Psalm 12 → 44

Reasoning: 11136 Output: 5700 Total: 16836

Argument

Here are multiple, independent ways to argue that Psalm 44 “follows on” from Psalm 12, ordered roughly from strongest lexical/formal links to broader thematic and historical/logical continuities. I cite Hebrew forms and verses so you can weigh them by rarity and exactness.

1) Shared superscription formula and performance frame
- Identical form: לַמְנַצֵּחַ heads both psalms (12:1; 44:1), marking both as pieces for the temple music director. This is an exact formal link and suggests a liturgical continuum, even if other tags differ (Ps 12: “עַל־הַשְּׁמִינִית … מִזְמוֹר לְדָוִד”; Ps 44: “לִבְנֵי־קֹרַח מַשְׂכִּיל”).

2) “Save”/salvation as a catchword (shared root יש״ע), with Psalm 44 expanding Psalm 12’s plea
- Ps 12 opens with הוֹשִׁיעָה יְהוָה (12:2). The noun/verb cluster from יש״ע is then densely developed in Ps 44:
  - יְשׁוּעוֹת (44:5), הֱוֹשַׁעְתָּנוּ (44:8), לֹא־הוֹשִׁיעָה (44:4), לֹא תוֹשִׁיעֵנִי (44:7).
- This is a classic editorial seam: the single imperative “Save!” (Ps 12) is followed by a psalm that rehearses God’s past “saves,” denies human weapons “save,” and begs God to save again now.

3) “Arise” as a watchword (shared root קוּם), moving from divine oracle to petition
- In Ps 12 God himself says: עַתָּה אָקוּם יֹאמַר יְהוָה (12:6).
- Ps 44 turns that promise into prayer: קוּמָה עֶזְרָתָה לָּנוּ (44:27), and also plays on the root with קָמֵינוּ “those who rise against us” (44:6), plus the paired awakening verbs עוּרָה … הָקִיצָה (44:24). The logic is tight: after “Now I will arise” (Ps 12), the community responds, “Arise to help us!” (Ps 44).

4) Chesed/Hasid link (shared root חס״ד) shifts from the vanishing loyal person to appeal to God’s loyalty
- Ps 12 laments: גָמַר חָסִיד “the loyal/faithful one is gone” (12:2).
- Ps 44 closes: וּפְדֵנוּ לְמַעַן חַסְדֶּךָ (44:27). The root חס״ד binds the two: the absence of the human חָסִיד in 12 pushes the community in 44 to stake everything on God’s חֶסֶד.

5) The afflicted/poor motif (shared root ענ״י), scaled up from social to national suffering
- Ps 12: מִשֹּׁד עֲנִיִּים, מֵאַנְקַת אֶבְיוֹנִים (12:6).
- Ps 44: תִּשְׁכַּח עָנְיֵנוּ וְלַחֲצֵנוּ (44:25). Same root ענ״י; the theme moves from the plight of “the poor/needy” to collective “affliction/oppression.”

6) “Around” vocabulary and social-spatial pressure (shared סביב)
- Ps 12: סָבִיב רְשָׁעִים יִתְהַלָּכוּן (12:9).
- Ps 44: חֶרְפָּה … לִסְבִיבוֹתֵינוּ (44:14). The “encircling” of the wicked (12) becomes the “neighbors around us” who taunt and shame (44).

7) Speech as the arena of conflict: lies vs blasphemy/taunt
- Ps 12 is dominated by toxic speech: שָׁוְא יְדַבְּרוּ … שְׂפַת חֲלָקוֹת … לָשׁוֹן מְדַבֶּרֶת גְּדֹלוֹת (12:3–4).
- Ps 44 is likewise dominated by hostile speech from others: חֶרְפָּה, לַעַג, קֶלֶס (44:14), מָשָׁל … מְנוֹד־רֹאשׁ (44:15), “מִקּוֹל מְחָרֵף וּמְגַדֵּף” (44:17). Thematically, 44 universalizes the problem of destructive speech from intra-Israelite deceit (12) to international derision and blasphemy.

