Psalm 10 → 123
Reasoning: 10560 Output: 4807 Total: 15367
Argument
Short thesis: Read Psalm 123 as a liturgical and thematic “answer” to Psalm 10. Psalm 10 laments God’s distance while the arrogant prey on the lowly and asks God to raise his hand; Psalm 123 shows the afflicted community turning their eyes to the heavenly King’s hand and waiting for his gracious signal. The two psalms are tied by rare and significant catchwords, shared imagery (eye–hand–sitting), the proud vs. the humble, and a plausible life-setting progression from violent oppression to social contempt and public worship. 1) A tightly interlocked “eye–hand–sitting” cluster (shared roots and repeated forms) - ישב “sit/dwell”: - Ps 10:8 יֵשֵׁב במארב “he sits in ambush” (the wicked’s posture on earth). - Ps 123:1 הַיֹּשְׁבִי בשמים “you who sit in the heavens” (YHWH’s enthroned posture). - Same root; the contrast is pointed: the wicked “sits” below in ambush vs. YHWH “sits” above enthroned. - עין “eye, look, see”: - Ps 10:8 עֵינָיו … יִצְפֹּנוּ “his eyes lurk” (predatory gaze); 10:14 רָאִיתָ … תַבִּיט “you have seen … you behold” (God’s sight). - Ps 123:1–2 נָשָׂאתִי אֶת־עֵינַי … כְּעֵינֵי … כֵּן עֵינֵינוּ “I lift up my eyes … as eyes of servants … so our eyes.” - The same noun drives both poems; Psalm 123 reorients the “gaze” from the predator’s eyes (Ps 10) to the faithful’s eyes fixed on God. - יד “hand” with נשא “lift”: - Ps 10:12 קוּמָה … נְשָׂא יָדֶךָ “Arise … lift your hand”; 10:14 לָתֵת בְּיָדֶךָ “to place it in your hand.” - Ps 123:2 (x3) אֶל־יָד אֲדֹנֵיהֶם … אֶל־יָד גְּבִרְתָּהּ … עֵינֵינוּ אֶל־יְהוָה … “to the hand of their master … to the hand of her mistress … our eyes to the LORD.” - Identical nouns and the same key verb-root נשא tie the scenes together: Ps 10 asks God to lift his hand; Ps 123 watches that hand for the sign of mercy. 2) The proud vs. the humble: shared roots and rare terms - גאה “pride, arrogance”: - Ps 10:2 בְּגַאֲוַת רָשָׁע; 10:4 כְּגֹבַהּ אַפּוֹ; 10:5 מָרוֹם. - Ps 123:4 הַבּוּז לִגְאֵיוֹנִים “the contempt of the arrogant” (גְאֵיוֹנִים is a rare noun/plural for “proud/arrogant”). - The shared root/semantic field is strong; the rare form גְאֵיוֹנִים heightens the link. - Lowly social status: - Ps 10: “עָנִי/עֲנָוִים, דַּךְ, יָתוֹם, חֵלְכָה/חַלְכָּאִים” (several of these are rare). - Ps 123: “עֲבָדִים … שִׁפְחָה” (servants/slave-girl). - Different lexemes, same social reality: the powerless dependent on a patron. 3) From “God is far/hides his face” to “grant grace” (face-language by implication) - Ps 10:1 “Why do you stand far off? … hide yourself” (תַּעֲמֹד בְּרָחוֹק … תַּעְלִים), 10:11 “הִסְתִּיר פָּנָיו” “he has hidden his face.” - Ps 123:3–4 “חָנֵּנוּ … חָנֵּנוּ” “Be gracious to us” (twice). - In biblical diction, “be gracious” (חנן) regularly pairs with the shining of God’s face (Num 6:25). Psalm 123’s plea for grace implicitly asks God to reverse the hidden-face problem in Psalm 10. 4) YHWH’s kingship/enhtroned status as an explicit bridge - Ps 10:16 “יְהוָה מֶלֶךְ עוֹלָם וָעֶד” “YHWH is King forever and ever.” - Ps 123:1 “הַיֹּשְׁבִי בַּשָּׁמָיִם” “you who sit in the heavens.” - Psalm 123 opens by addressing the enthroned King announced at the climax of Psalm 10. That is a natural narrative and theological continuation. 5) “No more!” vs. “We’ve had enough!”