Psalm 12 → 38

Reasoning: 8640 Output: 5130 Total: 13770

Argument

Here are lines of argument—moving from form and style to vocabulary and motifs—that make it plausible to read Psalm 38 as logically following Psalm 12.

Stylistic and form-level continuities
- Both are Davidic laments with a heavy focus on hostile speech and social breakdown. Psalm 12 is a communal/social lament; Psalm 38 is an individual lament. In Israelite liturgy these two lament types often alternate or pair: a communal complaint about a corrupt “generation” (Ps 12) followed by an individual who suffers within that same environment (Ps 38).
- Divine speech frames both: in Ps 12 there is a quoted oracle (“Now I will arise, says YHWH,” 12:6), and in Ps 38 the psalmist explicitly waits for God’s reply (“for to you, YHWH, I have hoped; you will answer, Adonai my God,” 38:16). So the assurance in Ps 12 is “answered” by the prayerful expectation in Ps 38.
- Speech density and soundscape: both psalms are saturated with speech verbs and sound imagery (say, speak, lips, tongue, answer, groaning, sighing), suggesting a shared rhetorical world in which words harm or heal.

Root- and word-level connections (rarer/stronger first where possible)
- אדן “lord/master”:
  • Ps 12:5: “Who is lord (mi adon) over us?”—the boast of the wicked.
  • Ps 38 uses the divine title Adonai repeatedly (38:10, 16, 23). Read as a deliberate theological answer to 12:5: the question “Who is lord over us?” is countered by the sufferer’s triple confession “Adonai.”
- גדל “to be great, magnify”:
  • Ps 12:4: “a tongue speaking ‘great things’ (gedolot).”
  • Ps 38:17: “when my foot slips, against me they have ‘magnified’ (higdilu).”
  Same root, both in the mouth of the arrogant; the “big talk” of Ps 12 becomes actual “magnifying themselves” over the afflicted in Ps 38.
- ישע “salvation/deliver” (same word class: nouns of salvation):
  • Ps 12:6: “I will set in safety (b’yeshaʿ) the one who pants.”
  • Ps 38:23: “Adonai, my salvation (teshuʿati).”
  The root bookends the two psalms: Ps 12 announces salvation; Ps 38 claims and prays into it.
- דבר “to speak” (direct overlap of root and semantic role—hostile speech):
  • Ps 12:3 “they speak (yedabberu) falsehood… they speak” (repeated); 12:4 “a tongue speaking (medabbert) great things.”
  • Ps 38:13 “seekers of my evil ‘spoke’ (dibb’ru) havvot (mischiefs).”
  The same root describes the enemies’ speech in both psalms.
- Field of deceitful speech (same semantic field, with some exact matches):
  • Ps 12:3–5: “falsehood (shav), smooth lips (s’fat ḥalaqot), with a heart and a heart… tongue speaking great things.”
  • Ps 38:13: “they spoke havvot (mischiefs) and miramot (deceits).”
  Mirmah/mirmot is a precise deceit term; Ps 12 uses near-synonyms (ḥalaqot, shav, gedolot). The field is the same; Ps 38 intensifies with the technical noun מִרְמוֹת.
- Mouth–tongue–lips vs vowed silence:
  • Ps 12 attacks “lips/tongue” (12:3–5).
  • Ps 38:14–15 the psalmist responds as “deaf… mute… does not open his mouth.” This is a pointed, ethical inversion of Ps 12’s arrogant tongues: the righteous choose silence while waiting for YHWH’s pure word (cf. Ps 12:7).
- “Groaning/breathing” of the afflicted (very close semantic set, different but cognate-like roots):
  • Ps 12:6: “from the plundering of the poor, from the groaning (’ankat) of the needy…”
  • Ps 38:9–10: “I roar… from the groaning (nahamat) of my heart… my sighing (’anachati) is not hidden from you.”
  Different roots (אנק vs אנח/נהם) but the same uncommon semantic field of labored breath/groans signals continuity of the afflicted voice that God promised to heed in Ps 12:6.
- הלך “to walk/go about”:
  • Ps 12:9: “the wicked ‘prowl/walk about’ (yithallakhun) round about.”
  • Ps 38:7: “all day long I ‘go about’ (hillaḵti) in mourning.”
  The same root maps the social space: the wicked roam; the sufferer shuffles gloomily within that same space.
- לב “heart”:
  • Ps 12:3 “with a heart and a heart” (duplicity); 12:9 “sons of man.”
  • Ps 38:9–11 multiple “heart” lines (my heart throbs; the groaning of my heart). The “divided heart” of Ps 12 is implicitly answered by the exposed, suffering heart of the righteous in Ps 38.
- Framing “save/help/guard” language:
  • Ps 12:2 opening imperative “Hoshiʿah, YHWH…,” and 12:8 “You, YHWH, will keep/guard (tishmerem… titzrennu).”
  • Ps 38:22–23 “Do not forsake… do not be far… hurry to help me… my salvation.” The petitions rely on the keeping/saving commitment articulated in Ps 12.

