Psalm 10 → 135
Reasoning: 10240 Output: 6317 Total: 16557
Argument
Short thesis: Read Psalm 135 as a deliberate “answer” to the crisis of Psalm 10. Psalm 10 laments that God seems distant, the wicked prey on the poor, boast that God will not “seek,” and misuse mouth/eyes/ears. Psalm 135 responds in the Temple with praise, affirming God’s nearness, supremacy, judgment in history, and the proper use of mouth/eyes/ears, and it reverses several of Psalm 10’s key phrases. Key hook-words and forms (rarer/identical items listed first) - Identical phrase לדור ודור: - Ps 10:6 “לדור ודור” (the wicked boasts of unshakable permanence). - Ps 135:13 “זכרך לדור ודור” (YHWH’s memorial endures for generations). Significance: identical form; shifts “foreverness” from the wicked to YHWH. - Same root חצר, rare plural: - Ps 10:8 “בְּמַאְרַב חֲצֵרִים” (in the ambushes of the חצרים). - Ps 135:2 “בְּחַצְרוֹת בֵּית אֱלֹהֵינוּ” (in the courts of the house of our God). Significance: same noun-root, unusual vocabulary. The “courts” used for ambush in 10 are now God’s courts of worship in 135. - Same root עמד: - Ps 10:1 “למה… תעמוד בְּרָחוֹק” (why do you stand far off?). - Ps 135:2 “שעֹמְדים בְּבֵּית יְהוָה” (who stand in the house of YHWH). Significance: same verbal root; spatial reversal from divine “standing far” to servants “standing” near in the Temple. - Sensory triad mouth–eyes–ears, with direct lexical overlap: - Ps 10:7–8, 14, 17 “פִּיהוּ… עֵינָיו… תַּקְשִׁיב אָזְנֶךָ; רָאִיתָ” (mouth/tongue of the wicked; his eyes; God’s seeing; God’s ears). - Ps 135:15–17 “פֶּה… עֵינַיִם… אָזְנַיִם לָהֶם” (idols have a mouth/eyes/ears but cannot speak/see/hear). Significance: identical nouns; Psalm 135 redirects Psalm 10’s sensory problem: not YHWH but idols fail to see/hear/speak; YHWH does see (10:14) and hear (10:17). - Root הלל in antithetic re-application: - Ps 10:3 “הִלֵּל רָשָׁע עַל־תַּאֲוַת נַפְשׁוֹ” (the wicked “praises/boasts” over his craving). - Ps 135:1–3 “הַלְלוּ יָהּ… הַלְלוּ… זַמְּרוּ” (praise YHWH). Significance: same root; Psalm 135 reclaims “praise” from the wicked’s self-praise to the proper praise of YHWH. - Root ברך in corrected usage: - Ps 10:3 “וּבֹצֵעַ בֵּרֵךְ—נִאֵץ יְהוָה” (the greedy one “blesses,” blaspheming YHWH). - Ps 135:19–21 “בָּרֲכוּ אֶת־יְהוָה” (House of Israel/Aaron/Levi, bless YHWH). Significance: same root; improper “blessing” of the wicked is replaced by the congregation’s true blessing. - Forever-language cluster: - Ps 10:11 “בַּל־רָאָה לָנֶצַח”; 10:16 “יְהוָה מֶלֶךְ עוֹלָם וָעֶד.” - Ps 135:13 “יְהוָה שִׁמְךָ לְעוֹלָם.” Significance: overlapping “forever” diction, now anchored to YHWH’s Name and kingship. - Nations/land judgment: - Ps 10:16 “אָבְדוּ גוֹיִם מֵאַרְצוֹ” (nations perish from his land). - Ps 135:10–12 “הִכָּה גוֹיִם… וְנָתַן אַרְצָם נַחֲלָה” (He struck many nations… and gave their land as inheritance). Significance: same nouns and theme; Psalm 135 supplies the historical exempla that realize Psalm 10’s claim (Egypt, Sihon, Og, Canaan). - Hands/arm motif, antithetic contrast: - Ps 10:12 “נְשָׂא יָדֶךָ”; 10:15 “שְׁבֹר זְרוֹעַ רָשָׁע”; 10:14 “לָתֵת בְּיָדֶךָ.” - Ps 135:15 “מַעֲשֵׂה יְדֵי אָדָם” (idols are the work of human hands); 135:8–11 (YHWH’s “striking” action in history). Significance: the plea for God’s hand to break the oppressor’s arm (10) is met by God’s demonstrated “hand” in history (135), while human “hands” produce powerless idols. - Judgment/justice vocabulary: - Ps 10:18 “לִשְׁפֹּט יָתוֹם וָדָךְ” (to judge the orphan and the crushed). - Ps 135:14 “כִּי־יָדִין יְהוָה עַמּוֹ וְעַל־עֲבָדָיו יִתְנֶחָם” (YHWH will judge his people and have compassion on his servants). Significance: same semantic field of adjudication and compassion; Psalm 