Psalm 11 → 35

Reasoning: 11392 Output: 6402 Total: 17794

Argument

Here are the strongest ways to argue that Psalm 35 would “logically follow” Psalm 11—stylistically, formally, lexically (Hebrew roots and even identical forms), and in terms of story-line and cultural background.

1) A direct “answer” to the dilemma of Psalm 11
- “Say to my soul…” vs “Say to my soul…” (identical collocation + form):
  - Ps 11:1: תֹּאמְרוּ לְנַפְשִׁי “you say to my soul, ‘Flee…’”
  - Ps 35:3: אֱמֹר לְנַפְשִׁי “say to my soul, ‘I am your salvation.’”
  - This is the most pointed link: the fearful counsel of Ps 11 (“flee”) is answered in Ps 35 by the word the psalmist wants God to speak to that same “soul.” The identical phrase לְנַפְשִׁי makes the continuity unusually tight.

- From flight to litigation:
  - Ps 11 rejects the counsel to flee (נ֥וּדִי הַרְכֶ֥ם צִפּוֹר).
  - Ps 35 opens with a legal/military alternative: רִיבָה יְהוָה אֶת־יְרִיבַי; לְחַם אֶת־לֹחֲמָי. Instead of running, he takes the case to court and to battle—with God as advocate and warrior.

2) Judicial frame in Ps 11 is activated in Ps 35
- Ps 11:4–7 enthrones YHWH as the cosmic examiner and judge:
  - “יְהוָה… עֵינָיו יֶחֱזוּ, עַפְעַפָּיו יִבְחֲנוּ בְּנֵי אָדָם… יְהוָה צַדִּיק יִבְחָן.”
- Ps 35 turns that creed into petition using courtroom vocabulary:
  - רִיב/יָרִיב (35:1, 23), מִשְׁפָּט (35:23), שָׁפְטֵנִי (35:24), עֵדֵי חָמָס (35:11).
- Even the “seeing” language is picked up and pushed to action:
  - Enemies: “רָאֲתָה עֵינֵינוּ” (35:21).
  - Psalmist to God: “רָאִיתָה יְהוָה אַל־תֶּחֱרַשׁ …” (35:22); “אדני כמה תִרְאֶה” (35:17).
  - This deliberately replays Ps 11’s “YHWH sees/examines” (עֵינָיו יֶחֱזוּ … יִבְחֲנוּ), now urging the Judge to rule.

3) Shared and rarer lexemes that sit in the same semantic slots
- Violent wrong (חמס):
  - Ps 11:5: “וְאֹהֵב חָמָס” (the one who loves violence).
  - Ps 35:11: “עֵדֵי חָמָס” (violent/false witnesses).
  - Same root in two different legal roles—principle (11) and case (35).

- Righteousness/right (צדק):
  - Ps 11:7: “כִּי־צַדִּיק יְהוָה; צְדָקוֹת אָהֵב; יָשָׁר יֶחֱזוּ פָנֵימוֹ.”
  - Ps 35:24, 27–28: “שָׁפְטֵנִי כְצִדְקְךָ … חֲפֵצֵי צִדְקִי … תֶּהְגֶּה צִדְקֶךָ.”
  - The attribute affirmed in 11 is the basis for the plea in 35.

- Wind/darkness/judgment-imagery:
  - Wind: Ps 11:6 “וְרוּחַ זִלְעָפוֹת” (rare, intense); Ps 35:5 “כְּמוֹץ לִפְנֵי־רוּחַ.”
  - Darkness: Ps 11:2 “בְּמוֹ־אֹפֶל”; Ps 35:6 “יְהִי דַרְכָּם חֹשֶׁךְ.”
  - Both psalms picture judgment as environmental hazard driven by God.

- Traps/snares:
  - Ps 11:6: “יִמְטֵר עַל־רְשָׁעִים פַּחִים” (God rains snares—very unusual image).
  - Ps 35:7–8: “שַׁחַת רִשְׁתָּם … וְרִשְׁתּוֹ … תִּלְכְּדוֹ … יִפָּל־בָּהּ.”
  - 11 states the retributive principle; 35 prays its case-specific outworking: let their own snares take them.

