Psalm 12 → 58

Reasoning: 7424 Output: 4146 Total: 11570

Argument

Short thesis: Psalm 58 reads like a pointed answer and escalation of Psalm 12. Psalm 12 laments a society run by lying mouths and boasts “Who is master over us?” (12:5), pleads for God to cut off those mouths, and records God’s resolve to arise for the poor (12:6–8). Psalm 58 then addresses the very arbiters who should restrain such evil (judges/mighty ones), exposes their falsity from the womb, petitions harsher judgment (break their teeth), and ends with the public confession “Surely there is a God who judges in the earth” (58:12)—a direct reply to the defiant claim of 12:5.

Strongest links (by type and relative weight)

A. Rhetorical Q→A across the two psalms (high significance)
- Psalm 12:5: “Who is lord/master over us?” (מִי אָדוֹן לָנוּ) is the wicked’s boast that no authority will check their speech.
- Psalm 58:12: “Surely there is a God who judges in the earth” (אַךְ יֵשׁ־אֱלֹהִים שֹׁפְטִים בָּאָרֶץ) functions as a direct, antithetical answer to that boast. The rebellion, “we are our own masters,” is capped by the universal recognition that God, not they, is Judge.

B. Mouth/speech organ imagery and imprecations (rare/striking parallels)
- Psalm 12 concentrates on speech organs: lips and tongue.
  - “May the Lord cut off all flattering lips, the tongue that speaks great things” (12:4).
- Psalm 58 escalates from lips/tongue to the mouth’s weapons: teeth and jaws.
  - “O God, break their teeth in their mouth; tear out the fangs of young lions, O YHWH” (58:7).
- Both psalms therefore target the same locus of sin (corrupt speech) with parallel jussives/imperatives that injure the mouth; Psalm 58 is a logical intensification of Psalm 12’s petition.

C. Key phrases and identical or near-identical forms (rarer ≈ weightier)
- בני אדם “sons of man/humans”
  - 12:2, 9; 58:2, 12. This exact collocation frames both psalms’ social horizon and ties the address of 58:2 (“Do you judge uprightly, O sons of man?”) back to 12’s “faithful have vanished from the sons of man.”
- דבר “to speak”
  - 12:3 “ידברו,” 12:4 “מדברת,” 58:2 “תדברון,” 58:4 “דֹבְרֵי.” The repetition of דבר across both psalms marks speech as the core problem.
- לב “heart”
  - 12:3 “בלב ולב ידברו” (with a ‘double heart’), 58:3 “אַף־בְּלֵב עוֹלוֹת תִּפְעָלוּן” (you work injustice in the heart). Both lodge the perversion behind the lips in the heart.
- ארץ “earth/land”
  - 12:7 (in the refining image), 58:3, 12 (injustice weighed out “in the land” and God “judges in the earth”). Both anchor the crisis and its resolution in the public, terrestrial realm.
- Reshaim/evil ones
  - 12:9; 58:4, 11. The same adversary category moves from roaming freely (12) to being judged and bled (58).

D. Root- and morphology-level echoes (not just semantics)
- אמן (faith/firmness) appears in different but cognate forms:
  - 12:2 “אֱמוּנִים” (the faithful) are gone.
  - 58:2 opens “הַאֻמְנָם” (“indeed?”)—a rhetorical “Is it really so?” that puns on firmness/truth and underlines the absence of the very “אֱמוּנִים” Psalm 12 laments.
- התהלך “to go about”
  - 12:9 “יִתְהַלָּכוּן” (the wicked prowl about); 58:8 “יִתְהַלְּכוּ־לָמוֹ” (waters “flow away”/go about). Same binyan and aspect create an audible link at the close of 12 and mid-58.
- אמר “to say”
  - 12:5 “אשר אמרו” (they said), 12:6 “יֹאמַר יְהוָה” (YHWH says); 58:12 “וְיֹאמַר אָדָם” (man will say). The arc runs from human arrogance (12), to divine promise (12), to human acknowledgment (58).

E. Structural/formal parallels
- Both are Davidic and open with a performance directive “למנצח” (12:1; 58:1).
- Complaint → Petition/Imprecation → Assurance/Outcome:
  - Psalm 12: societal falsehood → cut off lips → divine pledge to arise → preservation of the oppressed.
  - Psalm 58: address corrupt judges → break teeth/dissolve the wicked → the righteous rejoice and the world confesses God’s just rule.
- Both culminate in a gnomic/moral verdict:
  - Psalm 12:8–9 affirms YHWH’s keeping amid a debased generation.
  - Psalm 58:12 voices the public moral: there is fruit for the righteous; God judges on earth.

F. Thematic development: 12’s problem and promise → 58’s addressees and execution
- From social collapse to judicial corruption:
  - 12: deceit among neighbors, double hearts, boastful independence.
  - 58: the ones responsible to curb that deceit—judges/mighty ones—are themselves deceitful from the womb and “weigh out violence.”
- From God’s promise to arise (12:6) to graphic judgment (58:7–11):
  - 12: “Now I will arise … I will place him in safety.”
  - 58: the arising takes the form of divine-warrior judgment (serpent/lion imagery, broken teeth, sweeping away before the pot feels heat), ending in vindication the righteous can see (58:11) and confession all can say (58:12).
- From absence of the faithful to joy of the righteous:
  - 12: “the faithful have vanished” (גמר חסיד; פסו אמונים).
  - 58: “the righteous rejoices” and “there is fruit for the righteous.” The narrative has moved from scarcity to reward.

