Psalm 12 → 42
Reasoning: 11904 Output: 4907 Total: 16811
Argument
Here are ways to argue that Psalm 42 could logically follow Psalm 12, grouped by kind of evidence and weighted toward rarer, stronger links. Shared vocabulary/roots and lexical fields (higher weight) - The salvation root יש״ע appears in both: Ps 12:6 uses בְּיֵשַׁע (“in safety/salvation”), while Ps 42 twice has יְשׁוּעוֹת (“deliverances,” 42:6, 12). The move from the promise “I will set him in salvation” (12:6) to the refrain “I shall yet praise him, the deliverances…” (42:6, 12) reads like the individual appropriation of 12’s promise. - The חסד word-family: Ps 12:2 laments the disappearance of the חָסִיד “the loyal/pious one,” while Ps 42:9 affirms “By day YHWH commands his חֶסֶד.” Loss of human חסד in 12 is answered by God’s own חסד in 42. - Speech/taunt motif with parallel formulae. Ps 12:5 records the boast, “מִי אָדוֹן לָנוּ?” (Who is lord over us?) and the mastery of the tongue; Ps 42 twice has the adversarial refrain “אַיֵּה אֱלֹהֶיךָ?” (Where is your God?) “all day” (42:4, 11). Both center the crisis in public speech that denies God’s rule/presence. - Verbs of going/walking form a foil: Ps 12:9 “סָבִיב רְשָׁעִים יִתְהַלָּכוּן” (the wicked “walk about” all around); Ps 42 recalls rightful movement “אֶעֱבֹר… אֶדַּדֵּם עַד־בֵּית אֱלֹהִים” (I would pass along in procession to the house of God, 42:5) and laments “קֹדֵר אֵלֵךְ” (I go mourning, 42:10). The roaming of the wicked in 12 is countered by the pilgrim’s movement in 42. - Rare “panting” imagery, same semantic field: Ps 12:6 has יָפִיחַ (he pants/breathes; root פוח, rare), and Ps 42:2–3 has תַעֲרֹג…נַפְשִׁי תַעֲרֹג (my soul “pants/longs,” root ערג, rare). 42 turns the panting for “salvation” (12:6) into panting for God himself (42:2–3). - “All day” harassment: While the exact collocation “כָל־הַיּוֹם” is explicit in 42 (42:4, 11), Ps 12 is saturated with adversarial speech (“they speak vanity… they said… tongue speaking great things,” 12:3–5). The same social pressure is articulated in both, but 42 dramatizes it with the “all day” refrain. Form and stylistic parallels - Both are laments with the complaint-to-trust turn. Ps 12 moves complaint (vv. 2–5) → divine oracle (v. 6) → trust/confidence (vv. 7–8), even as the wicked still “walk about” (v. 9). Ps 42 cycles complaint/memory (vv. 2–5) → refrain of hope (v. 6) → complaint (vv. 7–11) → refrain (v. 12). 42 thus deepens and personalizes the same lament–trust arc. - Concentration on speech acts: Ps 12 contrasts human “sayings” (שָׁוְא יְדַבְּרוּ… לָשׁוֹן מְדַבֶּרֶת, 12:3–5) with God’s “sayings” (אִמֲרוֹת יְהוָה… טְהֹרוֹת, 12:7). Ps 42 is saturated with “saying” too: “בֶּאֱמֹר אֵלַי” (when they say to me), “אֹמְרָה לְאֵל” (I will say to God), and culminates not only in prayer but in “שִׁירוֹ עִמִּי” (his song is with me, 42:9). 42 enacts the turn from corrupt human talk to divine word/song anticipated in 12:7. - Repetition/refrain as intensification: Ps 12 uses intensifying doublets (e.g., אִמֲרוֹת… אֲמָרוֹת; בְּלֵב וָלֵב), while Ps 42 uses a repeated refrain (vv. 6, 12) and paired inner verbs (מַה־תִּשְׁתּוֹחֲחִי… וּמַה־תֶּהֱמִי). Both employ poetic doubling to drive the argument. - Superscriptions bind them liturgically: both open לַמְנַצֵּחַ (to the choirmaster). 