- “Seeing/eyes” (root ראה vs poet’s חזָה):
  - Ps 11:4 “עֵינָיו יֶחֱזוּ …”; 11:7 “יֶחֱזוּ פָנֵימוֹ.”
  - Ps 35:21–22 “רָאֲתָה עֵינֵינוּ … רָאִיתָה יְהוָה.”
  - The repeated focus on “sight” (divine and human) makes 35 sound like a dialogue partner to 11.

- Identical form:
  - לְנַפְשִׁי appears in both (11:1; 35:3), and the verb “אמר” governs it in both. Given that this collocation is not especially common, its recurrence is weighty.

- Rare hazard words used for judgment:
  - Ps 11:6 זִלְעָפוֹת (rare, “scorching blast,” “raging wind”).
  - Ps 35:6 חֲלַקְלַקּוֹת (rare plural, “slippery places”).
  - Different words, same register: unusual, vivid terms to describe the way of the wicked under judgment.

4) Martial imagery answers martial imagery
- Ps 11:2: the wicked arm bow and arrow in stealth (יִדְרְכוּן קֶשֶׁת … לִירוֹת בְּמוֹ־אֹפֶל).
- Ps 35:2–3: the psalmist calls God to arm up in response (מָגֵן/צִנָּה/חֲנִית) and to block the pursuers.
- This reads like a narrative next step: after 11 identifies covert aggression, 35 requests overt divine counter-force.

5) The theological arc: creed → case → praise
- Creed in 11:
  - YHWH is enthroned in his holy temple/heaven; he sees, tests; he hates violence; he will rain judgment; the upright will behold his face (11:4–7).
- Case and plea in 35:
  - False witnesses, malicious plotting, repaying good with evil, gloating—i.e., the “foundations” (השָּׁתוֹת, 11:3) really are shaking; so the psalmist pleads for the Judge to act (רִיבָה … הָעִירָה … שָׁפְטֵנִי).
- Praise vow as outcome:
  - 11 ends with the promise of beatific vision for the upright (יָשָׁר יֶחֱזוּ פָנֵימוֹ).
  - 35 ends with the promised public praise once justice lands: “א֭וֹדְךָ בְּקָהָל רָב … וּלְשׁוֹנִי תֶּהְגֶּה צִדְקֶךָ כָּל־הַיּוֹם” (35:18, 28).
  - Temple/congregation linkage: 11 locates YHWH “בְּהֵיכַל קָדְשׁוֹ,” 35 vows praise “בְּקָהָל רָב … בְּעַם עָצוּם”—the cultic follow-through.

6) Shared memory-images from Israel’s story
- Sodom-like judgment vs the pursuing angel:
  - Ps 11:6 evokes Sodom (אֵשׁ וְגָפְרִית; with a fierce wind).
  - Ps 35:5–6 deploys “מַלְאַךְ יְהוָה” driving/pursuing the wicked on a dark, slippery way—imagery reminiscent of exodus-warfare (the divine messenger as combat agent; the wicked swept/unstable like chaff).
- Salvation and “Who is like you?”:
  - Ps 35:3, 9, 10 uses ישׁוּעָה and “מִי כָמוֹךָ,” echoing exodus liturgy (Exod 14–15). It’s a narrative instantiation of the 11-creed that YHWH’s throne-justice does in fact break in to save.

7) “What can the righteous do?” (11:3) → Here is what he does (35)
- Ps 11:3 asks: “כִּי הַשָּׁתוֹת יֵהָרֵסוּן צַדִּיק מַה־פָּעָל?”
- Ps 35 shows the righteous response:
  - He fasts and prays (35:13–14), appeals to the Judge (35:23–24), rejects vigilante flight or self-help, and awaits vindication in worship (35:18, 27–28).

8) Smaller but real links
- “בַּיהוָה” as the locus of joy/trust in both (11:1; 35:9).
- Predatory imagery shifts from the hunted “bird” (11:1) to “young lions” (35:17)—different animals, same hunted dynamic, keeping the scenario coherent.
- Rhetorical questions frame both (11:3; 35:17, 25).

