Psalm 10 → 124
Reasoning: 8896 Output: 4992 Total: 13888
Argument
Short answer: Read Psalm 124 as the answered prayer to Psalm 10. Psalm 10 is a lament about predatory “men” who ambush the weak; it pleads for God to arise and break the power of the wicked. Psalm 124 is the communal thanksgiving that says, in effect, “He did,” celebrating rescue from those same human predators—now pictured as devouring jaws, flood-waters, and a snare that has been broken. The psalms share vocabulary, imagery, and theological conclusions that make Psalm 124 a logical narrative and liturgical sequel. Details, grouped by type of evidence: A. Plot/form: lament → deliverance → thanksgiving - Psalm 10 is an individual/communal lament and petition (complaint of God’s distance, description of the wicked’s tactics, prayer for intervention: “קוּמָה יְהוָה”). - Psalm 124 is a communal thanksgiving (“יֹאמַר־נָא יִשְׂרָאֵל … בָּרוּךְ יְהוָה”) for precisely the sort of rescue Psalm 10 requests. This lament→deliverance→thanksgiving sequence is a standard Israelite liturgical/theological arc. B. Direct contrasts that read as prayer-and-answer - God’s posture: - Ps 10:1 “לָמָה … תַּעֲמֹד בְּרָחוֹק, תַּעְלִים לְעִתּוֹת בַּצָּרָה” (God seems far/hidden in trouble) - Ps 124:1–2 “לוּלֵי יְהוָה שֶׁהָיָה לָנוּ” (God is “with/for us”)—the opposite of distance. - Human aggression: - Ps 10 details the wicked man’s rise and predation (e.g., 10:2, 8–10). - Ps 124:2 “בְּקוּם עָלֵינוּ אָדָם” (when man rose against us) explicitly names the same threat class (“man”) as the agent. - Outcome: - Ps 10:15 prays “שְׁבֹר זְרוֹעַ רָשָׁע” (break the arm of the wicked). - Ps 124:7 reports “הַפַּח נִשְׁבָּר” (the snare is broken)—same root שׁ־ב־ר and same deliverance logic: the oppressor’s power/instrument is now broken. C. Shared imagery field: predator, trap, prey - Ambush/trap/hunt motif: - Ps 10:8–10 “יֵשֵׁב בְּמַאְרָב … יֶאֱרֹב … בְּרִשְׁתּוֹ” (ambush, lurking, net; the poor is prey). - Ps 124:7 “נַפְשֵׁנוּ כְּצִפּוֹר נִמְלְטָה מִפַּח יוֹקְשִׁים … הַפַּח נִשְׁבָּר” (snare, fowlers; the prey escapes). - Even though the trap terms differ (רֶשֶׁת vs. פַּח/יוֹקְשִׁים), the hunter-prey conceptual set is identical; in 10 the trap works, in 124 it fails—precisely the reversal one hopes for. - Devouring imagery: - Ps 124:3 “חַיִּים בְּלָעֻנוּ … לְשִׁנֵּיהֶם” (being swallowed alive; teeth). - Ps 10 uses a predatory bestial frame (lion in his covert), making 124’s carnivore “teeth” a natural continuation in more compressed, communal doxology. D. Lexical/roots correspondences (rarer/shared roots highlighted; identical forms or same word class noted) - שׁ־ב־ר “break” (significant, same root): - Ps 10:15 imperative “שְׁבֹר” (break!) - Ps 124:7 Niphal perfect “נִשְׁבָּר” (is broken). - ע־ז־ר “help” (same root, same semantic slot): - Ps 10:14 “יָתוֹם אַתָּה הָיִיתָ עוֹזֵר” (You have been a helper). - Ps 124:8 “עֶזְרֵנוּ בְּשֵׁם יְהוָה” (our help is in the name of YHWH). - נֶפֶשׁ “life/soul” (same noun): - Ps 10:3 “תַּאֲוַת נַפְשׁוֹ” (his soul’s desire; singular) - Ps 124:4–5,7 “עַל־נַפְשֵׁנוּ … נַפְשֵׁנוּ” (our soul; communal). - The move from “his soul” (the oppressor’s appetite) to “our soul” (the community’s life rescued) underscores the plot reversal. - אַף “anger/nose”: - Ps 10:4 “רָשָׁע כְּגוֹבַהּ אַפּוֹ” (the wicked’s high/insolent nose/anger). - Ps 124:3 “בַּחֲרוֹת אַפָּם בָּנוּ” (when their anger flared against us). - ב־ר־ך “bless”: - Ps 10:3 “וּבֹצֵעַ בֵּרֵךְ נִאֵץ יְהוָה” (perverse blessing that actually blasphemes). - Ps 124:6 “בָּרוּךְ יְהוָה” (true blessing of YHWH). Same root; explicit moral reversal of 10:3. - ק־ו־ם “rise”: - Ps 10:12 “קוּמָה יְהוָה” (rise up, LORD). - Ps 124:2 “בְּקוּם עָלֵינוּ אָדָם” (when man rose against us). The two risings are set in tension; Psalm 124 implies God’s “rising for us” overcame man’s rising against us. - Anthropological terms for “human”: - Ps 10:18 “אֱנוֹשׁ” (mortal) as the terrorizer. - Ps 124:2 “אָדָם” (man) as attacker. Not