Psalm 11 → 105
Reasoning: 8512 Output: 6686 Total: 15198
Argument
Here are multiple, independent ways to argue that Psalm 105 logically “follows” Psalm 11, moving from principle (Ps 11) to proof (Ps 105). I list conceptual moves first, then lexical/root links (weighted by closeness), then form/style and life‑setting. 1) Macro-logic: thesis in Psalm 11, demonstration in Psalm 105 - Psalm 11 states a general creed: YHWH sees from heaven, tests humans (both righteous and wicked), hates violence, and rains judgment on the wicked; the upright will behold His face. - Psalm 105 supplies the historical case study: across the patriarchal period, Joseph, the oppression in Egypt, the plagues, exodus, wilderness provision, and gift of the land, YHWH does exactly what Psalm 11 asserts—He tests, saves, judges, and vindicates. - Thus, 105 functions as the narrative validation of 11’s theology. 2) A direct rhetorical handoff: “What can the righteous do?” answered - Psalm 11:3 poses the crisis question: צַדִּיק מַה־פָּעָל (“When the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?”). - Psalm 105:1–5 answers with a chain of imperatives describing exactly what the righteous should do: הוֹדוּ… קִרְאוּ… הוֹדִיעוּ… שִׁירוּ… זַמְּרוּ… שִׂיחוּ… הִתְהַלְלוּ… דִּרְשׁוּ… בַּקְּשׁוּ… זִכְרוּ. This is a remarkably apt “response” list to the dilemma of Psalm 11. 3) Justice/judgment: from assertion to exemplification - Psalm 11:5–6: YHWH hates the lover of violence and “He will rain” (יַמְטֵר) fire and brimstone on the wicked. - Psalm 105:32–33: He turns “their rain” (גִּשְׁמֵיהֶם) into hail and “fire of flames” (אֵשׁ לֶהָבוֹת) on Egypt; 105:28 He sends darkness; 105:29–36 the rest of the plagues. The very imagery of destructive precipitation/fire in 11 is historicized in 105. 4) The “face of YHWH” motif tightly links the conclusions - Psalm 11:7: יָשָׁר יֶחֱזוּ פָנֵימוֹ (“the upright shall behold His face”). - Psalm 105:4: דִּרְשׁוּ יְהוָה… בַּקְּשׁוּ פָנָיו תָּמִיד (“seek His face continually”). - Identical form פניו occurs in both (11:7; 105:4), and Psalm 105 describes how God’s presence leads the people (pillar of cloud/fire, manna, water), i.e., a historical answer to “beholding/seeking His face.” 5) Testing/refinement of the righteous - Psalm 11:4–5: YHWH’s eyes test (יִבְחֲנוּ… יִבְחָן) humans/the righteous. - Psalm 105:19: אִמְרַת יְהוָה צְרָפָתְהוּ (“the word of YHWH refined him”—Joseph). Different roots (בחן vs צרף) but same semantic domain of assay/refinement; 105 concretizes 11’s “testing” in Joseph’s story. 6) Darkness motif and poetic justice - Psalm 11:2: the wicked shoot “in darkness” (בְּמוֹ־אֹפֶל) at the upright. - Psalm 105:28: YHWH “sent darkness” (שָׁלַח חֹשֶׁךְ) on Egypt. The very element of the wicked’s cover in 11 becomes God’s instrument of judgment in 105. 7) Portioned outcomes: the wicked’s cup vs the righteous’ inheritance - Psalm 11:6: the wicked receive “the portion of their cup” (מְנָת כּוֹסָם). - Psalm 105:11, 44: the righteous receive “the lot of your inheritance” (חֶבֶל נַחֲלַתְכֶם) and “the lands of nations.” Different nouns, same “assigned-portion” field: cup/portion for the wicked in 11; land/lot/inheritance for the righteous in 105. 8) Holiness markers - Psalm 11:4: בְּהֵיכַל קָדְשׁוֹ (“in His holy temple”). - Psalm 105:3, 42: בְּשֵׁם קָדְשׁוֹ; דְּבַר קָדְשׁוֹ. Identical form קָדְשׁוֹ occurs; Psalm 105 opens with cultic imperatives and closes with Torah-obedience, naturally “following” a temple‑enthronement vision (Ps 11) with worship-memory-obedience. 9) “Heart” and the identity of the faithful - Psalm 11:2, 7: לִישְׁרֵי־לֵב; יָשָׁר. - Psalm 105:3: יִשְׂמַח לֵב מְבַקְשֵׁי יְהוָה; 105:25: הָפַךְ לִבָּם. Shared lexeme לֵב; Psalm 105 names the righteous positively as “seekers” (מבקשי), matching Psalm 11’s “upright of heart.” 