Psalm 12 → 35
Reasoning: 5760 Output: 6410 Total: 12170
Argument
Below are ways to argue that Psalm 35 “logically follows” Psalm 12, moving from the lament over a corrupt, boastful, deceitful generation (Ps 12) to an individual’s concrete legal-military appeal for God to act against precisely such deceivers (Ps 35). I prioritize rarer words, tight lexical/formal links, and shared motifs that plausibly trace a sequential life-situation in ancient Israel. A. High‑value lexical links (rarer or distinctive items; identical forms when possible) - חלקות ↔ חלקלקות (root חלק “smooth/slippery”): - Ps 12:3–4 “שפת חלקות … שִׂפְתֵי חלקות” (smooth/flattering lips) indicts deceit accomplished by “smoothness.” - Ps 35:6 “יהי־דרכם חושך וחלקלקות” (dark and slippery places) turns that very “smoothness” against the wicked as a fate: their path becomes treacherously slippery. The lexical rarity of חלקלקות heightens the connection. Same root, same semantic field, and both are feminine plurals of abstract nouns. - ישע/ישועה: - Ps 12:6 “אָשִׁית בְּיֵשַׁע יָפִיחַ לוֹ” (I will set him in the safety he longs for). - Ps 35:3 “אמור לנפשי ישועתך אני”; v.9 “תשיש בישועתו.” The same salvation word‑group explicitly resumes the promise of 12, now requested and celebrated in 35. Same root, same semantic sphere, with direct address in 35 picking up the oracle of 12. - עני/אביון: - Ps 12:6 “מִשֹּׁד עֲנִיִּים מֵאַנְקַת אֶבְיוֹנִים.” - Ps 35:10 “מי כמוך מציל עני … ועני ואביון מגוזלו.” The pair “עני/אביון” recurs, tying 35 to the social injustice of 12 and casting God as the rescuer promised in 12. - גדל (boasting/magnifying): - Ps 12:4 “לָשׁוֹן מְדַבֶּרֶת גְּדֹלוֹת” (a tongue that speaks great/boastful things). - Ps 35:26–27 “הַמַּגְדִּילִים עָלַי” (those who magnify themselves over me) contrasted with “יִגְדַּל יְהוָה.” The root גדל frames the moral reversal: in 12 the wicked “speak great things”; in 35 the self‑magnifying enemies are shamed while the psalmist and supporters call for the Lord to be magnified instead. - אדון/אדני: - Ps 12:5 the wicked boast, “מִי אָדוֹן לָנוּ?” (Who is lord over us?). - Ps 35 repeatedly addresses God as “אֲדֹנָי” (vv. 17, 22, 23), functionally answering 12’s defiance by foregrounding the true Lord. Closely related lexeme and rhetorical inversion. - לשון (tongue) and the speech field: - Ps 12:3–5 clusters “ידברו,” “שפת,” “לשון,” “אמר.” - Ps 35:20–21, 28 counters with “לֹא שָׁלוֹם יְדַבֵּרוּ,” their mouth “וַיַּרְחִיבוּ עָלַי פִּיהֶם … אָמְרוּ,” and a climactic vow “וּלְשׁוֹנִי תֶּהְגֶּה צִדְקֶךָ.” The same speech‑lexicon is carried forward; the psalmist’s “tongue” becomes a holy answer to “smooth lips.” - An identical common verb form linking the speech motif: - “יְדַבֵּרוּ” appears in both (12:3; 35:20). It’s common, but in this context it helps bind the shared focus on corrupt versus righteous speech. - קום/הקיץ (the divine “arise/awake” formula): - Ps 12:6 “עַתָּה אָקוּם יֹאמַר יְהוָה.” - Ps 35:2 “וְקֻמָה בְּעֶזְרָתִי”; 35:23 “הָעִירָה וְהָקִיצָה לְמִשְׁפָּטִי.” Psalm 35 explicitly calls for the rising/awakening that Psalm 12 reports as God’s pledged response. This is a strong structural echo at the level of divine action formulas. B. Thematic and rhetorical continuities - From abstract social evil to concrete legal-military crisis: - Psalm 12 diagnoses a generation defined by duplicity, boasting, and oppression of the poor; God promises intervention. - Psalm 35 shows that diagnosis playing out in one sufferer’s case: false witnesses (עֵדֵי חָמָס), deceit (דִּבְרֵי מִרְמוֹת), gratuitous hatred (שֹׂנְאַי חִנָּם), mockery (“הֶאָח הֶאָח”), and social ganging‑up (נֶאֶסְפוּ עָלַי). The sufferer now asks God the Warrior/Judge to implement the promise from Psalm 12. - Speech-to-speech reversal: - 12: the wicked control the discourse (“שְׂפָתֵינוּ אִתָּנוּ… מִי אָדוֹן לָנוּ”). - 35: the psalmist petitions for God’s counter‑speech (“אמור לנפשי ישועתך אני”), and vows his own counter‑speech of praise (“ולשוני תהגה צדקך … תְּהִלָּתֶךָ”). God’s pure words (12:7) lead to the psalmist’s pure praise (35:28). - The “boasting” inversion: - 12 centers on the tongue “speaking great things” (גדלות). - 35 prays that self‑exalters be clothed with shame (35:26) while