12’s “עַל־הַשְּׁמִינִית” (likely a lament register) and 42’s “מַשְׂכִּיל” (an instructive piece) are compatible performance cues for related lament-teaching settings. Thematic/narrative flow (plausible life-sequence) - From social collapse to personal displacement: Ps 12 laments a society where the faithful are gone and the arrogant dominate public space. Ps 42 depicts a pious worshiper far from Zion (מֵאֶרֶץ יַרְדֵּן וְחֶרְמוֹנִים מֵהַר מִצְעָר, 42:7), longing to return to the Temple (42:5). It is plausible that the social breakdown and oppression of 12 are the backstory to 42’s dislocation. - The poor’s “groan” answered by longing for God: Ps 12:6 hears “מֵאַנְקַת אֶבְיוֹנִים” (the groaning of the needy) and promises to “set” him “in salvation.” Ps 42 converts that need into the deepest form of help: thirst for “אֵל חָי” (the living God) and the desire to “appear before God” (42:3). The salvation promised in 12 matures into communion in 42. - Guarding forever vs. day–night care: Ps 12:8 “תִּצְּרֶנּוּ… לְעוֹלָם” (you will guard us forever). Ps 42:4, 9 renders that protection experientially “יוֹמָם… וָלָיְלָה” (day and night): tears by day and night, yet “By day YHWH commands his steadfast love, and at night his song is with me.” The temporal detail of 42 enacts the perpetual guarding promised in 12. Mythic/cultic frame and imagery - Divine theophany and mastery of chaos: Ps 12 features the theophanic “עַתָּה אָקוּם יֹאמַר יְהוָה” (Now I will arise, says YHWH, 12:6). Ps 42 portrays chaotic waters—תְּהוֹם… צִנּוֹרֶיךָ… מִשְׁבָּרֶיךָ… גַלֶּיךָ (42:8)—but pointedly calls them “yours.” The God who “arises” in 12 is precisely the one who owns and governs the cosmic deep in 42, a standard Israelite mythic pattern (YHWH vs. the waters). - Cultic procession answers social dereliction: Ps 12 ends with “when baseness is exalted among the sons of men” (12:9). Ps 42 recalls the legitimate “הָמוֹן חוֹגֵג” (festal throng) “בְּקוֹל רִנָּה וְתוֹדָה” (with voice of joy and thanksgiving, 42:5). The psalmist’s memory of rightful worship is the counter-world to 12’s corrupt public square. - Name-usage bridge: Ps 12 is YHWH-focused; Ps 42 belongs to the Elohistic collection yet still contains “יְהוָה” (42:9). That mixed usage makes 42 a natural bridge-piece, turning 12’s YHWH-oracle into a personal Elohistic lament of trust. Tightest “hand-shakes” to foreground - יש״ע: 12:6 “בְּיֵשַׁע” → 42:6, 12 “יְשׁוּעוֹת”. - חס״ד: 12:2 “חָסִיד גָמַר” (the loyal one has ceased) → 42:9 “יְצַוֶּה יְהוָה חַסְדּוֹ” (YHWH commands his steadfast love). - Taunt progression: 12:5 “מִי אָדוֹן לָנוּ?” → 42:4, 11 “אַיֵּה אֱלֹהֶיךָ?” - Rare “panting” field: 12:6 “יָפִיחַ” → 42:2–3 “תַעֲרֹג… נַפְשִׁי תַעֲרֹג”. Conclusion Read this way, Psalm 42 naturally follows Psalm 12: the social-linguistic crisis and divine promise of 12 flow into the personal exile, thirst for God, and day–night trust of 42. The link is reinforced by shared roots (יש״ע, חס״ד), parallel speech-taunts, the rare panting imagery, matching lament-to-trust structures, and plausible life-context (from societal oppression to geographic displacement and liturgical longing).
Evaluation
Score: 6.0
Evaluated at: 2026-01-13T02:40:23 (UTC)
Evaluator model: gpt-5
Evaluator version: v2
Reasoning: 4480 Output: 5739 Total: 10219
Checklist
- Has verse refs: Yes
- Factual error detected: No
- Only generic motifs: No
- Counterargument considered: No
- LXX/MT numbering acknowledged: No
Vocabulary specificity: 4.0 / 10
Several accurate, verse-anchored links (ישע/ישועות; חסד; taunt ‘אַיֵּה אֱלֹהֶיךָ’), plus movement verbs. Yet these are common across laments; no spanning structural markers; ignores tight 42–43 pairing. Solid but not decisive.