10) Heaven/above vs below - Psalm 11:4: “YHWH in His holy temple… in heaven is His throne” (בַּשָּׁמַיִם כִּסְאוֹ). - Psalm 105:40: “bread of heaven” (לֶחֶם שָׁמַיִם). The transcendent King of 11 acts from heaven in 105 by raining food, guiding by cloud/fire, etc. 11) From foundations shaken to foundations established - Psalm 11:3: “when the foundations (הַשָּׁתוֹת) are destroyed…” - Psalm 105:8–10, 45: God “remembers His covenant forever,” establishes a חֹק/בְּרִית עוֹלָם, and ends “that they might keep His statutes and guard His torot.” Where 11 laments collapsed “foundations,” 105 narrates God laying and securing covenantal foundations. 12) The wicked as oppressors vs God’s protection - Psalm 11:2, 5: the wicked assault the upright, love violence. - Psalm 105:14–15, 25: “He allowed no man to oppress them; He rebuked kings… Do not touch My anointed… He turned [Egypt’s] heart to hate His people, to deal craftily with His servants” (i.e., wicked oppression answered by divine protection and, ultimately, plagues). This is Psalm 11’s ethical polarity lived out historically. Higher-weight lexical/semantic links (from identical forms through close semantic matches): - Identical forms: פניו (11:7; 105:4); קָדְשׁוֹ (11:4; 105:3, 42); אֵשׁ (11:6; 105:32). - Same roots, same class or very close field: - ראה/חזה (11:7 חזה “behold”) ~ seek/face presence complex (105:4 בקש פניו); while not the same root, the face‑presence collocation is the same target. - בחן (test, 11:4–5) ~ צרף (refine, 105:19), functional equivalence in the metallurgy/testing domain. - מטר/גשם (11:6 יַמְטֵר; 105:32 גִּשְׁמֵיהֶם), both “rain” verbs/nouns used for judgment imagery. - אֹפֶל/חֹשֶׁךְ (11:2 vs 105:28), darkness as concealment vs judgment. - Portion/inheritance field: מְנָת (11:6) vs חֶבֶל/נַחֲלָה/יֵרֵשׁוּ (105:11, 44). Form and stylistic fit - Psalm 11 is an individual trust psalm that ends with a visionary certitude (“the upright shall behold His face”). - Psalm 105 is a communal hymn/history psalm whose opening imperatives flow naturally as a liturgical “what to do next” after the trust resolution of Psalm 11. It supplies the memory-work and covenant-keeping that answer the crisis of Psalm 11:3. - Both are Yahwistic, cultic, and didactic, with dense theology of divine kingship, holiness, justice, and presence. Life-setting and mytho-historical sequence - Psalm 11 articulates the perennial existential threat to the righteous (a common experience in Israel’s life). - Psalm 105 steps through Israel’s primal salvation-history (patriarchs → Joseph tested/exalted → Egypt’s oppression → plagues/judgment → exodus → provision/presence → inheritance of the land) to show how YHWH actually treats the wicked and the righteous in real time—precisely the promise of Psalm 11 worked out. - Even details mirror: “raining” fiery judgment, sending darkness, assigning “portions,” and the face/presence of YHWH guiding His people. Bottom line Read together, Psalm 11 is the creed (God sees, tests, judges; the upright will see His face), and Psalm 105 is the case-book (here is when He did). The tight “face,” “test,” “darkness,” “rain/fire,” “portion/inheritance,” “holiness,” and “heart/upright-seekers” links—some even in identical Hebrew forms—make it reasonable to say Psalm 105 logically follows from Psalm 11.
Evaluation
Score: 2.0
Evaluated at: 2025-12-25T02:35:26 (UTC)
Evaluator model: gpt-5
Evaluator version: v2
Reasoning: 3328 Output: 7498 Total: 10826
Checklist
- Has verse refs: Yes
- Factual error detected: Yes
- Only generic motifs: No
- Counterargument considered: No
- LXX/MT numbering acknowledged: No
Vocabulary specificity: 3.0 / 10
Flags: misquote
False ‘identical פניו’ claim triggers MAX 2. Most links (face, darkness, fire, holiness, heart) are widespread; imperatives in 105 could follow many laments; no editorial markers.