—matching closure formulas - Ps 10:18 “בַּל־יוֹסִיף עוֹד לַעֲרֹץ אֱנוֹשׁ” “so that mortal may no longer (not add any more) terrify.” - Ps 123:3–4 “רַב שָׂבַעְנוּ בּוּז … רַבַּת שָׂבְעָה־לָּהּ נַפְשֵׁנוּ” “we have had more than enough contempt.” - Both use intensifiers of quantity/continuation (“יוֹסִיף עוֹד” vs. “רַב/רַבַּת … שָׂבַע”) to say, “enough.” Psalm 123’s complaint of saturated scorn answers Psalm 10’s prayer that oppression stop. 6) Stylistic echoes that feel editorially intentional - Repetition as a structuring device: - Ps 10 repeats key phrases (“אָמַר בְּלִבּוֹ” twice; “תִדְרֹשׁ” three times) to frame the wicked’s inner presumption and God’s judicial “searching.” - Ps 123 repeats “חָנֵּנוּ” and “רַב/רַבַּת … שָׂבַע” to frame the community’s single-minded plea. - Both psalms form two-part laments: description/complaint → direct petition/confession of trust. - Direct address to the divine with a tight switch to communal perspective: - Ps 10 alternates you/your (2nd person) with he/his (the wicked), then resolves in you/YHWH as King. - Ps 123 moves from “I” (נָשָׂאתִי אֶת־עֵינַי) to “we” (עֵינֵינוּ), focusing corporate worship. 7) A plausible life-setting sequence - Social reality: First, predatory violence (Ps 10) threatens the poor and fatherless. Then—even when violence abates—public shaming by the secure and proud persists (Ps 123: “הַשַּׁאֲנַנִּים … הַבּוּז לִגְאֵיוֹנִים”). This tracks the movement from physical danger to social contempt common in laments. - Liturgical movement: Psalm 10 ends by reasserting kingship and divine adjudication; Psalm 123 (a Song of Ascents) plausibly depicts the same afflicted community ascending to the sanctuary, fixing their eyes on the King’s hand and waiting for his gracious act. That is a natural liturgical “next step” after the plea “Arise … lift your hand” (Ps 10:12). 8) Extra catchwords and conceptual rhymes - “Height” imagery runs through both: Ps 10:4–5 “כְגֹבַהּ … מָרוֹם”; Ps 123:1 “בַּשָּׁמָיִם.” The proud lift themselves high on earth; God alone is truly high, enthroned in heaven. - Contempt vocabulary: Ps 10:3, 13 uses נִאֵץ “to blaspheme/despise” God; Ps 123:3–4 uses בּוּז and לַעַג for the scorn heaped on the faithful. The semantic field of contempt binds the pair even where exact roots differ. Why these links matter (weighting by rarity/precision) - High-value matches by root and even form: ישב (yēshev/yōshev), עין, יד with נשא, and the royal enthronement theme. These are not generic; they are the structuring images of both psalms. - The rare terms heighten specificity: גְאֵיוֹנִים (Ps 123:4) and several rare words for the powerless in Ps 10 (e.g., חֵלְכָה/חַלְכָּאִים; דַּךְ). Even when the exact lexeme differs, the marked social registers (arrogant vs. abased) align. A concise way to say it: Psalm 10 asks, “Why do you stand far off? Lift your hand!” and ends with “YHWH is King.” Psalm 123 begins, “To you I lift my eyes, O you who sit in the heavens,” then says, “Our eyes are on the hand of our master … until he is gracious,” while the proud still pour contempt on us. The shared eye–hand–sitting vocabulary, the proud/humble polarity (with rare terms), and the move from complaint to enthroned trust provide strong stylistic and thematic grounds for reading Psalm 123 as the logical next psalm after Psalm 10.
Evaluation
Score: 2.0
Evaluated at: 2025-12-12T03:50:20 (UTC)
Evaluator model: gpt-5
Evaluator version: v2
Reasoning: 4096 Output: 5625 Total: 9721
Checklist
- Has verse refs: Yes
- Factual error detected: Yes
- Only generic motifs: No
- Counterargument considered: No
- LXX/MT numbering acknowledged: No
Vocabulary specificity: 3.5 / 10
Flags: misquote
Good eye–hand–sitting links with verse refs, but errors: ‘אמר בלבו’ appears three times; ‘תדרש’ only twice. Hard cap: any factual error → max 2. Also ignores wide canonical distance.
Prompt
Consider Psalm 10 and Psalm 123 (reproduced below). What arguments could you make to justify that Psalm 123 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 123:
Psalm 123
1. שִׁ֗יר
הַֽמַּ֫עֲל֥וֹת
אֵ֭לֶיךָ
נָשָׂ֣אתִי
אֶת־
עֵינַ֑י
הַ֝יֹּשְׁבִ֗י
בַּשָּׁמָֽיִם׃
2. הִנֵּ֨ה
כְעֵינֵ֪י
עֲבָדִ֡ים
אֶל־
יַ֤ד
אֲֽדוֹנֵיהֶ֗ם
כְּעֵינֵ֣י
שִׁפְחָה֮
אֶל־
יַ֢ד
גְּבִ֫רְתָּ֥הּ
כֵּ֣ן
עֵ֭ינֵינוּ
אֶל־
יְהוָ֣ה
אֱלֹהֵ֑ינוּ
עַ֝֗ד
שֶׁיְּחָנֵּֽנוּ׃
3. חָנֵּ֣נוּ
יְהוָ֣ה
חָנֵּ֑נוּ
כִּֽי־
רַ֝֗ב
שָׂבַ֥עְנוּ
בֽוּז׃
4. רַבַּת֮
שָֽׂבְעָה־
לָּ֢הּ
נַ֫פְשֵׁ֥נוּ
הַלַּ֥עַג
הַשַּׁאֲנַנִּ֑ים
הַ֝בּ֗וּז
לִגְאֵ֥יוֹנִֽים׃