calling, “יִגְדַּל יְהוָה” (35:27). The root גדל is re‑aimed: no longer wicked boasting, but magnification of YHWH. - Social justice through divine protection: - 12 promises protection “תִּשְׁמְרֵם … תִּצְּרֶנּוּ” from a corrupt “generation.” - 35 asks for that protection in the specific case: God as defender/warrior (“רִיבָה … לְחַם,” shields and spear; “מַלְאָךְ יְהוָה” driving the foes), and as judge (“לְמִשְׁפָּטִי,” “שָׁפְטֵנִי כְצִדְקֶךָ”). C. Form-critical and structural fit - Psalm 12’s rare embedded divine oracle (v. 6) “עַתָּה אָקוּם … אָשִׁית בְּיֵשַׁע” is exactly the kind of word a later psalmist would seek to be re‑spoken into a current crisis. - Psalm 35 opens with a covenant‑lawsuit/warlike plea (“רִיבָה … לְחַם”), proceeds through complaint (false witnesses, ingratitude, mockery), imprecation (vv. 4–8, 19–26), and ends with a vow of praise (vv. 27–28). That is a natural formal “next step” after the societal lament and oracle in Psalm 12: move from diagnosis and promise to litigation, combat, verdict, and doxology. D. Life-situation sequence plausible in ancient Israel - Stage 1 (Psalm 12): The community or its representative laments a time when elites weaponize speech—flattery, lies, and bragging—to exploit the poor; God issues a salvation oracle for the oppressed. - Stage 2 (Psalm 35): An individual victim of that climate faces a concrete lawsuit/ambush by such speakers—false witnesses, gratuitous haters—and invokes God as Divine Warrior and Judge to actualize the earlier promise. The appearance of “angel of YHWH,” martial gear (shield, buckler, spear), and legal language (“רִיב,” “שָׁפְטֵנִי”) shows the promise moving from proclamation to implementation. E. Additional stylistic overlaps - Heavy concentration of mouth/tongue/lips/words imagery in both psalms (12:3–5,7; 35:20–21, 28), culminating in a moral contrast: impure human speech versus pure divine speech (12:7), answered by purified human praise (35:28). - Repetition of “נפשׁ” as the object in danger and of divine speech: 35:3, 7, 17, 25; cf. 12’s concern for the endangered faithful whom God will set “בישע.” - Movement from “סָבִיב רְשָׁעִים יִתְהַלָּכוּן” (12:9) to the gathering of hostile circles around the psalmist (35:15 “נֶאֶסְפוּ עָלַי”), then to a counter‑gathering of the righteous praising in “קהל רב” (35:18). F. Rhetorical answers to Psalm 12’s taunts - “מִי אָדוֹן לָנוּ?” (12:5) is answered by direct appeal to “אֲדֹנָי” (35:17, 22, 23) and by “מִי כָמוֹךָ” (35:10): there is indeed a Lord over them, and none is like Him. - The wicked’s claim “שְׂפָתֵינוּ אִתָּנוּ” (12:5) is undercut when their very mouths are exposed (“וַיַּרְחִיבוּ עָלַי פִּיהֶם … רָאֲתָה עֵינֵינוּ,” 35:21), and God is implored not to be “silent” (35:22), turning control of the discourse back to God. Summary If Psalm 12 diagnoses a corrupt speech‑saturated generation, records God’s promise to rise for the oppressed, and praises the purity of God’s words, Psalm 35 can be read as the next logical scene: an individual case from that generation’s violence, pleading that the promised rising now be enacted in court and in battle. The lexical anchors (especially חלקות/חלקלקות, ישע/ישועה, עני/אביון, גדל, אדון/אדני, the speech‑field), the shared divine‑action formulas (קום/הקיץ), the rhetorical inversions of the wicked’s boasts, and the form‑critical progression from oracle to litigation/praise all support the case that Psalm 35 follows coherently from Psalm 12.
Evaluation
Score: 6.5
Evaluated at: 2026-01-12T02:33:28 (UTC)
Evaluator model: gpt-5
Evaluator version: v2
Reasoning: 3456 Output: 7232 Total: 10688
Checklist
- Has verse refs: Yes
- Factual error detected: No
- Only generic motifs: No
- Counterargument considered: No
- LXX/MT numbering acknowledged: No
Vocabulary specificity: 6.0 / 10
Strong lexical anchors (חלקות/חלקלקות; ישע; עני/אביון; גדל; קום formula) with verse refs and coherent progression; however many items are common across Psalms and counterarguments aren’t addressed. No caps.
Prompt
Consider Psalm 12 and Psalm 35 (reproduced below). What arguments could you make to justify that Psalm 35 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 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׃