8) Lordship/sovereignty: answering “Who is master over us?”
- Ps 12 records the arrogant boast: מִי אָדוֹן לָנוּ (12:5).
- Ps 44 counters with confession: אַתָּה־הוּא מַלְכִּי אֱלֹהִים (44:5), and addresses God as אֲדֹנָי (44:24). It is a direct theological answer to 12:5’s taunt.

9) Promise vs experience tension: from “You will guard us” to “Why do you sleep?”
- Ps 12 asserts: אַתָּה־יְהוָה תִּשְׁמְרֵם; תִּצְּרֶנּוּ … לְעוֹלָם (12:8).
- Ps 44 laments the opposite experience: אַף־זָנַחְתָּ … וְלֹא־תֵצֵא בְּצִבְאוֹתֵינוּ (44:10), “לָמָּה־פָנֶיךָ תַסְתִּיר …” (44:25). Precisely because 12 promised guarding forever, 44’s plea “Awake … do not reject forever” (44:24) is the logical next step.

10) Fidelity/falsehood pair: answering 12’s social duplicity with 44’s covenant fidelity
- Ps 12: duplicity and falsehood saturate society (שָׁוְא … בְּלֵב וָלֵב).
- Ps 44: the community insists “וְלֹא־שִׁקַּרְנוּ בִּבְרִיתֶךָ … לֹא־נָסוֹג אָחוֹר לִבֵּנוּ” (44:18–19). In effect, 44 claims to be the faithful remnant missing in Ps 12 (“כִּי־גָמַר חָסִיד”).

11) Form-critical continuity: from individual lament with divine oracle to communal lament with urgent petition
- Ps 12’s shape: complaint (vv. 2–5) → divine promise (“Now I arise,” v. 6) → trust (vv. 7–8) → sober observation (v. 9).
- Ps 44’s shape: remembrance/confession of trust (vv. 2–9) → complaint of abandonment (vv. 10–17) → protest of innocence (vv. 18–23) → urgent petition (“Awake/Arise/Redeem,” vv. 24–27).
- This is a plausible liturgical or editorial move from the micro (one sufferer’s world) to the macro (the nation in crisis), while preserving the same rhetorical spine.

12) Historical/life-sequence plausibility in Israel’s story
- Ps 12’s world of internal corruption—oppression of the poor and boastful tongues—is a typical prelude to judgment in Deuteronomic history.
- Ps 44 reads like the national aftermath: military defeat, dispersion among the nations (44:12), public shame—yet from a righteous remnant that has not apostatized (44:18–22). That sequence—social breakdown → catastrophe → righteous-remnant plea—maps well onto Israel’s collective memory.

13) Name/word motif
- Ps 12 exalts God’s utterance: אִמֲרוֹת יְהוָה … טְהֹרוֹת (12:7).
- Ps 44 leans on God’s Name as the operative power of victory: בְּשִׁמְךָ נָבוּס קָמֵינוּ (44:6), and vows to thank that Name “לְעוֹלָם” (44:9). Both psalms locate deliverance in God’s speech/name rather than human means.

Taken together, these links supply a coherent “follow-on” logic:
- The plea “Save!” (12:2) and God’s oracle “Now I arise” (12:6) become the community’s urgent “Arise! Redeem us!” (44:24, 27).
- The disappearance of the faithful (12:2) is answered by a faithful community appealing to covenant loyalty (44:18–22).
- The social tyranny of lying tongues (12) becomes the geopolitical tyranny of taunting nations (44).
- The assurance “You will guard us forever” (12:8) is tested by crisis (44), provoking a petition grounded in God’s chesed (12:2 ↔ 44:27).

These are not minor overlaps but a network of catchwords (especially יש״ע and קו״ם), roots (חס״ד, ענ״י, סביב), motifs (speech, lordship, guarding vs abandonment), and form that plausibly make Psalm 44 the next “move” after Psalm 12 in a liturgical or editorial sequence.