Why these links are probative
- Identical forms and collocations (especially א(מ)ר + לְנַפְשִׁי; the reuse of legal roots ריב/משפט/שפט with צדק; the “seeing” cluster) are editorially meaningful.
- Rare or vivid words used in the same discourse slot (זִלְעָפוֹת; חֲלַקְלַקּוֹת) heighten the sense that 35 is developing the imprecatory-judgment imagery announced in 11.
- The macro-move from creed (11) to case (35) to vowed praise (35’s ending) matches common liturgical/life sequences in ancient Israel (appeal to YHWH’s character, present the grievance, vow and render thanks in the assembly).

In short: Psalm 11 lays down the theological and judicial axioms—YHWH sees, tests, hates violence, and will judge—while Psalm 35 is the narrative-liturgical application of those axioms to a concrete crisis. The repeated legal, martial, and “seeing” lexemes (with some identical forms), the trap/wind/darkness judgment imagery, and the shift from “say to my soul: flee” (11) to “say to my soul: I am your salvation” (35) make a compelling case that Psalm 35 could logically follow on from Psalm 11.

Evaluation

Score: 6.5

Evaluated at: 2025-12-15T03:38:14 (UTC)

Evaluator model: gpt-5

Evaluator version: v2

Reasoning: 3584 Output: 7232 Total: 10816

Vocabulary specificity: 5.5 / 10

Rich, text-anchored correspondences (אמר לְנַפְשִׁי; judicial terms; “seeing” verbs; snares; wind/darkness), with correct refs. However, many are common lament motifs; no editorial marker; wide separation weakens sequencing.

Prompt

Consider Psalm 11 and Psalm 35 (reproduced below). What arguments could you make to justify that Psalm 35 logically follows on from Psalm 11? 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 11:
Psalm 11
1. לַמְנַצֵּ֗חַ
        לְדָ֫וִ֥ד
        בַּֽיהוָ֨ה ׀
        חָסִ֗יתִי
        אֵ֭יךְ
        תֹּאמְר֣וּ
        לְנַפְשִׁ֑י
        נודו
        נ֝֗וּדִי
        הַרְכֶ֥ם
        צִפּֽוֹר׃
2. כִּ֤י
        הִנֵּ֪ה
        הָרְשָׁעִ֡ים
        יִדְרְכ֬וּן
        קֶ֗שֶׁת
        כּוֹנְנ֣וּ
        חִצָּ֣ם
        עַל־
        יֶ֑תֶר
        לִיר֥וֹת
        בְּמוֹ־
        אֹ֝֗פֶל
        לְיִשְׁרֵי־
        לֵֽב׃
3. כִּ֣י
        הַ֭שָּׁתוֹת
        יֵֽהָרֵס֑וּן
        צַ֝דִּ֗יק
        מַה־
        פָּעָֽל׃
4. יְהוָ֤ה ׀
        בְּֽהֵ֘יכַ֤ל
        קָדְשׁ֗וֹ
        יְהוָה֮
        בַּשָּׁמַ֢יִם
        כִּ֫סְא֥וֹ
        עֵינָ֥יו
        יֶחֱז֑וּ
        עַפְעַפָּ֥יו
        יִ֝בְחֲנ֗וּ
        בְּנֵ֣י
        אָדָֽם׃
5. יְהוָה֮
        צַדִּ֢יק
        יִ֫בְחָ֥ן
        וְ֭רָשָׁע
        וְאֹהֵ֣ב
        חָמָ֑ס
        שָֽׂנְאָ֥ה
        נַפְשֽׁוֹ׃
6. יַמְטֵ֥ר
        עַל־
        רְשָׁעִ֗ים
        פַּ֫חִ֥ים
        אֵ֣שׁ
        וְ֭גָפְרִית
        וְר֥וּחַ
        זִלְעָפ֗וֹת
        מְנָ֣ת
        כּוֹסָֽם׃
7. כִּֽי־
        צַדִּ֣יק
        יְ֭הוָה
        צְדָק֣וֹת
        אָהֵ֑ב
        יָ֝שָׁ֗ר
        יֶחֱז֥וּ
        פָנֵֽימוֹ׃

