Psalm 10 → 138
Reasoning: 10368 Output: 5260 Total: 15628
Argument
Short answer: Psalm 138 reads like the answer to Psalm 10. Psalm 10 is an individual lament that pleads for God to stop hiding, lift his hand, and judge the oppressor; Psalm 138 is a thanksgiving offered at the sanctuary after God has answered, with explicit vocabulary and motifs that pick up and reverse the laments of Psalm 10. Selected links, weighted by closeness/rarity (identical forms > same lexeme > same root > conceptual): 1) Distance/“farness” reversed - Ps 10:1: תעמד בְּרָחוֹק (“you stand far off”). - Ps 138:6: מִמֶּרְחָק יֵידָע (“from afar he knows”). Weight: same root רחק, same semantic field, both as nouns with prefixed preposition; the second explicitly answers the first: perceived distance is not neglect—God knows even “from afar.” Note also the tight link with height/pride below. 2) Trouble (צָרָה) in both—complaint vs assurance - Ps 10:1: תעלים לְעִתּוֹת בַצָּרָה (“you hide yourself in times of distress”). - Ps 138:7: אִם־אֵלֵךְ בְּקֶרֶב צָרָה תְּחַיֵּנִי (“though I walk in the midst of distress, you preserve my life”). Weight: same lexeme צָרָה with ב־; direct reversal: “you hide in trouble” → “you keep me alive in trouble.” 3) The “hand/arm” cluster (a marked motif in both) - Plea to lift God’s hand: Ps 10:12 נְשָׂא יָדֶךָ. - Transfer “into your hand”: Ps 10:14 לָתֵת בְּיָדֶךָ. - Break the oppressor’s arm: Ps 10:15 שְׁבֹר זְרוֹעַ רָשָׁע. - Answer in 138: Ps 138:7 תִשְׁלַח יָדֶךָ … וְתוֹשִׁיעֵנִי יְמִינֶךָ; Ps 138:8 מַעֲשֵׂי יָדֶיךָ אַל־תֶּרֶף. Weight: identical forms יָדֶךָ/יָדֶיךָ recur; the body‑part imagery resolves the petition (lift your hand → you sent your hand/right hand saved me) and moves from “break his arm” to “don’t let go the work of your hands.” 4) Height/pride + distance paired - Ps 10:4: רָשָׁע כְּגוֹבַהּ אַפּוֹ (“the wicked, in the height of his nose/pride…”). - Ps 138:6: כִּי־רָם י־הוה … וְגָבֹהַּ מִמֶּרְחָק יֵידָע (“YHWH is exalted … and the high/proud he knows from afar”). Weight: same root גבה with the מרחק echo; 138 reframes “distance” as a judgment on the proud, not God’s remoteness from the needy. 5) Mouth/words: curses vs praise; whose words count? - Ps 10:7: אָלָה פִיהוּ מָלֵא … תַּחַת לְשׁוֹנוֹ עָמָל וָאָוֶן (“his mouth is full of cursing … under his tongue mischief and iniquity”). - Ps 138:1: אוֹדְךָ … אֲזַמְּרֶךָ; Ps 138:4: כִּי שָׁמְעוּ אִמְרֵי־פִיךָ; Ps 138:5: וְיָשִׁירוּ (“I will thank/sing … they heard the sayings of your mouth … they will sing”). Weight: same word fields “mouth/words,” strong antithesis; in 10 the wicked’s mouth dominates, in 138 God’s “sayings” and the psalmist’s/kings’ songs dominate. 6) Heart (לֵב) reoriented - Ps 10:6, 11, 13: אָמַר בְּלִבּוֹ (the wicked “says in his heart”); Ps 10:17: תָּכִין לִבָּם (“you establish their heart”). - Ps 138:1: אוֹדְךָ בְּכָל־לִבִּי (“I thank you with all my heart”). Weight: same lexeme; the “heart” which in 10 is the inward theater of arrogance becomes, in 138, total inward praise. 10:17’s request for a made‑firm heart finds its experiential counterpart in 138:3 (you emboldened me with strength in my soul). 7) Ways/judgments re-centered - Ps 10:5: דְרָכָיו בְּכָל־עֵת … מָרוֹם מִשְׁפָּטֶיךָ מִנֶּגְדּוֹ (“his ways prosper always; your judgments are on high, out of his sight”). - Ps 138:5: וְיָשִׁירוּ בְּדַרְכֵי י־הוה (“they will sing in the ways of YHWH”). Weight: same lexeme דרך; in 10 the wicked’s ways eclipse God’s judgments, in 138 the community sings God’s ways—another deliberate reversal. 8) Lowly/poor in focus - Ps 10:2, 9, 12, 17–18: עָנִי, עֲנָוִים, יָתוֹם, דַּךְ (“poor, humble, orphan, crushed”). - Ps 138:6: וְשָׁפָל יִרְאֶה (“he sees the lowly”). Weight: different lexemes but same semantic field; 138:6 bluntly answers 10:1, 14, 18: God does see and acts for the lowly. 