Evaluation

Score: 6.5

Evaluated at: 2026-01-13T02:42:38 (UTC)

Evaluator model: gpt-5

Evaluator version: v2

Reasoning: 3392 Output: 6532 Total: 9924

Vocabulary specificity: 3.0 / 10

Multiple specific links (ישע, קום; 12:6 → 44:27; 12:2 → 44:5,8) and thematic progression. But vocabulary is common, ‘למנצח’ widespread, no cross-psalm structural marker; nonadjacent. Strong but not decisive.

Prompt

Consider Psalm 12 and Psalm 44 (reproduced below). What arguments could you make to justify that Psalm 44 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 44:
Psalm 44
1. לַמְנַצֵּ֬חַ
        לִבְנֵי־
        קֹ֬רַח
        מַשְׂכִּֽיל׃
2. אֱלֹהִ֤ים ׀
        בְּאָזְנֵ֬ינוּ
        שָׁמַ֗עְנוּ
        אֲבוֹתֵ֥ינוּ
        סִפְּרוּ־
        לָ֑נוּ
        פֹּ֥עַל
        פָּעַ֥לְתָּ
        בִֽ֝ימֵיהֶ֗ם
        בִּ֣ימֵי
        קֶֽדֶם׃
3. אַתָּ֤ה ׀
        יָדְךָ֡
        גּוֹיִ֣ם
        ה֭וֹרַשְׁתָּ
        וַתִּטָּעֵ֑ם
        תָּרַ֥ע
        לְ֝אֻמִּ֗ים
        וַֽתְּשַׁלְּחֵֽם׃
4. כִּ֤י
        לֹ֤א
        בְחַרְבָּ֡ם
        יָ֥רְשׁוּ
        אָ֗רֶץ
        וּזְרוֹעָם֮
        לֹא־
        הוֹשִׁ֢יעָ֫ה
        לָּ֥מוֹ
        כִּֽי־
        יְמִֽינְךָ֣
        וּ֭זְרוֹעֲךָ
        וְא֥וֹר
        פָּנֶ֗יךָ
        כִּ֣י
        רְצִיתָֽם׃
5. אַתָּה־
        ה֣וּא
        מַלְכִּ֣י
        אֱלֹהִ֑ים
        צַ֝וֵּ֗ה
        יְשׁוּע֥וֹת
        יַעֲקֹֽב׃
6. בְּ֭ךָ
        צָרֵ֣ינוּ
        נְנַגֵּ֑חַ
        בְּ֝שִׁמְךָ֗
        נָב֥וּס
        קָמֵֽינוּ׃
7. כִּ֤י
        לֹ֣א
        בְקַשְׁתִּ֣י
        אֶבְטָ֑ח
        וְ֝חַרְבִּ֗י
        לֹ֣א
        תוֹשִׁיעֵֽנִי׃
8. כִּ֣י
        ה֭וֹשַׁעְתָּנוּ
        מִצָּרֵ֑ינוּ
        וּמְשַׂנְאֵ֥ינוּ
        הֱבִישֽׁוֹתָ׃
9. בֵּֽ֭אלֹהִים
        הִלַּלְ֣נוּ
        כָל־
        הַיּ֑וֹם
        וְשִׁמְךָ֓ ׀
        לְעוֹלָ֖ם
        נוֹדֶ֣ה
        סֶֽלָה׃
10. אַף־
        זָ֭נַחְתָּ
        וַתַּכְלִימֵ֑נוּ
        וְלֹא־
        תֵ֝צֵ֗א
        בְּצִבְאוֹתֵֽינוּ׃
11. תְּשִׁיבֵ֣נוּ
        אָ֭חוֹר
        מִנִּי־
        צָ֑ר