Psalm 35:
Psalm 35
1. לְדָוִ֨ד ׀
        רִיבָ֣ה
        יְ֭הוָה
        אֶת־
        יְרִיבַ֑י
        לְ֝חַ֗ם
        אֶת־
        לֹֽחֲמָֽי׃
2. הַחֲזֵ֣ק
        מָגֵ֣ן
        וְצִנָּ֑ה
        וְ֝ק֗וּמָה
        בְּעֶזְרָתִֽי׃
3. וְהָ֘רֵ֤ק
        חֲנִ֣ית
        וּ֭סְגֹר
        לִקְרַ֣את
        רֹדְפָ֑י
        אֱמֹ֥ר
        לְ֝נַפְשִׁ֗י
        יְֽשֻׁעָתֵ֥ךְ
        אָֽנִי׃
4. יֵבֹ֣שׁוּ
        וְיִכָּלְמוּ֮
        מְבַקְשֵׁ֢י
        נַ֫פְשִׁ֥י
        יִסֹּ֣גוּ
        אָח֣וֹר
        וְיַחְפְּר֑וּ
        חֹ֝שְׁבֵ֗י
        רָעָתִֽי׃
5. יִֽהְי֗וּ
        כְּמֹ֥ץ
        לִפְנֵי־
        ר֑וּחַ
        וּמַלְאַ֖ךְ
        יְהוָ֣ה
        דּוֹחֶֽה׃
6. יְֽהִי־
        דַרְכָּ֗ם
        חֹ֥שֶׁךְ
        וַחֲלַקְלַקּ֑וֹת
        וּמַלְאַ֥ךְ
        יְ֝הוָ֗ה
        רֹדְפָֽם׃
7. כִּֽי־
        חִנָּ֣ם
        טָֽמְנוּ־
        לִ֭י
        שַׁ֣חַת
        רִשְׁתָּ֑ם
        חִ֝נָּ֗ם
        חָפְר֥וּ
        לְנַפְשִֽׁי׃
8. תְּבוֹאֵ֣הוּ
        שׁוֹאָה֮
        לֹֽא־
        יֵ֫דָ֥ע
        וְרִשְׁתּ֣וֹ
        אֲשֶׁר־
        טָמַ֣ן
        תִּלְכְּד֑וֹ
        בְּ֝שׁוֹאָ֗ה
        יִפָּל־
        בָּֽהּ׃
9. וְ֭נַפְשִׁי
        תָּגִ֣יל
        בַּיהוָ֑ה
        תָּ֝שִׂישׂ
        בִּישׁוּעָתֽוֹ׃
10. כָּ֥ל
        עַצְמוֹתַ֨י ׀
        תֹּאמַרְנָה֮
        יְהוָ֗ה
        מִ֥י
        כָ֫מ֥וֹךָ
        מַצִּ֣יל
        עָ֭נִי
        מֵחָזָ֣ק
        מִמֶּ֑נּוּ
        וְעָנִ֥י
        וְ֝אֶבְי֗וֹן
        מִגֹּזְלֽוֹ׃
11. יְ֭קוּמוּן
        עֵדֵ֣י
        חָמָ֑ס
        אֲשֶׁ֥ר
        לֹא־
        יָ֝דַ֗עְתִּי
        יִשְׁאָלֽוּנִי׃
12. יְשַׁלְּמ֣וּנִי
        רָ֭עָה
        תַּ֥חַת
        טוֹבָ֗ה
        שְׁכ֣וֹל
        לְנַפְשִֽׁי׃
13. וַאֲנִ֤י ׀
        בַּחֲלוֹתָ֡ם
        לְב֬וּשִׁי
        שָׂ֗ק
        עִנֵּ֣יתִי
        בַצּ֣וֹם
        נַפְשִׁ֑י
        וּ֝תְפִלָּתִ֗י
        עַל־
        חֵיקִ֥י
        תָשֽׁוּב׃
14. כְּרֵֽעַ־
        כְּאָ֣ח
        לִ֭י
        הִתְהַלָּ֑כְתִּי
        כַּאֲבֶל־
        אֵ֝֗ם
        קֹדֵ֥ר
        שַׁחֽוֹתִי׃
