Psalm 11 → 145
Reasoning: 8384 Output: 4826 Total: 13210
Argument
Short answer: You can read Psalm 145 as the doxological answer to (and expansion of) the faith-affirmation in Psalm 11. The two psalms are joined by multiple hard lexical hooks in Hebrew, by mirrored imagery, and by a common movement in Israelite worship from crisis-and-trust to public praise and proclamation. Key verbal and form-critical “hooks” (ranked roughly by strength/significance) - Exact collocation: צדיק יהוה - Ps 11:7: כי־צדיק יהוה צדקות אהב - Ps 145:17: צדיק יהוה בכל דרכיו - Identical two-word string; rare and weighty. Both psalms ground everything in the Lord’s intrinsic righteousness. - Same noun for the ungodly: רשעים - Ps 11:2, 6; Ps 145:20. Both end with the fate of “the wicked,” with destruction in both (11:6 raining fire/sulfur; 145:20 ישמיד). - Same human addressee/arena: בני אדם - Ps 11:4: …יבחנו בני אדם (“he tests the sons of man”) - Ps 145:12: להודיע לבני האדם (“to make known to the sons of man”) - The tested בני אדם of Ps 11 become the instructed בני האדם of Ps 145; test → teaching. - Same form “קָדְשׁוֹ” (“his holy [X]”) - Ps 11:4: בהיכל קודשו - Ps 145:21: שם קודשו - Holiness frames God’s presence in both (temple/name). - Mirrored “eyes” motif (rarely aligned so tightly) - Ps 11:4: עֵינָיו יֶחֱזוּ … עַפְעַפָּיו יִבְחֲנוּ בני אדם (God’s eyes scrutinize humans) - Ps 145:15: עֵינֵי־כֹּל אֵלֶיךָ יְשַׂבֵּרוּ (the eyes of all look expectantly to God) - In Ps 11 God watches; in Ps 145 creatures watch God. Judge’s gaze → creatures’ hopeful gaze. - Root אהב used antithetically and then positively - Ps 11:5: …ואוהב חמס (the wicked “love” violence) - Ps 11:7: …צדקות אהב (the LORD “loves” righteous deeds) - Ps 145:20: שׁוֹמֵר יהוה את־כל־אֹהֲבָיו (the LORD preserves “all who love him”) - The “love” word-field is resolved: those who love violence are destroyed; those who love the LORD are kept; the LORD himself loves righteousness. - Kingship/throne nexus - Ps 11:4: יהוה… בשמים כסאו (heavenly throne; temple presence) - Ps 145:11–13: כבוד מלכותך… מלכותך מלכות כל עולמים; וממשלתך… (universal, everlasting kingship) - Psalm 145 universalizes and celebrates the throne implicit in Psalm 11. - Collapse vs. upholding (a conceptual but tight antonymy) - Ps 11:3: כי השָּׁתוֹת יהרסון (“if the foundations are demolished…”) - Ps 145:14: סוֹמֵךְ יהוה לכל הנֹּפלים; וְזוֹקֵף לכל הכפופים (he upholds the falling, raises the bowed) - What crumbles in 11 is countered by God’s upholding/straightening in 145. - Portion/judgment vs. provision/satisfaction (distributive imagery) - Ps 11:6: מְנָת כּוֹסָם = their allotted cup: fire/sulfur/wind - Ps 145:15–16: אתה נותן להם את־אכלם בעתו; פותח את־ידך ומשביע לכל חי רצון - The God who allots a cup to the wicked also opens his hand to feed all living—two sides of sovereign distribution. - Davidic frame and performance setting - Ps 11 superscription לַמְנַצֵּחַ לְדָוִד (for performance; trust psalm) - Ps 145 superscription תְּהִלָּה לְדָוִד (a uniquely titled “Praise of David”; public hymn) - The vow/trust of David (Ps 11:1 “ביהוה חסיתי”) reaches its liturgical fulfillment in Davidic praise (Ps 145:1–2 “ארוממך… ואברכה”). Stylistic and structural continuities that support “Ps 145 after Ps 11” - Canonical movement: lament/trust → praise. Psalm 11 is a compact “I trust” under threat; Psalm 145 is a grand hymn of praise. This mirrors the Psalter’s macro-arc toward doxology at the end (Ps 145–150). - Numerical echo: Psalm 11 has 7 verse-units; Psalm 145 has 21 (3×7). The later psalm “amplifies” the completeness hinted by seven into triple completeness. - Speech-shift: In Ps 11, the righteous resolve (“ביהוה חסיתי”) and are scrutinized; in Ps 145, resolved