135 answers the intercession of Psalm 10. Thematic and structural fit - From distance to presence: - Complaint: “Why do you stand far off… do you hide in times of trouble?” (10:1, 11). - Answer: YHWH is not absent; his servants are “standing” in his house and courts (135:2), and he is “dwelling in Jerusalem” (135:21). Spatial reversal resolves the perceived distance. - From “God will not see/seek” to “God acts and judges”: - Wicked’s claim: “בַּל־יִדְרֹשׁ… לֹא תִדְרֹשׁ” (10:4, 13); “בַּל־רָאָה” (10:11). - Answer: YHWH “has seen” (10:14) and in 135 his acts are catalogued—creation (135:6–7), exodus and conquest (135:8–12)—culminating in “he will judge his people… have compassion” (135:14). The historical recital functions as the proof that God does “seek” and “require” an account. - From misuse of speech to proper liturgy: - Wicked mouth: cursing, deceit (10:7). - Proper mouth: “Hallelu-Yah… sing to his Name… bless YHWH” (135:1–3, 19–21). - From predator and terror to defeat of oppressors: - Wicked hunts the poor like a lion (10:8–10). - YHWH strikes nations and kings (135:10–11) and gives the land as inheritance (135:12). The “break the arm of the wicked” plea (10:15) is met by the narrated smiting of oppressors. - From “do not forget the humble” (10:12) to remembrance: - Psalm 135 pivots on remembrance language: “יְהוָה שִׁמְךָ לְעוֹלָם; זִכְרְךָ לְדֹר וָדֹר” (135:13). This “זכר” stands as the positive counterpoint to 10:12’s “אַל־תִּשְׁכַּח.” Shared life-pattern and liturgical plausibility - Israel’s common sequence of experience—oppression → lament → divine intervention → praise—is exactly the move from Psalm 10 (individual/community lament for justice) to Psalm 135 (temple hymn of praise recounting God’s interventions). Psalm 135’s priestly/Levitical voice (“you who stand in the house/courts”) makes good sense as the cultic response to the petitioner of Psalm 10. - The historical recital in 135 (creation, exodus, conquest) is the canonical proof that God sees/hears and judges the arrogant—precisely the theological stakes of 10. Why these links are strong - Several are identical or near-identical forms (לְדֹר וָדֹר; the sensory nouns; the roots עמד, הלל, ברך), and some involve relatively rarer lexemes (חֲצֵרִים/חַצְרוֹת). - Where the same roots recur, they are re-aimed to effect a reversal: the wicked’s “praise” and “blessing” become the congregation’s praise and blessing; the boast of foreverness shifts to YHWH’s Name; the “courts” of ambush become the Temple courts. - Thematically, every major complaint in Psalm 10 finds an answering affirmation or exemplification in Psalm 135. Conclusion Reading Psalm 135 after Psalm 10 yields a coherent narrative arc: a lament about God’s distance, the arrogance of the wicked, and the terror of the poor (Psalm 10) is answered by a temple-led proclamation of God’s nearness, supremacy over all gods, decisive judgment in history, and the proper use of mouth/eyes/ears (Psalm 135). The lexical hooks—especially לדור ודור; חצר/חצרות; the mouth–eyes–ears triad; עמד; הלל/ברך; גוים/ארץ; and the justice idiom—make a compelling case that Psalm 135 can be read as the logical, liturgical response to Psalm 10.
Evaluation
Score: 6.5
Evaluated at: 2025-12-13T03:37:19 (UTC)
Evaluator model: gpt-5
Evaluator version: v2
Reasoning: 3264 Output: 7146 Total: 10410
Checklist
- Has verse refs: Yes
- Factual error detected: No
- Only generic motifs: No
- Counterargument considered: No
- LXX/MT numbering acknowledged: No
Vocabulary specificity: 4.0 / 10
Multiple accurate, specific overlaps (לדור וָדור; חצר/חצרות; mouth–eyes–ears; הלל/ברך) and reversal logic. But motifs are common (esp. Ps 115 idols), and psalms are far apart; no editorial marker. No cap.
