Psalm 12 → 5
Reasoning: 10624 Output: 4328 Total: 14952
Argument
Short answer: Psalm 5 reads naturally as the worshiper’s dawn response to the social collapse and divine oracle of Psalm 12. Psalm 12 laments a culture of lies and boasts, ends with God’s promise to arise and protect, and Psalm 5 is the morning entry into the sanctuary that asks God to act just as promised—against the same lying mouths—and to guide and shield the righteous. Details (organized by kind of evidence) Form and setting - Matching superscriptions: both begin למנצח … מזמור לדוד with an instrumental/performance direction (Ps 12 על־השמינית; Ps 5 אל־הנחילות). That pairing plausibly marks coordinated liturgical pieces. - Genre sequence: Ps 12 is a lament culminating in a divine oracle of deliverance (12:6–8). Ps 5 is an individual morning prayer (5:4) with temple entry (5:8). “Oracle of salvation” followed by “dawn prayer and temple approach” is a very natural ritual sequence in Israelite worship (after God has spoken, the worshiper rises early to present prayer “arranged” like the morning offering). - Morning after the oracle: Ps 12:6 “Now I will arise, says YHWH” aligns with Ps 5’s “Morning you hear my voice; morning I arrange [my prayer] for you and watch” (5:4). The day begins with the supplicant expecting God’s promised rising to judge. Strong lexical links (rarer or more marked items first) - The “smooth/flattering tongue” motif (rare and distinctive): - Ps 12:3–4 שְׂפַת חֲלָקוֹת; שִׂפְתֵי חֲלָקוֹת “smooth lips” - Ps 5:10 לְשׁוֹנָם יַחֲלִיקוּן “their tongue they make smooth” Same root חלק, same semantic field, applied to the wicked’s speech. This is the clearest rarity-based linkage. - “Tongue” (same noun): Ps 12:4–5 לָשׁוֹן; Ps 5:10 לְשׁוֹנָם. In both, the tongue is the vehicle of deceit/flattery. - Noun from אמר “words/sayings” used both of God and of the petitioner: - Ps 12:7 אִמֲרוֹת יְהוָה “the sayings/words of YHWH” - Ps 5:2 אֲמָרַי הַאֲזִינָה “give ear to my words” Same root and same word class (noun), shifting from God’s pure words (12:7) to the psalmist’s carefully presented words (5:2, 5:4 “I arrange [אֶעֱרָךְ]”). - Speech-words cluster (high density, same field): Ps 12 piles up שוא, יְדַבְּרוּ, שְׂפָתַיִם, לָשׁוֹן, אָמְרוּ; Ps 5 answers with הַאֲזִינָה, הַקְשִׁיבָה, קוֹלִי, שַׁוְעִי, דֹּבְרֵי כָזָב, אֵין בְּפִיהוּ נְכוֹנָה, גְּרוֹנָם, לְשׁוֹנָם—explicitly recasting the crisis of corrupt speech (Ps 12) as the reason for judgment and for the psalmist’s guarded, “arranged” prayer (Ps 5). - Legal-imprecatory verbs aimed at the lying speakers: - Ps 12:4 יַכְרֵת יְהוָה “may YHWH cut off … smooth lips” - Ps 5:7 תְּאַבֵּד דֹּבְרֵי כָזָב; 5:11 הַאֲשִׁימֵם … הַדִּיחֵמוֹ “You destroy speakers of lies … Declare them guilty … drive them out” Ps 5 turns the wish of Ps 12 into confident petition and theology: God does (and should) judge these very people. - Bold human