        וּ֝מְשַׂנְאֵ֗ינוּ
        שָׁ֣סוּ
        לָֽמוֹ׃
12. תִּ֭תְּנֵנוּ
        כְּצֹ֣אן
        מַאֲכָ֑ל
        וּ֝בַגּוֹיִ֗ם
        זֵרִיתָֽנוּ׃
13. תִּמְכֹּֽר־
        עַמְּךָ֥
        בְלֹא־
        ה֑וֹן
        וְלֹ֥א־
        רִ֝בִּ֗יתָ
        בִּמְחִירֵיהֶֽם׃
14. תְּשִׂימֵ֣נוּ
        חֶ֭רְפָּה
        לִשְׁכֵנֵ֑ינוּ
        לַ֥עַג
        וָ֝קֶ֗לֶס
        לִסְבִיבוֹתֵֽינוּ׃
15. תְּשִׂימֵ֣נוּ
        מָ֭שָׁל
        בַּגּוֹיִ֑ם
        מְנֽוֹד־
        רֹ֝֗אשׁ
        בַּל־
        אֻמִּֽים׃
16. כָּל־
        הַ֭יּוֹם
        כְּלִמָּתִ֣י
        נֶגְדִּ֑י
        וּבֹ֖שֶׁת
        פָּנַ֣י
        כִּסָּֽתְנִי׃
17. מִ֭קּוֹל
        מְחָרֵ֣ף
        וּמְגַדֵּ֑ף
        מִפְּנֵ֥י
        א֝וֹיֵ֗ב
        וּמִתְנַקֵּֽם׃
18. כָּל־
        זֹ֣את
        בָּ֭אַתְנוּ
        וְלֹ֣א
        שְׁכַחֲנ֑וּךָ
        וְלֹֽא־
        שִׁ֝קַּ֗רְנוּ
        בִּבְרִיתֶֽךָ׃
19. לֹא־
        נָס֣וֹג
        אָח֣וֹר
        לִבֵּ֑נוּ
        וַתֵּ֥ט
        אֲ֝שֻׁרֵ֗ינוּ
        מִנִּ֥י
        אָרְחֶֽךָ׃
20. כִּ֣י
        דִ֭כִּיתָנוּ
        בִּמְק֣וֹם
        תַּנִּ֑ים
        וַתְּכַ֖ס
        עָלֵ֣ינוּ
        בְצַלְמָֽוֶת׃
21. אִם־
        שָׁ֭כַחְנוּ
        שֵׁ֣ם
        אֱלֹהֵ֑ינוּ
        וַנִּפְרֹ֥שׂ
        כַּ֝פֵּ֗ינוּ
        לְאֵ֣ל
        זָֽר׃
22. הֲלֹ֣א
        אֱ֭לֹהִים
        יַֽחֲקָר־
        זֹ֑את
        כִּֽי־
        ה֥וּא
        יֹ֝דֵ֗עַ
        תַּעֲלֻמ֥וֹת
        לֵֽב׃
23. כִּֽי־
        עָ֭לֶיךָ
        הֹרַ֣גְנוּ
        כָל־
        הַיּ֑וֹם
        נֶ֝חְשַׁ֗בְנוּ
        כְּצֹ֣אן
        טִבְחָֽה׃
24. ע֤וּרָה ׀
        לָ֖מָּה
        תִישַׁ֥ן ׀
        אֲדֹנָ֑י
        הָ֝קִ֗יצָה
        אַל־
        תִּזְנַ֥ח
        לָנֶֽצַח׃
25. לָֽמָּה־
        פָנֶ֥יךָ
        תַסְתִּ֑יר
        תִּשְׁכַּ֖ח
        עָנְיֵ֣נוּ
        וְֽלַחֲצֵֽנוּ׃
26. כִּ֤י
        שָׁ֣חָה
        לֶעָפָ֣ר
        נַפְשֵׁ֑נוּ
        דָּבְקָ֖ה
        לָאָ֣רֶץ
        בִּטְנֵֽנוּ׃
27. ק֭וּמָֽה
        עֶזְרָ֣תָה
        לָּ֑נוּ
        וּ֝פְדֵ֗נוּ
        לְמַ֣עַן
        חַסְדֶּֽךָ׃