the same lexeme, but the same semantic role of hostile humanity that God must restrain. - Closing doxological formulas that universalize the claim (both psalms end with sweeping theological assertions): - Ps 10:16 “יְהוָה מֶלֶךְ עוֹלָם וָעֶד” (YHWH king forever). - Ps 124:8 “עֹשֵׂה שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ” (Maker of heaven and earth). - Different titles, same function: grounding the deliverance in God’s cosmic sovereignty. E. Stylistic/structural echoes - Triplet rhetoric: - Ps 10 uses a triple “אָמַר בְּלִבּוֹ” (vv. 6, 11, 13) to expose the wicked’s inner speech. - Ps 124 uses a triple “אָזַי” (vv. 3–5) to rehearse what would have happened but for YHWH’s intervention. Both use refrain-like triples to structure the psalm’s core argument. - Movement from complaint to confession: - Ps 10 begins with “לָמָה…?” and ends with a confession of kingship. - Ps 124 begins with communal summons (“יֹאמַר־נָא יִשְׂרָאֵל”) and ends with a confession of the Creator’s name—matching 10’s pattern of ending in theology. F. Shared theological and mythic motifs - Chaos-waters as enemy: - Ps 124:4–5 “הַמַּיִם שְׁטָפוּנוּ … הַמַּיִם הַזֵּידוֹנִים” deploy the ancient Near Eastern chaos-flood motif (common exodus and creation imagery). - Ps 10 frames the enemy as bestial hunter; Psalm 124 transposes the same danger to cosmic scale (teeth and flood). Both locate Israel’s plight within mythic patterns of chaos vs. divine kingship/creation, which their closings reinforce (10:16 king; 124:8 creator). - Social reversal: - Ps 10:3–11 depicts arrogant, violent elites who assume God does not see and will not act. - Ps 124 celebrates that God did see and act: those same “men” did not swallow Israel; the feared outcomes (predator’s teeth, net) were thwarted. G. Life-setting (Sitz im Leben) - Psalm 10 fits crises where the powerless (עני, יָתוֹם, דַּךְ) are hunted by violent men. - Psalm 124, a Song of Ascents, suits communal worship after deliverance (e.g., safe return/pilgrimage or victory after attack). It is precisely the kind of psalm one would sing after the plea of Psalm 10 has been answered. In sum: The lexical ties (especially שׁ־ב־ר; ע־ז־ר; נֶפֶשׁ; אַף; ב־ר־ך; ק־ו־ם), the shared predator/trap imagery now reversed, the shift from God’s distance to his being “for us,” the parallel use of triple rhetorical markers, and the matching doxological endpoints together make a strong case that Psalm 124 reads naturally as the narrative and liturgical follow-up to Psalm 10: the thanksgiving after the lamented peril has been overturned.
Evaluation
Score: 6.0
Evaluated at: 2025-12-12T03:50:55 (UTC)
Evaluator model: gpt-5
Evaluator version: v2
Reasoning: 2240 Output: 5815 Total: 8055
Checklist
- Has verse refs: Yes
- Factual error detected: No
- Only generic motifs: No
- Counterargument considered: No
- LXX/MT numbering acknowledged: No
Vocabulary specificity: 2.5 / 10
Multiple accurate verse-level links and a coherent lament→thanksgiving rationale; but lexemes/imagery are common across Psalms, no cross-psalm structural marker, Song of Ascents editorial distance, and no counterarguments addressed. Solid yet non-decisive.
Prompt
Consider Psalm 10 and Psalm 124 (reproduced below). What arguments could you make to justify that Psalm 124 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 124:
Psalm 124
1. שִׁ֥יר
הַֽמַּעֲל֗וֹת
לְדָ֫וִ֥ד
לוּלֵ֣י
יְ֭הוָה
שֶׁהָ֣יָה
לָ֑נוּ
יֹֽאמַר־
נָ֝א
יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
2. לוּלֵ֣י
יְ֭הוָה
שֶׁהָ֣יָה
לָ֑נוּ
בְּק֖וּם
עָלֵ֣ינוּ
אָדָֽם׃
3. אֲ֭זַי
חַיִּ֣ים
בְּלָע֑וּנוּ
בַּחֲר֖וֹת
אַפָּ֣ם
בָּֽנוּ׃
4. אֲ֭זַי
הַמַּ֣יִם
שְׁטָפ֑וּנוּ
נַ֗֜cחְלָה
עָבַ֥ר
עַל־
נַפְשֵֽׁנוּ׃
5. אֲ֭זַי
עָבַ֣ר
עַל־
נַפְשֵׁ֑נוּ
הַ֝מַּ֗יִם
הַזֵּֽידוֹנִֽים׃
6. בָּר֥וּךְ
יְהוָ֑ה
שֶׁלֹּ֥א
נְתָנָ֥נוּ
טֶ֝֗רֶף
לְשִׁנֵּיהֶֽם׃
7. נַפְשֵׁ֗נוּ
כְּצִפּ֥וֹר
נִמְלְטָה֮
מִפַּ֢ח
י֫וֹקְשִׁ֥ים
הַפַּ֥ח
נִשְׁבָּ֗ר
וַאֲנַ֥חְנוּ
נִמְלָֽטְנוּ׃
8. עֶ֭זְרֵנוּ
בְּשֵׁ֣ם
יְהוָ֑ה
עֹ֝שֵׂ֗ה
שָׁמַ֥יִם
וָאָֽרֶץ׃