sovereignty claim answered by divine kingship: - Ps 12:5 “Our lips are with us … Who is lord over us? (מִי אָדוֹן לָנוּ)” - Ps 5:3 “My King and my God (מַלְכִּי וֵאלֹהָי)” Ps 5 pointedly answers Ps 12’s taunt; there is indeed a Lord and King. - חסד/חסיד root: - Ps 12:2 “the חסיד [godly] is finished/has vanished” - Ps 5:8 “By the abundance of your חסד I will enter your house” The vanishing of the חסיד in Ps 12 is countered by the worshiper’s access by divine חסד in Ps 5; the end of the godly (12:2) yields to the re-constitution of the righteous in worship (5:8, 5:13). - Protection lexemes, with similar functions: - Ps 12:8 אַתָּה … תִּשְׁמְרֵם; תִּצְּרֶנּוּ “You will keep/guard them” - Ps 5:12–13 וְתָסֵךְ עָלֵימוֹ “You cover them,” כַצִּנָּה רָצוֹן תַּעְטְרֶנּוּ “You surround him with favor as with a shield” Different roots but tightly parallel protective imagery, showing Ps 5 as the experiential uptake of Ps 12’s promise. Thematic and structural continuities - Problem: mendacious, boastful society (Ps 12:2–5) → Description of the same people in more anatomical detail (mouth–throat–tongue) and explicit verdict (Ps 5:5–7, 10–11). - Divine stance: Ps 12 affirms God will arise and protect (12:6–8) → Ps 5 affirms God’s incompatibility with evil (5:5–6), asks for a straight path (5:9), and prays the promised judgment into being (5:11). - Outcome: Ps 12 closes with a world where the wicked prowl when what is vile is exalted (12:9) → Ps 5 closes with the alternative order: rejoicing for all who take refuge (5:12) and benediction for the righteous (5:13). Temple/liturgy sequence in Israelite life - Morning tamid parallel: Ps 5:4 “morning … I arrange [אֶעֱרָךְ] for you” likely alludes to arranging the morning offering (cf. Lev 1:7–8; 6:5). That fits naturally as the next liturgical act after Ps 12’s oracle (“Now I arise,” 12:6). - Instrumentation: both psalms carry rare performance notes (השמינית; הנחילות), pointing to curated, possibly sequential use in worship. Conceptual reversals that make Ps 5 a reply to Ps 12 - The wicked’s speech vs. the worshiper’s speech: From “double heart” and “smooth lips” (12:3) to meticulously “arranged” prayer and reverent speech (5:2, 4, 8). - “Who is lord over us?” (12:5) → “My King and my God” (5:3). - The silencing/cutting off of liars requested (12:4) → “You destroy speakers of lies” affirmed (5:7). - The disappearance of the חסיד (12:2) → renewed access and blessing for the צדיק (5:8, 13). Bottom line Read together, Psalm 12 diagnoses a society swollen with deceit and boasts, elicits God’s pledge to rise and protect, and Psalm 5 is the very next-morning’s temple prayer that: - invokes the true King against those who denied any lord, - rehearses and petitions the promised judgment on the “smooth-tongued,” using the same rare vocabulary, - asks for guidance on a straight path amid such enemies, - and ends with the protective joy God promised. On stylistic, lexical (especially the rare חלק/smooth-tongue motif), formal, and liturgical grounds, Psalm 5 can be justified as a logical follow-on to Psalm 12.