9) Kingship/universal horizon - Ps 10:16: י־הוה מֶלֶךְ עוֹלָם וָעֶד (“YHWH is king forever”); vv. 17–18 anticipate just rule. - Ps 138:4–5: יוֹדוּךָ … כָּל־מַלְכֵי־אָרֶץ … וְיָשִׁירוּ בְּדַרְכֵי י־הוה (“all the kings of the earth will praise you … and they will sing in the ways of YHWH”). Weight: kingship theme develops: YHWH’s kingship proclaimed in 10 finds international acknowledgment in 138. 10) “Hiding” vs presence in the sanctuary - Ps 10:1, 11: תַּעְלִים … הִסְתִּיר פָּנָיו (“you hide … he has hidden his face”). - Ps 138:2: אֶשְׁתַּחֲוֶה אֶל־הֵיכַל קָדְשֶׁךָ (“I bow toward your holy temple”). Weight: form-critical move from perceived hiddenness to liturgical presence; the sanctuary thanksgiving is the expected sequel to a lament. 11) Hearing and answering - Ps 10:17: תַּאֲוַת עֲנָוִים שָׁמַעְתָּ … תַּקְשִׁיב אָזְנֶךָ (“you have heard the desire of the humble … your ear will attend”). - Ps 138:3: בְּיוֹם קָרָאתִי וַתַּעֲנֵנִי (“on the day I called, you answered me”). Weight: same hearing/answering motif; 138 reports the fulfillment 10 asks for. 12) “Do not forget/let go” - Ps 10:12: אַל־תִּשְׁכַּח (“do not forget”). - Ps 138:8: אַל־תֶּרֶף (“do not let go/abandon”). Weight: same negated imperative appeal for ongoing divine action; 138 closes by asking God to carry through what 10 begged him to begin. Form-critical and life-setting coherence - Psalm 10 is an individual lament with petitions for God to arise, lift his hand, and judge the oppressor; implicit is the vow/expectation of later public thanksgiving. - Psalm 138 is a classic todah (thanksgiving) psalm: it is offered at/ toward the Temple (אֶל־הֵיכַל קָדְשֶׁךָ), reports an answered prayer (בְּיוֹם קָרָאתִי וַתַּעֲנֵנִי), and publicizes God’s deeds before a wide audience (even “kings of the earth”). This matches the standard ancient Israelite sequence: crisis → lament → deliverance → thanksgiving sacrifice and song. Mythic/cosmic frame - 10:16 asserts YHWH’s eternal kingship; 138:4–5 shows earthly kings responding to the heavenly King. - 10:4, 13 says the wicked deny God’s accountability (“בַּל יִדְרֹשׁ … לֹא תִדְרֹשׁ”); 138:4 shifts the focus to God’s “sayings” that the kings have “heard,” i.e., his effective, world‑ordering speech. Bottom line - Multiple exact forms (e.g., יָדֶךָ, ב־צָרָה), same roots (רחק, גבה, דרכ, שׁמע), and matched motifs (distance vs knowledge, trouble vs preservation, mouth/words, heart, ways, hand/arm, care for the lowly, kingship) are not accidental. They allow Psalm 138 to be read as the narratively and theologically “next step” after Psalm 10: the lament’s questions and petitions find their liturgical answer in thanksgiving, at the sanctuary, with even the nations’ kings joining the praise.
Evaluation
Score: 7.0
Evaluated at: 2025-12-13T03:40:54 (UTC)
Evaluator model: gpt-5
Evaluator version: v2
Reasoning: 3776 Output: 6089 Total: 9865
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 text-anchored correspondences (רחק, צָרָה, יד/זרוע, גבה, דרך; hearing→answering) and a coherent lament→thanksgiving progression; no errors. But vocabulary is common and non-adjacent placement weakens editorial linkage. Strong yet not decisive.
Prompt
Consider Psalm 10 and Psalm 138 (reproduced below). What arguments could you make to justify that Psalm 138 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 138:
Psalm 138
1. לְדָוִ֨ד ׀
אוֹדְךָ֥
בְכָל־
לִבִּ֑י
נֶ֖גֶד
אֱלֹהִ֣ים
אֲזַמְּרֶֽךָּ׃
2. אֶשְׁתַּחֲוֶ֨ה
אֶל־
הֵיכַ֪ל
קָדְשְׁךָ֡
וְא֘וֹדֶ֤ה
אֶת־
שְׁמֶ֗ךָ
עַל־
חַסְדְּךָ֥
וְעַל־
אֲמִתֶּ֑ךָ
כִּֽי־
הִגְדַּ֥לְתָּ
עַל־
כָּל־
שִׁ֝מְךָ֗
אִמְרָתֶֽךָ׃
3. בְּי֣וֹם
קָ֭רָֽאתִי
וַֽתַּעֲנֵ֑נִי
תַּרְהִבֵ֖נִי
בְנַפְשִׁ֣י
עֹֽז׃
4. יוֹד֣וּךָ
יְ֭הוָה
כָּל־
מַלְכֵי־
אָ֑רֶץ
כִּ֥י
שָׁ֝מְע֗וּ
אִמְרֵי־
פִֽיךָ׃
5. וְ֭יָשִׁירוּ
בְּדַרְכֵ֣י
יְהוָ֑ה
כִּֽי־
גָ֝ד֗וֹל
כְּב֣וֹד
יְהוָֽה׃
6. כִּי־
רָ֣ם
יְ֭הוָה
וְשָׁפָ֣ל
יִרְאֶ֑ה
וְ֝גָבֹ֗הַּ
מִמֶּרְחָ֥ק
יְיֵדָֽע׃
7. אִם־
אֵלֵ֤ךְ ׀
בְּקֶ֥רֶב
צָרָ֗ה
תְּחַ֫יֵּ֥נִי
עַ֤ל
אַ֣ף
אֹ֖dיְבַי
תִּשְׁלַ֣ח
יָדֶ֑ךָ
וְת֖וֹשִׁיעֵ֣נִי
יְמִינֶֽךָ׃
8. יְהוָה֮
יִגְמֹ֢ר
בַּ֫עֲדִ֥י
יְ֭הוָה
חַסְדְּךָ֣
לְעוֹלָ֑ם
מַעֲשֵׂ֖י
יָדֶ֣יךָ
אַל־
תֶּֽרֶף׃