trust bursts into proclamation verbs: ארוממך, אברכך, אשיחה, אספרנה; דור לדור ישבח… יגדו… This is exactly what the righteous “do” when the “foundations” shake (answering Ps 11:3’s rhetorical “מה־פעל”). Mirrored scenes and answered questions - Answer to “מה־פעל?” (Ps 11:3). Psalm 145 is a catalog of what the righteous and the community do: bless daily (vv. 1–2), recount God’s works to the next generation (vv. 4–7), confess his gracious rule (vv. 8–13), trust his care (vv. 14–16), call upon him in truth (v. 18), and become the public voice of praise (v. 21). - Presence progression: Ps 11:4–7 affirms God’s sovereign presence (temple/heaven, judge’s eyes) and ends “ישר יחזו פנימו” (the upright shall behold his face). Psalm 145 narrates what life looks like under that face: closeness (“קרוב יהוה” v. 18), hearing and saving (v. 19), guarding lovers and removing the wicked (v. 20), culminating in universal benediction of “שם קדשו” (v. 21). - Dark attack → truth-filled nearness. Ps 11:2 has arrows shot “בְּמו־אֹפֶל” (in darkness); Ps 145:18 answers with “לכל אשר יקראוהו באמת” (in truth). The setting shifts from hidden violence to transparent truth. Cultic/life-cycle logic in ancient Israelite worship - Distress/trust → divine judgment → thanksgiving/praise. Psalm 11 situates the worshiper amid threat and asserts trust in the enthroned Judge who will rain judgment. Psalm 145 is the public, instructional, generational thanksgiving hymn that such deliverance elicits—exactly the todah trajectory known from Israelite liturgy. - Mythic imagery resolved: Ps 11’s Sodom-like “אש וגפרית” theophany (11:6) is balanced by Ps 145’s creation-provision theme (15–16). The King who can unmake the wicked world is also the Provider who sustains all life. Further lexical/thematic overlaps (weaker but cumulative) - Ethical field: ישר/ישרי־לב (Ps 11:2, 7) corresponds to צדיק… חסיד (Ps 145:17); same moral polarity with different labels. - Holiness and name: temple-holiness (Ps 11:4) culminates in name-holiness blessed by “כל בשר” (Ps 145:21). - Hearing/saving: implied need in Ps 11 meets explicit “ישמע… ויושיעם” (Ps 145:19). Why these links matter - Rarer/identical items carry the most weight: the exact “צדיק יהוה,” the shared רשעים, בני אדם, and the identical form קָדְשׁוֹ, plus the eye-motif inversion, form strong intertextual hooks. - Formally, Psalm 145’s acrostic, royal hymn answers Psalm 11’s compact trust-assertion with an A-to-T catalog of the King’s righteous rule, provision, and final sorting—precisely what Psalm 11 affirmed in seed form. In sum: Psalm 11 declares that the enthroned, holy, righteous LORD tests humanity, loves righteousness, and will judge the wicked; Psalm 145 unfolds that declaration into a comprehensive praise: the same righteous King’s kingdom is everlasting; he upholds the falling, feeds all creatures, draws near to the truthful, preserves his lovers, and destroys the wicked. The lexical and imagistic seams (צדיק יהוה; בני אדם; קָדְשׁוֹ; רשעים; “eyes” mirrored; kingship/throne) and the liturgical life-pattern together justify reading Psalm 145 as a logical and fitting sequel to Psalm 11.
Evaluation
Score: 2.0
Evaluated at: 2026-01-02T02:26:33 (UTC)
Evaluator model: gpt-5
Evaluator version: v2
Reasoning: 3584 Output: 5655 Total: 9239
Checklist
- Has verse refs: Yes
- Factual error detected: Yes
- Only generic motifs: No
- Counterargument considered: Yes
- LXX/MT numbering acknowledged: No
Vocabulary specificity: 6.5 / 10
Flags: misquote
Multiple precise overlaps (צדיק יהוה; בני אדם; קודשו; eye motif). But factual error: ‘both end with the wicked’s fate’—Ps 11:7 ends with upright seeing God’s face. MAX 2 cap. Many hooks are common across Psalms.