Prompt
Consider Psalm 11 and Psalm 105 (reproduced below). What arguments could you make to justify that Psalm 105 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 105:
Psalm 105
1. הוֹד֣וּ
לַ֭יהוָה
קִרְא֣וּ
בִשְׁמ֑וֹ
הוֹדִ֥יעוּ
בָ֝עַמִּ֗ים
עֲלִילוֹתָֽיו׃
2. שִֽׁירוּ־
ל֭וֹ
זַמְּרוּ־
ל֑וֹ
שִׂ֝֗יחוּ
בְּכָל־
נִפְלְאוֹתָֽיו׃
3. הִֽ֭תְהַלְלוּ
בְּשֵׁ֣ם
קָדְשׁ֑וֹ
יִ֝שְׂמַ֗ח
לֵ֤ב ׀
מְבַקְשֵׁ֬י
יְהוָֽה׃
4. דִּרְשׁ֣וּ
יְהוָ֣ה
וְעֻזּ֑וֹ
בַּקְּשׁ֖וּ
פָנָ֣יו
תָּמִֽיד׃
5. זִכְר֗וּ
נִפְלְאוֹתָ֥יו
אֲשֶׁר־
עָשָׂ֑ה
מֹ֝פְתָ֗יו
וּמִשְׁפְּטֵי־
פִֽיו׃
6. זֶ֭רַע
אַבְרָהָ֣ם
עַבְדּ֑וֹ
בְּנֵ֖י
יַעֲקֹ֣ב
בְּחִירָֽיו׃
7. ה֭וּא
יְהוָ֣ה
אֱלֹהֵ֑ינוּ
בְּכָל־
הָ֝אָ֗רֶץ
מִשְׁפָּטָֽיו׃
8. זָכַ֣ר
לְעוֹלָ֣ם
בְּרִית֑וֹ
דָּבָ֥ר
צִ֝וָּ֗ה
לְאֶ֣לֶף
דּֽוֹר׃
9. אֲשֶׁ֣ר
כָּ֭רַת
אֶת־
אַבְרָהָ֑ם
וּשְׁב֖וּעָת֣וֹ
לְיִשְׂחָֽק׃
10. וַיַּֽעֲמִידֶ֣הָ
לְיַעֲקֹ֣ב
לְחֹ֑ק
לְ֝יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל
בְּרִ֣ית
עוֹלָֽם׃
11. לֵאמֹ֗ר
לְךָ֗
אֶתֵּ֥ן
אֶת־
אֶֽרֶץ־
כְּנָ֑עַן
חֶ֝֗בֶל
נַחֲלַתְכֶֽם׃
12. בִּֽ֭הְיוֹתָם
מְתֵ֣י
מִסְפָּ֑ר
כִּ֝מְעַ֗ט
וְגָרִ֥ים
בָּֽהּ׃
13. וַֽ֭יִּתְהַלְּכוּ
מִגּ֣וֹי
אֶל־
גּ֑וֹי
מִ֝מַּמְלָכָ֗ה
אֶל־
עַ֥ם
אַחֵֽר׃
14. לֹֽא־
הִנִּ֣יחַ
אָדָ֣ם
לְעָשְׁקָ֑ם
וַיּ֖וֹכַח
עֲלֵיהֶ֣ם
מְלָכִֽים׃
15. אַֽל־
תִּגְּע֥וּ
בִמְשִׁיחָ֑י
וְ֝לִנְבִיאַי
אַל־
תָּרֵֽעוּ׃
16. וַיִּקְרָ֣א
רָ֭עָב
עַל־
הָאָ֑רֶץ
כָּֽל־
מַטֵּה־
לֶ֥חֶם
שָׁבָֽר׃
17. שָׁלַ֣ח
לִפְנֵיהֶ֣ם
אִ֑ישׁ
לְ֝עֶ֗בֶד
נִמְכַּ֥ר
יוֹסֵֽף׃
18. עִנּ֣וּ
בַכֶּ֣בֶל
רגליו
רַגְל֑וֹ
בַּ֝רְזֶ֗ל
בָּ֣אָה
נַפְשֽׁוֹ׃
19. עַד־
עֵ֥ת
בֹּֽא־
דְבָר֑וֹ
אִמְרַ֖ת
יְהוָ֣ה
צְרָפָֽתְהוּ׃
20. שָׁ֣לַח
מֶ֭לֶךְ
וַיַּתִּירֵ֑הוּ
מֹשֵׁ֥ל
עַ֝מִּ֗ים
וַֽיְפַתְּחֵֽהוּ׃
21. שָׂמ֣וֹ
אָד֣וֹן
לְבֵית֑וֹ
וּ֝מֹשֵׁ֗ל