Evaluation
Score: 6.5
Evaluated at: 2026-01-06T02:31:47 (UTC)
Evaluator model: gpt-5
Evaluator version: v2
Reasoning: 2560 Output: 5157 Total: 7717
Checklist
- Has verse refs: Yes
- Factual error detected: No
- Only generic motifs: No
- Counterargument considered: No
- LXX/MT numbering acknowledged: No
Vocabulary specificity: 7.0 / 10
Strongest tie: rare חלק “smooth” speech in 12:3–4 and 5:10, plus 12:5 “Who is lord over us?” answered by 5:3 “my King.” Multiple aligned motifs; no errors; counterpoints unaddressed; no editorial marker.
Prompt
Consider Psalm 12 and Psalm 5 (reproduced below). What arguments could you make to justify that Psalm 5 logically follows on from Psalm 12? 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 12:
Psalm 12
1. לַמְנַצֵּ֥חַ
עַֽל־
הַשְּׁמִינִ֗ית
מִזְמ֥וֹר
לְדָוִֽד׃
2. הוֹשִׁ֣יעָה
יְ֭הוָה
כִּי־
גָמַ֣ר
חָסִ֑יד
כִּי־
פַ֥סּוּ
אֱ֝מוּנִ֗ים
מִבְּנֵ֥י
אָדָֽם׃
3. שָׁ֤וְא ׀
יְֽדַבְּרוּ֮
אִ֤ישׁ
אֶת־
רֵ֫עֵ֥הוּ
שְׂפַ֥ת
חֲלָק֑וֹת
בְּלֵ֖ב
וָלֵ֣ב
יְדַבֵּֽרוּ׃
4. יַכְרֵ֣ת
יְ֭הוָה
כָּל־
שִׂפְתֵ֣י
חֲלָק֑וֹת
לָ֝שׁ֗וֹן
מְדַבֶּ֥רֶת
גְּדֹלֽוֹת׃
5. אֲשֶׁ֤ר
אָֽמְר֨וּ ׀
לִלְשֹׁנֵ֣נוּ
נַ֭גְבִּיר
שְׂפָתֵ֣ינוּ
אִתָּ֑נוּ
מִ֖י
אָד֣וֹן
לָֽנוּ׃
6. מִשֹּׁ֥ד
עֲנִיִּים֮
מֵאַנְקַ֢ת
אֶבְי֫וֹנִ֥ים
עַתָּ֣ה
אָ֭קוּם
יֹאמַ֣ר
יְהוָ֑ה
אָשִׁ֥ית
בְּ֝יֵ֗שַׁע
יָפִ֥יחַֽ
לֽוֹ׃
7. אִֽמֲר֣וֹת
יְהוָה֮
אֲמָר֢וֹת
טְהֹ֫ר֥וֹת
כֶּ֣סֶף
צָ֭רוּף
בַּעֲלִ֣יל
לָאָ֑רֶץ
מְ֝זֻקָּ֗ק
שִׁבְעָתָֽיִם׃
8. אַתָּֽה־
יְהוָ֥ה
תִּשְׁמְרֵ֑ם
תִּצְּרֶ֓נּוּ ׀
מִן־
הַדּ֖וֹר
ז֣וּ
לְעוֹלָֽם׃
9. סָבִ֗יב
רְשָׁעִ֥ים
יִתְהַלָּכ֑וּן
כְּרֻ֥ם
זֻ֝לּ֗וּת
לִבְנֵ֥י
אָדָֽם׃
Psalm 5:
Psalm 5
1. לַמְנַצֵּ֥חַ
אֶֽל־
הַנְּחִיל֗וֹת
מִזְמ֥וֹר
לְדָוִֽד׃
2. אֲמָרַ֖י
הַאֲזִ֥ינָה ׀
יְהוָ֗ה
בִּ֣ינָה
הֲגִֽיגִי׃
3. הַקְשִׁ֤יבָה ׀
לְק֬וֹל
שַׁוְעִ֗י
מַלְכִּ֥י
וֵאלֹהָ֑י
כִּֽי־
אֵ֝לֶ֗יךָ
אֶתְפַּלָּֽל׃
4. יְֽהוָ֗ה
בֹּ֭קֶר
תִּשְׁמַ֣ע
קוֹלִ֑י
בֹּ֥קֶר
אֶֽעֱרָךְ־
לְ֝ךָ֗
וַאֲצַפֶּֽה׃
5. כִּ֤י ׀
לֹ֤א
אֵֽל־
חָפֵ֘ץ
רֶ֥שַׁע ׀
אָ֑תָּה
לֹ֖א
יְגֻרְךָ֣
רָֽע׃
6. לֹֽא־
יִתְיַצְּב֣וּ
הֽ֭וֹלְלִים
לְנֶ֣גֶד
עֵינֶ֑יךָ
שָׂ֝נֵ֗אתָ
כָּל־
פֹּ֥עֲלֵי
אָֽוֶן׃
7. תְּאַבֵּד֮
דֹּבְרֵ֢י
כָ֫זָ֥ב
אִישׁ־
דָּמִ֥ים
וּמִרְמָ֗ה
יְתָ֘עֵ֥ב ׀
יְהוָֽה׃
8. וַאֲנִ֗י
בְּרֹ֣ב
חַ֭סְדְּךָ
אָב֣וֹא
בֵיתֶ֑ךָ
אֶשְׁתַּחֲוֶ֥ה
אֶל־
הֵֽיכַל־
קָ֝דְשְׁךָ֗
בְּיִרְאָתֶֽךָ׃
9. יְהוָ֤ה ׀
נְחֵ֬נִי
בְצִדְקָתֶ֗ךָ
לְמַ֥עַן
שׁוֹרְרָ֑י
הושר
הַיְשַׁ֖ר
לְפָנַ֣י
דַּרְכֶּֽךָ׃
10. כִּ֤י
אֵ֪ין
בְּפִ֡יהוּ
נְכוֹנָה֮
קִרְבָּ֢ם
הַ֫וּ֥וֹת
קֶֽבֶר־
פָּת֥וּחַ
גְּרוֹנָ֑ם
לְ֝שׁוֹנָ֗ם
יַחֲלִֽיקוּן׃
11. הַֽאֲשִׁימֵ֨ם ׀
אֱֽלֹהִ֗ים
יִפְּלוּ֮
מִֽמֹּעֲצ֢וֹתֵ֫יהֶ֥ם
בְּרֹ֣ב
פִּ֭שְׁעֵיהֶם
הַדִּיחֵ֑מוֹ
כִּי־
מָ֥רוּ
בָֽךְ׃
12. וְיִשְׂמְח֨וּ
כָל־
ח֪וֹסֵי
בָ֡ךְ
לְעוֹלָ֣ם
יְ֭רַנֵּנוּ
וְתָסֵ֣ךְ
עָלֵ֑ימוֹ
וְֽיַעְלְצ֥וּ
בְ֝ךָ֗
אֹהֲבֵ֥י
שְׁמֶֽךָ׃
13. כִּֽי־
אַתָּה֮
תְּבָרֵ֢ךְ
צַ֫דִּ֥יק
יְהוָ֑ה
כַּ֝צִּנָּ֗ה
רָצ֥וֹן
תַּעְטְרֶֽנּוּ׃