15. וּבְצַלְעִי֮
        שָׂמְח֢וּ
        וְֽנֶאֱ֫סָ֥פוּ
        נֶאֶסְפ֬וּ
        עָלַ֣י
        נֵ֭כִים
        וְלֹ֣א
        יָדַ֑עְתִּי
        קָֽרְע֥וּ
        וְלֹא־
        דָֽמּוּ׃
16. בְּ֭חַנְפֵי
        לַעֲגֵ֣י
        מָע֑וֹג
        חָרֹ֖ק
        עָלַ֣י
        שִׁנֵּֽימוֹ׃
17. אֲדֹנָי֮
        כַּמָּ֢ה
        תִ֫רְאֶ֥ה
        הָשִׁ֣יבָה
        נַ֭פְשִׁי
        מִשֹּׁאֵיהֶ֑ם
        מִ֝כְּפִירִ֗ים
        יְחִידָתִֽי׃
18. א֭וֹדְךָ
        בְּקָהָ֣ל
        רָ֑ב
        בְּעַ֖ם
        עָצ֣וּם
        אֲהַֽלְלֶֽךָּ׃
19. אַֽל־
        יִשְׂמְחוּ־
        לִ֣י
        אֹיְבַ֣י
        שֶׁ֑קֶר
        שֹׂנְאַ֥י
        חִ֝נָּ֗ם
        יִקְרְצוּ־
        עָֽיִן׃
20. כִּ֤י
        לֹ֥א
        שָׁל֗וֹם
        יְדַ֫בֵּ֥רוּ
        וְעַ֥ל
        רִגְעֵי־
        אֶ֑רֶץ
        דִּבְרֵ֥י
        מִ֝רְמוֹת
        יַחֲשֹׁבֽוּן׃
21. וַיַּרְחִ֥יבוּ
        עָלַ֗י
        פִּ֫יהֶ֥ם
        אָ֭מְרוּ
        הֶאָ֣ח ׀
        הֶאָ֑ח
        רָאֲתָ֥ה
        עֵינֵֽינוּ׃
22. רָאִ֣יתָה
        יְ֭הוָה
        אַֽל־
        תֶּחֱרַ֑שׁ
        אֲ֝דֹנָ֗י
        אֲל־
        תִּרְחַ֥ק
        מִמֶּֽנִּי׃
23. הָעִ֣ירָה
        וְ֭הָקִיצָה
        לְמִשְׁפָּטִ֑י
        אֱלֹהַ֖י
        וַֽאדֹנָ֣י
        לְרִיבִֽי׃
24. שָׁפְטֵ֣נִי
        כְ֭צִדְקְךָ
        יְהוָ֥ה
        אֱלֹהָ֗י
        וְאַל־
        יִשְׂמְחוּ־
        לִֽי׃
25. אַל־
        יֹאמְר֣וּ
        בְ֭לִבָּם
        הֶאָ֣ח
        נַפְשֵׁ֑נוּ
        אַל־
        יֹ֝אמְר֗וּ
        בִּֽלַּעֲנֽוּהוּ׃
26. יֵ֘בֹ֤שׁוּ
        וְיַחְפְּר֨וּ ׀
        יַחְדָּו֮
        שְׂמֵחֵ֢י
        רָעָ֫תִ֥י
        יִֽלְבְּשׁוּ־
        בֹ֥שֶׁת
        וּכְלִמָּ֑ה
        הַֽמַּגְדִּtילִ֥ים
        עָלָֽי׃
27. יָרֹ֣נּוּ
        וְיִשְׂמְחוּ֮
        חֲפֵצֵ֢י
        צִ֫דְקִ֥י
        וְיֹאמְר֣וּ
        תָ֭מִיד
        יִגְדַּ֣ל
        יְהוָ֑ה
        הֶ֝חָפֵ֗ץ
        שְׁל֣וֹם
        עַבְדּֽוֹ׃
28. וּ֭לְשׁוֹנִי
        תֶּהְגֶּ֣ה
        צִדְקֶ֑ךָ
        כָּל־
        הַ֝יּוֹם
        תְּהִלָּתֶֽךָ׃