Prompt
Consider Psalm 11 and Psalm 145 (reproduced below). What arguments could you make to justify that Psalm 145 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 145:
Psalm 145
1. תְּהִלָּ֗ה
לְדָ֫וִ֥ד
אֲרוֹמִמְךָ֣
אֱלוֹהַ֣י
הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ
וַאֲבָרֲכָ֥ה
שִׁ֝מְךָ֗
לְעוֹלָ֥ם
וָעֶֽד׃
2. בְּכָל־
י֥וֹם
אֲבָרֲכֶ֑ךָּ
וַאֲהַלְלָ֥ה
שִׁ֝מְךָ֗
לְעוֹלָ֥ם
וָעֶֽד׃
3. גָּ֘ד֤וֹל
יְהוָ֣ה
וּמְהֻלָּ֣ל
מְאֹ֑ד
וְ֝לִגְדֻלָּת֗וֹ
אֵ֣ין
חֵֽקֶר׃
4. דּ֣וֹר
לְ֭דוֹר
יְשַׁבַּ֣ח
מַעֲשֶׂ֑יךָ
וּגְב֖וּרֹתֶ֣יךָ
יַגִּֽידוּ׃
5. הֲ֭דַר
כְּב֣וֹד
הוֹדֶ֑ךָ
וְדִבְרֵ֖י
נִפְלְאוֹתֶ֣יךָ
אָשִֽׂיחָה׃
6. וֶעֱז֣וּז
נוֹרְאֹתֶ֣יךָ
יֹאמֵ֑רוּ
וגדולתיך
וּגְדוּלָּתְךָ֥
אֲסַפְּרֶֽנָּה׃
7. זֵ֣כֶר
רַב־
טוּבְךָ֣
יַבִּ֑יעוּ
וְצִדְקָתְךָ֥
יְרַנֵּֽנוּ׃
8. חַנּ֣וּן
וְרַח֣וּם
יְהוָ֑ה
אֶ֥רֶךְ
אַ֝פַּ֗יִם
וּגְדָל־
חָֽסֶד׃
9. טוֹב־
יְהוָ֥ה
לַכֹּ֑ל
וְ֝רַחֲמָ֗יו
עַל־
כָּל־
מַעֲשָֽׂיו׃
10. יוֹד֣וּךָ
יְ֭הוָה
כָּל־
מַעֲשֶׂ֑יךָ
וַ֝חֲסִידֶ֗יךָ
יְבָרֲכֽוּכָה׃
11. כְּב֣וֹד
מַלְכוּתְךָ֣
יֹאמֵ֑רוּ
וּגְבוּרָתְךָ֥
יְדַבֵּֽרוּ׃
12. לְהוֹדִ֤יעַ ׀
לִבְנֵ֣י
הָ֭אָדָם
גְּבוּרֹתָ֑יו
וּ֝כְב֗וֹד
הֲדַ֣ר
מַלְכוּתֽוֹ׃
13. מַֽלְכוּתְךָ֗
מַלְכ֥וּת
כָּל־
עֹֽלָמִ֑ים
וּ֝מֶֽמְשֶׁלְתְּךָ֗
בְּכָל־
דּ֥וֹר
וָדֽוֹר׃
14. סוֹמֵ֣ךְ
יְ֭הוָה
לְכָל־
הַנֹּפְלִ֑ים
וְ֝זוֹקֵ֗ף
לְכָל־
הַכְּפוּפִֽים׃
15. עֵֽינֵי־
כֹ֭ל
אֵלֶ֣יךָ
יְשַׂבֵּ֑רוּ
וְאַתָּ֤ה
נֽוֹתֵן־
לָהֶ֖ם
אֶת־
אָכְלָ֣ם
בְּעִתּֽוֹ׃
16. פּוֹתֵ֥חַ
אֶת־
יָדֶ֑ךָ
וּמַשְׂבִּ֖יעַ
לְכָל־
חַ֣י
רָצֽוֹן׃
17. צַדִּ֣יק
יְ֭הוָה
בְּכָל־
דְּרָכָ֑יו
וְ֝חָסִ֗יד
בְּכָל־
מַעֲשָֽׂיו׃
18. קָר֣וֹב
יְ֭הוָה
לְכָל־
קֹרְאָ֑יו
לְכֹ֤ל
אֲשֶׁ֖ר
יִקְרָאֻ֣הוּ
בֶאֱמֶֽת׃
19. רְצוֹן־
יְרֵאָ֥יו
יַעֲשֶׂ֑ה
וְֽאֶת־
שַׁוְעָתָ֥ם
יִ֝שְׁמַ֗ע
וְיוֹשִׁיעֵֽם׃
20. שׁוֹמֵ֣ר
יְ֭הוָה
אֶת־
כָּל־
אֹהֲבָ֑יו
וְאֵ֖ת
כָּל־
הָרְשָׁעִ֣ים
יַשְׁמִֽיד׃
21. תְּהִלַּ֥ת
יְהוָ֗ה
יְֽדַבֶּ֫ר
פִּ֥י
וִיבָרֵ֣ךְ
כָּל־
בָּ֭שָׂר
שֵׁ֥ם
קָדְשׁ֗וֹ
לְעוֹלָ֥ם
וָעֶֽד׃