Conceptual and narrative continuities
- From corporate breakdown to personal burden: Ps 12 laments a society where “the faithful vanish” and “the wicked strut,” creating an environment of predatory speech. Ps 38 shows a faithful individual suffering within that environment: friends withdraw (38:12), slanderers scheme and mutter all day (38:13), and enemies “magnify” themselves (38:17)—exactly what Ps 12 described in principle.
- Answer to the boast “Who is lord over us?” (12:5): Ps 38 answers with repeated direct address “Adonai” (38:10, 16, 23), asserting God’s lordship where the wicked had denied it.
- Ethic of speech: Ps 12 contrasts corrupt human words with YHWH’s “pure sayings” (12:7). Ps 38’s sufferer therefore refuses to join the fray (keeps his mouth shut, 38:14–15) and waits for YHWH’s answer (38:16), practically enacting trust in the purity and sufficiency of God’s word.
- God arises; the righteous abase: In Ps 12 God says “Now I will arise” (12:6). In Ps 38 the sufferer is “ready to fall” (38:18), humbled under God’s hand (38:3–4). The vertical reversal (God up, the human down) fits the theology of divine judgment and human contrition.
- The afflicted theophany: Ps 12 promises protection “from the groaning of the needy”; Ps 38 is the needy’s long, physiological groan (no soundness in flesh, no peace in bones) presented as the very case that activates that promise.

A plausible life-setting sequence in ancient Israel
- Stage 1 (community): Social elites weaponize speech; the poor groan; the community prays (Ps 12). Liturgically, an oracle assures that YHWH will act.
- Stage 2 (individual): A worshiper brings a “memorial” lament (להזכיר, Ps 38’s heading; cf. the language of remembrance in sacrificial practice) to “remind” God of the oracle, owning his own sin while suffering slander and isolation. He refuses retaliatory speech and waits for the promised divine answer and salvation.
- The move from communal to individual lament, from oracle to petition for its realization, fits well-known lament patterns in Israel’s worship life.

Why these links are weighty under your criteria
- Rarer, semantically marked items carry the most weight here: the adversative use of אדון/אדני as a direct rejoinder; the pride-lexeme גדל in the mouth of the wicked in both psalms; and the specific salvation nouns of ישע in both.
- The dense and distinctive speech-field (לשון/שפת/דבר/מרמות/הוות, plus the motif of chosen silence) gives a stylistic signature shared by both psalms.
- The narrative logic (oracle → waiting for the answer; arrogant tongues → righteous silence; social rot → personal suffering within that rot) shows a coherent progression.

Taken together, these lexical echoes, rhetorical inversions, and liturgical sequencing make it quite plausible to read Psalm 38 as a logical continuation of the situation and divine promise articulated in Psalm 12.

Evaluation

Score: 6.0

Evaluated at: 2026-01-12T02:36:57 (UTC)

Evaluator model: gpt-5

Evaluator version: v2

Reasoning: 3712 Output: 5961 Total: 9673

Vocabulary specificity: 3.5 / 10

Several text-anchored overlaps (גדל, אדן, ישע: 12:4–6; 38:16–17,23) and plausible progression, but most are common lament lexemes; psalms are non-adjacent; counterarguments largely unaddressed. No caps applied.