בְּכָל־
קִנְיָנֽוֹ׃
22. לֶאְסֹ֣ר
שָׂרָ֣יו
בְּנַפְשׁ֑וֹ
וּזְקֵנָ֥יו
יְחַכֵּֽם׃
23. וַיָּבֹ֣א
יִשְׂרָאֵ֣ל
מִצְרָ֑יִם
וְ֝יַעֲקֹ֗ב
גָּ֣ר
בְּאֶֽרֶץ־
חָֽם׃
24. וַיֶּ֣פֶר
אֶת־
עַמּ֣וֹ
מְאֹ֑ד
וַ֝יַּֽעֲצִמֵהוּ
מִצָּרָֽיו׃
25. הָפַ֣ךְ
לִ֭בָּם
לִשְׂנֹ֣א
עַמּ֑וֹ
לְ֝הִתְנַכֵּ֗ל
בַּעֲבָדָֽיו׃
26. שָׁ֭לַח
מֹשֶׁ֣ה
עַבְדּ֑וֹ
אַ֝הֲרֹ֗ן
אֲשֶׁ֣ר
בָּֽחַר־
בּֽוֹ׃
27. שָֽׂמוּ־
בָ֭ם
דִּבְרֵ֣י
אֹתוֹתָ֑יו
וּ֝מֹפְתִ֗ים
בְּאֶ֣רֶץ
חָֽם׃
28. שָׁ֣לַֽח
חֹ֭שֶׁךְ
וַיַּחְשִׁ֑ךְ
וְלֹֽא־
מָ֝ר֗וּ
אֶת־
דברוו
דְּבָרֽוֹ׃
29. הָפַ֣ךְ
אֶת־
מֵימֵיהֶ֣ם
לְדָ֑ם
וַ֝יָּ֗מֶת
אֶת־
דְּגָתָֽם׃
30. שָׁרַ֣ץ
אַרְצָ֣ם
צְפַרְדְּעִ֑ים
בְּ֝חַדְרֵ֗י
מַלְכֵיהֶֽם׃
31. אָ֭מַר
וַיָּבֹ֣א
עָרֹ֑ב
כִּ֝נִּ֗ים
בְּכָל־
גְּבוּלָֽם׃
32. נָתַ֣ן
גִּשְׁמֵיהֶ֣ם
בָּרָ֑ד
אֵ֖שׁ
לֶהָב֣וֹת
בְּאַרְצָֽם׃
33. וַיַּ֣ךְ
גַּ֭פְנָם
וּתְאֵנָתָ֑ם
וַ֝יְשַׁבֵּ֗ר
עֵ֣ץ
גְּבוּלָֽם׃
34. אָ֭מַר
וַיָּבֹ֣א
אַרְבֶּ֑ה
וְ֝יֶ֗לֶק
וְאֵ֣ין
מִסְפָּֽר׃
35. וַיֹּ֣אכַל
כָּל־
עֵ֣שֶׂב
בְּאַרְצָ֑ם
וַ֝יֹּ֗אכַל
פְּרִ֣י
אַדְמָתָֽם׃
36. וַיַּ֣ךְ
כָּל־
בְּכ֣וֹר
בְּאַרְצָ֑ם
רֵ֝אשִׁ֗ית
לְכָל־
אוֹנָֽם׃
37. וַֽ֭יּוֹצִיאֵם
בְּכֶ֣סֶף
וְזָהָ֑ב
וְאֵ֖ין
בִּשְׁבָטָ֣יו
כּוֹשֵֽׁל׃
38. שָׂמַ֣ח
מִצְרַ֣יִם
בְּצֵאתָ֑ם
כִּֽי־
נָפַ֖ל
פַּחְדָּ֣ם
עֲלֵיהֶֽם׃
39. פָּרַ֣שׂ
עָנָ֣ן
לְמָסָ֑ךְ
וְ֝אֵ֗שׁ
לְהָאִ֥יר
לָֽיְלָה׃
40. שָׁאַ֣ל
וַיָּבֵ֣א
שְׂלָ֑ו
וְלֶ֥חֶם
שָׁ֝מַ֗יִם
יַשְׂבִּיעֵֽם׃
41. פָּ֣תַח
צ֭וּר
וַיָּז֣וּבוּ
מָ֑יִם
הָ֝לְכ֗וּ
בַּצִּיּ֥וֹת
נָהָֽר׃
42. כִּֽי־
זָ֭כַר
אֶת־
דְּבַ֣ר
קָדְשׁ֑וֹ
אֶֽת־
אַבְרָהָ֥ם
עַבְדּֽוֹ׃
43. וַיּוֹצִ֣א
עַמּ֣וֹ
בְשָׂשׂ֑וֹן
בְּ֝רִנָּ֗ה
אֶת־
בְּחִירָֽיו׃
44. וַיִּתֵּ֣ן
לָ֭הֶם
אַרְצ֣וֹת
גּוֹיִ֑ם
וַעֲמַ֖ל
לְאֻמִּ֣ים
יִירָֽשׁוּ׃
45. בַּעֲב֤וּר ׀
יִשְׁמְר֣וּ
חֻ֭קָּיו
וְתוֹרֹתָ֥יו
יִנְצֹ֗רוּ
הַֽלְלוּ־
יָֽהּ׃