Prompt
Consider Psalm 12 and Psalm 42 (reproduced below). What arguments could you make to justify that Psalm 42 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 42:
Psalm 42
1. לַמְנַצֵּ֗חַ
מַשְׂכִּ֥יל
לִבְנֵי־
קֹֽרַח׃
2. כְּאַיָּ֗ל
תַּעֲרֹ֥ג
עַל־
אֲפִֽיקֵי־
מָ֑יִם
כֵּ֤ן
נַפְשִׁ֨י
תַעֲרֹ֖ג
אֵלֶ֣יךָ
אֱלֹהִֽים׃
3. צָמְאָ֬ה
נַפְשִׁ֨י ׀
לֵאלֹהִים֮
לְאֵ֢ל
חָ֥י
מָתַ֥י
אָב֑וֹא
וְ֝אֵרָאֶ֗ה
פְּנֵ֣י
אֱלֹהִֽים׃
4. הָֽיְתָה־
לִּ֬י
דִמְעָתִ֣י
לֶ֭חֶם
יוֹמָ֣ם
וָלָ֑יְלָה
בֶּאֱמֹ֥ר
אֵלַ֥י
כָּל־
הַ֝יּ֗וֹם
אַיֵּ֥ה
אֱלֹהֶֽיךָ׃
5. אֵ֤לֶּה
אֶזְכְּרָ֨ה ׀
וְאֶשְׁפְּכָ֬ה
עָלַ֨י ׀
נַפְשִׁ֗י
כִּ֤י
אֶֽעֱבֹ֨ר ׀
בַּסָּךְ֮
אֶדַּדֵּ֗ם
עַד־
בֵּ֥ית
אֱלֹ֫הִ֥ים
בְּקוֹל־
רִנָּ֥ה
וְתוֹדָ֗ה
הָמ֥וֹן
חוֹגֵֽג׃
6. מַה־
תִּשְׁתּ֬וֹחֲחִ֨י ׀
נַפְשִׁי֮
וַתֶּהֱמִ֢י
עָ֫לָ֥י
הוֹחִ֣ילִי
לֵֽ֭אלֹהִים
כִּי־
ע֥וֹד
אוֹדֶ֗נּוּ
יְשׁוּע֥וֹת
פָּנָֽיו׃
7. אֱֽלֹהַ֗י
עָלַי֮
נַפְשִׁ֢י
תִשְׁתּ֫וֹחָ֥ח
עַל־
כֵּ֗ן
אֶ֭זְכָּרְךָ
מֵאֶ֣רֶץ
יַרְדֵּ֑ן
וְ֝חֶרְמוֹנִ֗ים
מֵהַ֥ר
מִצְעָֽר׃
8. תְּהֽוֹם־
אֶל־
תְּה֣וֹם
ק֭וֹרֵא
לְק֣וֹל
צִנּוֹרֶ֑יךָ
כָּֽל־
מִשְׁבָּרֶ֥יךָ
וְ֝גַלֶּ֗יךָ
עָלַ֥י
עָבָֽרוּ׃
9. יוֹמָ֤ם ׀
יְצַוֶּ֬ה
יְהוָ֨ה ׀
חַסְדּ֗וֹ
וּ֖dבַלַּיְלָה
שירה
שִׁיר֣וֹ
עִמִּ֑י
תְּ֝פִלָּ֗ה
לְאֵ֣ל
חַיָּֽי׃
10. אוֹמְרָ֤ה ׀
לְאֵ֥ל
סַלְעִי֮
לָמָ֢ה
שְׁכַ֫חְתָּ֥נִי
לָֽמָּה־
קֹדֵ֥ר
אֵלֵ֗ךְ
בְּלַ֣חַץ
אוֹיֵֽב׃
11. בְּרֶ֤צַח ׀
בְּֽעַצְמוֹתַ֗י
חֵרְפ֥וּנִי
צוֹרְרָ֑י
בְּאָמְרָ֥ם
אֵלַ֥י
כָּל־
הַ֝יּ֗וֹם
אַיֵּ֥ה
אֱלֹהֶֽיךָ׃
12. מַה־
תִּשְׁתּ֬וֹחֲחִ֨י ׀
נַפְשִׁי֮
וּֽמַה־
תֶּהֱמִ֢י
עָ֫לָ֥י
הוֹחִ֣ילִי
לֵֽ֭אלֹהִים
כִּי־
ע֣וֹד
אוֹדֶ֑נּוּ
יְשׁוּעֹ֥ת
פָּ֝נַ֗י
וֵֽאלֹהָֽי׃