Prompt

Consider Psalm 12 and Psalm 38 (reproduced below). What arguments could you make to justify that Psalm 38 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 38:
Psalm 38
1. מִזְמ֖וֹר
        לְדָוִ֣ד
        לְהַזְכִּֽיר׃
2. יְֽהוָ֗ה
        אַל־
        בְּקֶצְפְּךָ֥
        תוֹכִיחֵ֑נִי
        וּֽבַחֲמָתְךָ֥
        תְיַסְּרֵֽנִי׃
3. כִּֽי־
        חִ֭צֶּיךָ
        נִ֣חֲתוּ
        בִ֑י
        וַתִּנְחַ֖ת
        עָלַ֣י
        יָדֶֽךָ׃
4. אֵין־
        מְתֹ֣ם
        בִּ֭בְשָׂרִי
        מִפְּנֵ֣י
        זַעְמֶ֑ךָ
        אֵין־
        שָׁל֥וֹם
        בַּ֝עֲצָמַ֗י
        מִפְּנֵ֥י
        חַטָּאתִֽי׃
5. כִּ֣י
        עֲ֭וֺנֹתַי
        עָבְר֣וּ
        רֹאשִׁ֑י
        כְּמַשָּׂ֥א
        כָ֝בֵ֗ד
        יִכְבְּד֥וּ
        מִמֶּֽנִּי׃
6. הִבְאִ֣ישׁוּ
        נָ֭מַקּוּ
        חַבּוּרֹתָ֑י
        מִ֝פְּנֵ֗י
        אִוַּלְתִּֽי׃
7. נַעֲוֵ֣יתִי
        שַׁחֹ֣תִי
        עַד־
        מְאֹ֑ד
        כָּל־
        הַ֝יּ֗וֹם
        קֹדֵ֥ר
        הִלָּֽכְתִּי׃
8. כִּֽי־
        כְ֭סָלַי
        מָלְא֣וּ
        נִקְלֶ֑ה
        וְאֵ֥ין
        מְ֝תֹ֗ם
        בִּבְשָׂרִֽי׃
9. נְפוּג֣וֹתִי
        וְנִדְכֵּ֣יתִי
        עַד־
        מְאֹ֑ד
        שָׁ֝אַ֗גְתִּי
        מִֽנַּהֲמַ֥ת
        לִבִּֽי׃
10. אֲ‍ֽדנָ֗tי
        נֶגְדְּךָ֥
        כָל־
        תַּאֲוָתִ֑י
        וְ֝אַנְחָתִ֗י
        מִמְּךָ֥
        לֹא־
        נִסְתָּֽרָה׃
11. לִבִּ֣י
        סְ֭חַרְחַר
        עֲזָבַ֣נִי
        כֹחִ֑י
        וְֽאוֹר־
        עֵינַ֥י
        גַּם־
        הֵ֝֗ם
        אֵ֣ין
        אִתִּֽי׃
12. אֹֽהֲבַ֨י ׀
        וְרֵעַ֗י
        מִנֶּ֣גֶד
        נִגְעִ֣י
        יַעֲמֹ֑דוּ
        וּ֝קְרוֹבַ֗י
        מֵרָחֹ֥ק
        עָמָֽדוּ׃
13. וַיְנַקְשׁ֤וּ ׀
        מְבַקְשֵׁ֬י
        נַפְשִׁ֗י
        וְדֹרְשֵׁ֣י
        רָ֭עָתִי
        דִּבְּר֣וּ
        הַוּ֑וֹת
        וּ֝מִרְמ֗וֹת
        כָּל־
        הַיּ֥וֹם
        יֶהְגּֽוּ׃
14. וַאֲנִ֣י
        כְ֭חֵרֵשׁ
        לֹ֣א
        אֶשְׁמָ֑ע
        וּ֝כְאִלֵּ֗ם
        לֹ֣א
        יִפְתַּח־
        פִּֽיו׃
15. וָאֱהִ֗י
        כְּ֭אִישׁ
        אֲשֶׁ֣ר
        לֹא־
        שֹׁמֵ֑עַ
        וְאֵ֥ין
        בְּ֝פִ֗יו
        תּוֹכָֽחוֹת׃
16. כִּֽי־
        לְךָ֣
        יְהוָ֣ה
        הוֹחָ֑לְתִּי
        אַתָּ֥ה
        תַ֝עֲנֶ֗ה
        אֲדֹנָ֥י
        אֱלֹהָֽי׃
17. כִּֽי־
        אָ֭מַרְתִּי
        פֶּן־
        יִשְׂמְחוּ־
        לִ֑י
        בְּמ֥וֹט
        רַ֝גְלִ֗י
        עָלַ֥י
        הִגְדִּֽילוּ׃
18. כִּֽי־
        אֲ֭נִי
        לְצֶ֣לַע
        נָכ֑וֹן
        וּמַכְאוֹבִ֖י
        נֶגְדִּ֣י
        תָמִֽיד׃
19. כִּֽי־
        עֲוֺנִ֥י
        אַגִּ֑יד
        אֶ֝דְאַ֗ג
        מֵ֖חַטָּאתִֽי׃
20. וְֽ֭אֹיְבַי
        חַיִּ֣ים
        עָצֵ֑מוּ
        וְרַבּ֖וּ
        שֹׂנְאַ֣י
        שָֽׁקֶר׃
21. וּמְשַׁלְּמֵ֣י
        רָ֭עָה
        תַּ֣חַת
        טוֹבָ֑ה
        יִ֝שְׂטְנ֗וּנִי
        תַּ֣חַת
        רדופי־
        רָֽדְפִי־
        טֽוֹב׃
22. אַל־
        תַּֽעַזְבֵ֥נִי
        יְהוָ֑ה
        אֱ֝לֹהַ֗י
        אַל־
        תִּרְחַ֥ק
        מִמֶּֽנִּי׃
23. ח֥וּשָׁה
        לְעֶזְרָתִ֑י
        אֲ֝דֹנָ֗י
        תְּשׁוּעָתִֽי׃