Psalm 10 → 130
Reasoning: 11968 Output: 4403 Total: 16371
Argument
Here are several ways to argue that Psalm 130 “follows” Psalm 10—textually, formally, thematically, and in plausible life-setting—giving the greatest weight to rarer and tighter Hebrew links. Highest‑weight lexical echoes (same roots and a rare collocation) - Ear + attend (אֹזֶן + קש״ב). Ps 10:17 “תַּקְשִׁיב אָזְנֶךָ” is answered by Ps 130:2 “תִּהְיֶינָה אָזְנֶיךָ קַשֻּׁבוֹת לְקוֹל תַּחֲנוּנָי.” The specific collocation אוזן + קש״ב is distinctive in prayers for divine attention; the second psalm sounds like the very plea the first psalm assures God will heed. - Stand (עמ״ד). Ps 10:1 “לָמָה… תַּעֲמֹד בְּרָחוֹק” vs Ps 130:3 “מִי יַעֲמֹד.” The same root shifts from accusing God of “standing far off” to acknowledging that no human can “stand” if God strictly marks iniquity—a tight, dialogical turn. - Hear/voice (שמ״ע + קוֹל). Ps 10:17 “שָׁמַעְתָּ” (you have heard) + “תַּקְשִׁיב אָזְנֶךָ” is taken up by Ps 130:2 “שִׁמְעָה בְקוֹלִי… לְקוֹל תַּחֲנוּנָי.” Both frame the prayer in auditory terms (קול, אזן, שמע, קשב). Legal/judicial semantic field (shared forensic frame) - Judge vs stand. Ps 10:18 “לִשְׁפֹּט יָתוֹם וָדָךְ” calls for judicial action on behalf of the weak; Ps 130:3 asks who could “stand” in court if God “keeps” iniquities. The court scene continues, but the focus moves from God’s prosecution of the oppressor (Ps 10) to mercy for the penitent community (Ps 130). - “Search/keep” moral accountability. Ps 10:15 “תִּדְרוֹשׁ רִשְׁעוֹ” (seek out his wickedness) pairs conceptually with Ps 130:3 “אִם־עֲוֹנוֹת תִּשְׁמָר” (if you keep/mark iniquities). The second psalm reflects on the universal implications of the thorough moral accounting just requested in the first. Thematic/religious progression (justice on oppressors → mercy for sinners) - From “Don’t forget the poor” to “Don’t remember our sins.” Ps 10:12 “אַל־תִּשְׁכַּח עֲנִיִּים/עֲנָוִים” vs Ps 130:3–4 “אִם־עֲוֹנוֹת תִּשְׁמָר… כִּי עִמְּךָ הַסְּלִיחָה.” Read together: God should remember the afflicted but not keep a record of Israel’s sins—a deliberate, balanced antithesis. - Fear redirected. Ps 10 ends: “בַּל־יוֹסִיף… לַעֲרֹץ אֱנוֹשׁ” (that ‘man of the earth’ no longer terrify, 10:18). Ps 130:4: “לְמַעַן תִּוָּרֵא” (so that You may be feared). Illegitimate fear of human oppressors is replaced by proper fear of the forgiving God. - Kingship → redemption. Ps 10:16 “יְהוָה מֶלֶךְ עוֹלָם וָעֶד” (evoking Exod 15:18) flows naturally to Ps 130:7–8 “עִם־יְהוָה הַחֶסֶד… וְהוּא יִפְדֶּה אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל.” In Israel’s theology, the eternal King is the Redeemer; 130 supplies the kingly action implied by 10. Form and stylistic continuities - Lament → confidence arc in both psalms: complaint/plea (10:1–11; 130:1–2) → appeal for divine action (10:12–15; 130:3–6) → communal assurance (10:16–18; 130:7–8). - Individual voice widening to communal horizon: Ps 10 starts with “I/you” complaint and ends with concern for “יתום וָדָךְ” and the whole land; Ps 130 starts with “קְרָאתִיךָ” and ends with “יִשְׂרָאֵל… יִפְדֶּה.” - Rhetorical questions drive both: “לָמָה…?” (10:1), “עַל־מֶה…?” (10:13), “מִי יַעֲמֹד?” (130:3). Narrative/liturgical plausibility (life-setting) - Crisis → ascent. Ps 10 depicts predation and social breakdown; Ps 130 (a “שִׁיר הַמַּעֲלוֹת”) is a pilgrim’s penitential prayer “from the depths,” likely sung while going up to the sanctuary. After crying for justice and affirming God’s kingship (Ps 10), the community ascends to seek forgiveness and await redemption (Ps 130). - Judges/exodus pattern recast: Oppression and a cry for deliverance (Ps 10) lead to confession and hope in God’s redemptive mercy (Ps 130). The exodus note in 10:16 (“YHWH reigns forever”) segues to explicit “פְדוּת/יִפְדֶּה” (redemption) in 130. Lower‑weight but suggestive links - “Hiddenness/depths” motif: Ps 10 complains God “hides” in trouble (10:1, 10:11); Ps 130 locates the suppliant “מִמַּעֲמַקִּים” (from the depths) and begs for an attentive ear—an existential resolve of the felt divine distance. - Watchfulness inverted: The wicked in Ps 10 “sit in ambush” and “lie in wait” (מַאְרָב/יֶאֱרֹב, 10:8–9), whereas Ps 130 waits rightly, “כַּשֹּׁמְרִים לַבֹּקֶר” (130:6). Predatory watching gives way to faithful watching. A tight inner logic emerges: Psalm 10 demands that the eternal King intervene, fully expose wickedness, and hear the humble. Psalm 130 then voices the humble from the depths, asking that the same God who “keeps” accounts would instead forgive—since otherwise no one could stand—and pledging communal hope in His abundant redemption. The rare ear+attend collocation (אוזן + קש״ב), the shared עמד root, the courtroom semantics, the kingship→redemption line, and the fear-transfer (man→God) make the case especially strong that Psalm 130 can be read as a deliberate and logical sequel to Psalm 10.
Evaluation
Score: 7.0
Evaluated at: 2025-12-12T03:58:10 (UTC)
Evaluator model: gpt-5
Evaluator version: v2
Reasoning: 4096 Output: 5225 Total: 9321
Checklist
- Has verse refs: Yes
- Factual error detected: No
- Only generic motifs: No
- Counterargument considered: No
- LXX/MT numbering acknowledged: No
Vocabulary specificity: 7.0 / 10
Multiple precise links—especially the rare אוזן+קש״ב collocation (10:17; 130:2)—plus judicial semantics and fear/עמד turns. However, most motifs are common and no editorial marker; non-adjacent psalms reduce confidence.
Prompt
Consider Psalm 10 and Psalm 130 (reproduced below). What arguments could you make to justify that Psalm 130 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 130:
Psalm 130
1. שִׁ֥יר
הַֽמַּעֲל֑וֹת
מִמַּעֲמַקִּ֖ים
קְרָאתִ֣יךָ
יְהוָֽה׃
2. אֲדֹנָי֮
שִׁמְעָ֢ה
בְק֫וֹלִ֥י
תִּהְיֶ֣ינָה
אָ֭זְנֶיךָ
קַשֻּׁב֑וֹת
לְ֝ק֗וֹל
תַּחֲנוּנָֽי׃
3. אִם־
עֲוֺנ֥וֹת
תִּשְׁמָר־
יָ֑הּ
אֲ֝דֹנָ֗י
מִ֣י
יַעֲמֹֽד׃
4. כִּֽי־
עִמְּךָ֥
הַסְּלִיחָ֑ה
לְ֝מַ֗עַן
תִּוָּרֵֽא׃
5. קִוִּ֣יתִי
יְ֭הוָה
קִוְּתָ֣ה
נַפְשִׁ֑י
וְֽלִדְבָר֥וֹ
הוֹחָֽלְתִּי׃
6. נַפְשִׁ֥י
לַֽאדֹנָ֑י
מִשֹּׁמְרִ֥ים
לַ֝בֹּ֗קֶר
שֹׁמְרִ֥ים
לַבֹּֽקֶר׃
7. יַחֵ֥ל
יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל
אֶל־
יְה֫וָה
כִּֽי־
עִם־
יְהוָ֥ה
הַחֶ֑סֶד
וְהַרְבֵּ֖ה
עִמּ֣וֹ
פְדֽוּת׃
8. וְ֭הוּא
יִפְדֶּ֣ה
אֶת־
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל
מִ֝כֹּ֗ל
עֲוֺנֹתָֽיו׃