G. Shared imagery fields that “answer” each other
- Speech vs. pure speech:
  - 12 opposes flattering lips/double heart to “the words of YHWH … refined sevenfold.”
  - 58 mocks ineffective human speech (charmers whose words the serpent refuses to hear) and replaces it with the effective speech-act of divine judgment that compels public confession (58:12).
- Heat/vessel/refining field:
  - 12:7 “silver refined … in a crucible (בַּעֲלִיל) on the earth.”
  - 58:10 “before your pots feel the bramble.” Both invoke furnace/pot imagery to picture the thoroughness and swiftness of God’s action.

H. Socio-historical logic (ancient Israelite life)
- Psalm 12 describes a breakdown of covenantal speech and social trust—exactly what village elders/judges at the gate should rectify.
- Psalm 58 turns to those authorities (“judges/mighty ones,” possibly read as אֵלִם/אֵלִים) and indicts them for perverting justice. In Israel’s theology, such a moment summons the divine King/Warrior to judge human and superhuman “judges.” The psalm’s close (“God judges in the earth”) is a courtroom verdict answering the social anomie of Psalm 12.

Summary: Stylistically (Davidic “for the choirmaster,” complaint→imprecation→assurance structure), lexically (בני אדם; דבר; לב; ארץ; רשעים; shared binyan/forms like יִתְהַלְּכוּ), and theologically (speech ethics, judicial corruption, divine arising/judgment), Psalm 58 is a tightly coherent sequel to Psalm 12. It addresses the boasters of 12, escalates the mouth-focused judgment asked for in 12, and supplies the climactic public confession that answers 12’s central taunt: “Who is master over us?” → “Surely there is a God who judges in the earth.”

Evaluation

Score: 6.5

Evaluated at: 2026-01-16T02:38:36 (UTC)

Evaluator model: gpt-5

Evaluator version: v2

Reasoning: 2880 Output: 5002 Total: 7882

Vocabulary specificity: 4.0 / 10

Multiple accurate, verse-anchored links (12:5↔58:12; lips 12:4→teeth 58:7; pot/heat 12:7↔58:10; אמר chain). Yet many overlaps are common across Psalms; ‘אֱמוּנִים↔הַאֻמְנָם’ and יתהלכו are tenuous. No caps.

Prompt

Consider Psalm 12 and Psalm 58 (reproduced below). What arguments could you make to justify that Psalm 58 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 58:
Psalm 58
1. לַמְנַצֵּ֥חַ
        אַל־
        תַּשְׁחֵ֗ת
        לְדָוִ֥ד
        מִכְתָּֽם׃
2. הַֽאֻמְנָ֗ם
        אֵ֣לֶם
        צֶ֭דֶק
        תְּדַבֵּר֑וּן
        מֵישָׁרִ֥ים
        תִּ֝שְׁפְּט֗וּ
        בְּנֵ֣י
        אָדָֽם׃
3. אַף־
        בְּלֵב֮
        עוֹלֹ֢ת
        תִּפְעָ֫ל֥וּן
        בָּאָ֡רֶץ
        חֲמַ֥ס
        יְ֝דֵיכֶ֗ם
        תְּפַלֵּֽסֽוּן׃
4. זֹ֣רוּ
        רְשָׁעִ֣ים
        מֵרָ֑חֶם
        תָּע֥וּ
        מִ֝בֶּ֗טֶן
        דֹּבְרֵ֥י
        כָזָֽב׃
5. חֲמַת־
        לָ֗מוֹ
        כִּדְמ֥וּת
        חֲמַת־
        נָחָ֑שׁ
        כְּמוֹ־
        פֶ֥תֶן
        חֵ֝רֵ֗שׁ
        יַאְטֵ֥ם
        אָזְנֽוֹ׃
6. אֲשֶׁ֣ר
        לֹא־
        יִ֭שְׁמַע
        לְק֣וֹל
        מְלַחֲשִׁ֑ים
        חוֹבֵ֖ר
        חֲבָרִ֣ים
        מְחֻכָּֽם׃
7. אֱ‍ֽלֹהִ֗ים
        הֲרָס־
        שִׁנֵּ֥ימוֹ
        בְּפִ֑ימוֹ
        מַלְתְּע֥וֹת
        כְּ֝פִירִ֗ים
        נְתֹ֣ץ ׀
        יְהוָֽה׃
8. יִמָּאֲס֣וּ
        כְמוֹ־
        מַ֭יִם
        יִתְהַלְּכוּ־
        לָ֑מוֹ
        יִדְרֹ֥ךְ
        חצו
        חִ֝צָּ֗יו
        כְּמ֣וֹ
        יִתְמֹלָֽלוּ׃
9. כְּמ֣וֹ
        שַׁ֭בְּלוּל
        תֶּ֣מֶס
        יַהֲלֹ֑ךְ
        נֵ֥פֶל
        אֵ֝֗שֶׁת
        בַּל־
        חָ֥זוּ
        שָֽׁמֶשׁ׃
10. בְּטֶ֤רֶם
        יָבִ֣ינוּ
        סִּֽירֹתֵיכֶ֣ם
        אָטָ֑ד
        כְּמוֹ־
        חַ֥י
        כְּמוֹ־
        חָ֝ר֗וֹן
        יִשְׂעָרֶֽנּוּ׃
11. יִשְׂמַ֣ח
        צַ֭דִּיק
        כִּי־
        חָזָ֣ה
        נָקָ֑ם
        פְּעָמָ֥יו
        יִ֝רְחַ֗ץ
        בְּדַ֣ם
        הָרָשָֽׁע׃
12. וְיֹאמַ֣ר
        אָ֭דָם
        אַךְ־
        פְּרִ֣י
        לַצַּדִּ֑יק
        אַ֥ךְ
        יֵשׁ־
        אֱ֝לֹהִ֗ים
        שֹׁפְטִ֥ים
        בָּאָֽרֶץ׃