Prompt
Consider Psalm 10 and Psalm 135 (reproduced below). What arguments could you make to justify that Psalm 135 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 135:
Psalm 135
1. הַ֥לְלוּ
יָ֨הּ ׀
הַֽ֭לְלוּ
אֶת־
שֵׁ֣ם
יְהוָ֑ה
הַֽ֝לְלוּ
עַבְדֵ֥י
יְהוָֽה׃
2. שֶׁ֣֭עֹֽמְדִים
בְּבֵ֣ית
יְהוָ֑ה
בְּ֝חַצְר֗וֹת
בֵּ֣ית
אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ׃
3. הַֽ֭לְלוּ־
יָהּ
כִּי־
ט֣וֹב
יְהוָ֑ה
זַמְּר֥וּ
לִ֝שְׁמ֗וֹ
כִּ֣י
נָעִֽים׃
4. כִּֽי־
יַעֲקֹ֗ב
בָּחַ֣ר
ל֣וֹ
יָ֑הּ
יִ֝שְׂרָאֵ֗ל
לִסְגֻלָּתֽוֹ׃
5. כִּ֤י
אֲנִ֣י
יָ֭דַעְתִּי
כִּי־
גָד֣וֹל
יְהוָ֑ה
וַ֝אֲדֹנֵ֗ינוּ
מִכָּל־
אֱלֹהִֽים׃
6. כֹּ֤ל
אֲשֶׁר־
חָפֵ֥ץ
יְהוָ֗ה
עָ֫שָׂ֥ה
בַּשָּׁמַ֥יִם
וּבָאָ֑רֶץ
בַּ֝יַּמִּ֗ים
וְכָל־
תְּהוֹמֽוֹת׃
7. מַֽעֲלֶ֣ה
נְשִׂאִים֮
מִקְצֵ֢ה
הָ֫אָ֥רֶץ
בְּרָקִ֣ים
לַמָּטָ֣ר
עָשָׂ֑ה
מֽוֹצֵא־
ר֝וּחַ
מֵאֽוֹצְרוֹתָֽיו׃
8. שֶֽׁ֭הִכָּה
בְּכוֹרֵ֣י
מִצְרָ֑יִם
מֵ֝אָדָ֗ם
עַד־
בְּהֵמָֽה׃
9. שָׁלַ֤ח ׀
אֹת֣וֹת
וּ֖dמֹפְתִים
בְּתוֹכֵ֣כִי
מִצְרָ֑יִם
בְּ֝פַרְעֹ֗ה
וּבְכָל־
עֲבָדָֽיו׃
10. שֶֽׁ֭הִכָּה
גּוֹיִ֣ם
רַבִּ֑ים
וְ֝הָרַ֗ג
מְלָכִ֥ים
עֲצוּמִֽים׃
11. לְסִיח֤וֹן ׀
מֶ֤לֶךְ
הָאֱמֹרִ֗י
וּ֭לְעוֹג
מֶ֣לֶךְ
הַבָּשָׁ֑ן
וּ֝לְכֹ֗ל
מַמְלְכ֥וֹת
כְּנָֽעַן׃
12. וְנָתַ֣ן
אַרְצָ֣ם
נַחֲלָ֑ה
נַ֝חֲלָ֗ה
לְיִשְׂרָאֵ֥ל
עַמּֽוֹ׃
13. יְ֭הוָה
שִׁמְךָ֣
לְעוֹלָ֑ם
יְ֝הוָ֗ה
זִכְרְךָ֥
לְדֹר־
וָדֹֽר׃
14. כִּֽי־
יָדִ֣ין
יְהוָ֣ה
עַמּ֑וֹ
וְעַל־
עֲ֝בָדָ֗יו
יִתְנֶחָֽם׃
15. עֲצַבֵּ֣י
הַ֭גּוֹיִם
כֶּ֣סֶף
וְזָהָ֑ב
מַ֝עֲשֵׂ֗ה
יְדֵ֣י
אָדָֽם׃
16. פֶּֽה־
לָ֭הֶם
וְלֹ֣א
יְדַבֵּ֑רוּ
עֵינַ֥יִם
לָ֝הֶ֗ם
וְלֹ֣א
יִרְאֽוּ׃
17. אָזְנַ֣יִם
לָ֭הֶם
וְלֹ֣א
יַאֲזִ֑ינוּ
אַ֝֗ף
אֵין־
יֶשׁ־
ר֥וּחַ
בְּפִיהֶֽם׃
18. כְּ֭מוֹהֶם
יִהְי֣וּ
עֹשֵׂיהֶ֑ם
כֹּ֭ל
אֲשֶׁר־
בֹּטֵ֣חַ
בָּהֶֽם׃
19. בֵּ֣ית
יִ֭שְׂרָאֵל
בָּרֲכ֣וּ
אֶת־
יְהוָ֑ה
בֵּ֥ית
אַ֝הֲרֹ֗ן
בָּרֲכ֥וּ
אֶת־
יְהוָֽה׃
20. בֵּ֣ית
הַ֭לֵּוִי
בָּרֲכ֣וּ
אֶת־
יְהוָ֑ה
יִֽרְאֵ֥י
יְ֝הוָ֗ה
בָּרֲכ֥וּ
אֶת־
יְהוָֽה׃
21. בָּ֘ר֤וּךְ
יְהוָ֨ה ׀
מִצִיּ֗וֹן
שֹׁ֘כֵ֤ן
יְֽרוּשָׁלִָ֗ם
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