מ־ה appears (10: מִרְמוֹת; 120: רְמִיָּה). - Rhetorical question particles and repeated yiqtol forms: - Ps 10 uses “לָמָה…?” (10:1) and “עַל־מֶה…?” (10:13). - Ps 120:3 mirrors the interrogative style with “מַה־יִתֵּן לְךָ וּמַה־יֹּסִיף לָךְ לָשׁוֹן רְמִיָּה?” - Shared verb form יֹסִיף: Ps 10:18 “בַּל־יוֹסִיף עוֹד לַעֲרֹץ,” Ps 120:3 “וּמַה־יֹּסִיף לָךְ.” Same stem and identical surface form tie the rhetorical shape of both laments. - Enemies as non‑Israelite peoples: - Ps 10:16 “אָבְדוּ גוֹיִם מֵאַרְצוֹ.” - Ps 120:5 specifies living among archetypal foreign, warlike groups “מֶשֶׁךְ… אָהֳלֵי קֵדָר.” Both psalms frame the problem in relation to hostile nations. Motifs and imagery that carry through - From hidden predation to retributive weapons: - Ps 10:8–10 pictures the wicked ambushing, murdering the innocent “בַּמִּסְתָּרִים… יַהֲרֹג נָקִי… יֶאֱרֹב כְּאַרְיֵה,” using snares/nets. - Ps 120:3–4 asks what will be done to the deceitful tongue and answers with martial retribution imagery: “חִצֵּי גִבּוֹר שְׁנוּנִים עִם גַּחֲלֵי רְתָמִים.” Where Ps 10 prays “שְׁבֹר זְרוֹעַ רָשָׁע” (10:15), Ps 120 depicts the payback for speech‑evil as piercing/burning weapons. Both punish the evildoer’s offending member (arm/tongue) with force. - Speech opposed to peace: - Ps 10: the villain’s mouth is full of curses and deceit (10:7), and his pride says “בַּל אֶמּוֹט” (10:6). Speech creates violence. - Ps 120:7 “אֲנִי־שָׁלוֹם… הֵמָּה לַמִּלְחָמָה” — when the psalmist speaks, the others turn it to conflict. Both psalms treat corrupt speech as a primary driver of social violence. Form and style - Both are compact individual laments with: - Direct address to YHWH (Ps 10:12; Ps 120:1–2). - Descriptive catalog of enemy behavior (Ps 10:2–11; Ps 120:2, 5–7). - Rhetorical questions to heighten tension (Ps 10:1, 13; Ps 120:3). - A turn toward divine action/assurance (Ps 10:14–18; Ps 120:1, 4). - Concentrated sibilants and sharp consonants cluster around the “speech” verses in both (ש/ס/צ/צּ), a stylistic echo that reinforces the theme of biting, destructive words. Event-sequence plausibility in Israelite life - Oppression → prayer → pilgrimage: - Ps 10 portrays the experience of being preyed upon by the arrogant wicked and cries “קוּמָה יְהוָה… אַל־תִּשְׁכַּח עֲנָוִים” (10:12). - Ps 120, the first of the Songs of Ascents, reads naturally as the next step: the sufferer has called and been answered and is now turning Zion‑ward amid hostile surroundings (Meshech/Kedar), seeking the peace of YHWH’s realm (developed explicitly in Ps 122). Thus 120 can function as the pilgrim’s response to 10’s plea. - Diaspora/exile coloring: - Ps 10:16 asserts YHWH’s kingship over the land and the fading of the nations “מֵאַרְצוֹ.” - Ps 120:5–6 laments prolonged dwelling among foreign, warlike peoples. Historically, that maps to an Israelite living away from Zion under slanderous, violent neighbors, who now initiates the ascent back to the temple (Songs of Ascents), trusting the God who in Ps 10 “שָׁמַעְתָּ תַּאֲוַת עֲנָוִים” (10:17). More specific textual hooks (rarer or pointed features) - The double use of the “distress” lexeme with marked forms (Ps 10:1 “לְעִתּוֹת בַּצָּרָה”; Ps 120:1 “בַּצָּרָתָה לִּי”) is stronger than a generic overlap; both lines open their psalm’s theology with the same noun. - The exact collocation of the speech‑sin lexemes mouth/lips/tongue + deceit (פה/שָׂפָה/לָשׁוֹן + מרמה/רמיה) is central in both and not incidental vocabulary. - Identical yiqtol “יֹסִיף” appears in both psalms (10:18; 120:3), each governing an ethical horizon: in 10 the prayer is that terror will “not continue,” in 120 the question is “what more can be added” to punish deceit — a neat rhetorical hinge from end‑of‑violence to end‑of‑deceit. Bottom line - Psalm 120 can be read as a tight sequel to Psalm 10: the same sufferer of Ps 10’s “times of distress” now reports that YHWH has heard and answered, and turns toward Zion (Songs of Ascents) while asking deliverance from the very vice that dominated Ps 10 — the violent, deceitful mouth. Thematically (oppression → prayer → divine response → movement toward peace), rhetorically (parallel interrogatives, shared “יֹסִיף”), lexically (צָרָה; פה/שָׂפָה/לָשׁוֹן + מרמה/רמיה), and with a plausible life‑setting (Israelite living among hostile nations), Psalm 120 sits naturally as the next step after Psalm 10.
Evaluation
Score: 6.0
Evaluated at: 2025-12-12T03:46:43 (UTC)
Evaluator model: gpt-5
Evaluator version: v2
Reasoning: 3072 Output: 5609 Total: 8681
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 specific overlaps: distress term צָרָה in openings; matching yiqtol יֹסִיף (10:18; 120:3); concentrated mouth/tongue + deceit lexemes (10:7; 120:2–3). But links are common in Psalms and 120 begins separate Ascents corpus.
Prompt
Consider Psalm 10 and Psalm 120 (reproduced below). What arguments could you make to justify that Psalm 120 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 120:
Psalm 120
1. שִׁ֗יר
הַֽמַּ֫עֲל֥וֹת
אֶל־
יְ֭הוָה
בַּצָּרָ֣תָה
לִּ֑י
קָ֝רָ֗אתִי
וַֽיַּעֲנֵֽנִי׃
2. יְֽהוָ֗ה
הַצִּ֣ילָה
נַ֭פְשִׁי
מִשְּׂפַת־
שֶׁ֑קֶר
מִלָּשׁ֥וֹן
רְמִיָּֽה׃
3. מַה־
יִּתֵּ֣ן
לְ֭ךָ
וּמַה־
יֹּסִ֥יף
לָ֗ךְ
לָשׁ֥וֹן
רְמִיָּֽה׃
4. חִצֵּ֣י
גִבּ֣וֹר
שְׁנוּנִ֑ים
עִ֝֗ם
גַּחֲלֵ֥י
רְתָמִֽים׃
5. אֽוֹיָה־
לִ֭י
כִּי־
גַ֣רְתִּי
מֶ֑שֶׁךְ
שָׁ֝כַ֗נְתִּי
עִֽם־
אָהֳלֵ֥י
קֵדָֽר׃
6. רַ֭בַּת
שָֽׁכְנָה־
לָּ֣הּ
נַפְשִׁ֑י
עִ֝֗ם
שׂוֹנֵ֥א
שָׁלֽוֹם׃
7. אֲֽנִי־
שָׁ֭לוֹם
וְכִ֣י
אֲדַבֵּ֑ר
הֵ֝֗מָּה
לַמִּלְחָמָֽה׃