Psalm 12 → 85
Reasoning: 9472 Output: 4262 Total: 13734
Argument
Short thesis: Psalm 85 reads naturally as the answer to Psalm 12. Psalm 12 laments a society corroded by lying speech, boasts, and oppression, and it pleads for God to arise and guard the vulnerable; Psalm 85 is a communal prayer that hears the divine word and describes the social and cosmic restoration that follows—peace, truth/faithfulness, righteousness, and the land’s renewal. The two psalms share form-critical moves (petition → oracle → confidence), and they are linked by several Hebrew roots, forms, and motifs whose weight is noted below. High‑significance lexical links (rarer or more programmatic items first) - חסיד “faithful/pious one” (same lexeme, same word class) - Ps 12:2 גמר חסיד “the חסיד has ceased” - Ps 85:9 אל־חסידיו “to his חסידים” - Force: fairly rare noun. Psalm 12 laments their disappearance; Psalm 85 assumes their (re)existence as addressees of the oracle. This is a strong sequel signal. - ישע “salvation” (same root, same noun class; repeated in Ps 85) - Ps 12:6 אשית בישע “I will set him in salvation/safety” - Ps 85:5 אלהי ישענו; 85:8 וישעך תתן לנו; 85:10 קרוב ליראיו ישעו - Force: the single promise in Ps 12 becomes the keynote of Ps 85. The root’s density in 85 reads as the fulfillment and unfolding of 12:6. - דבר “to speak” (same root; identical finite form in 85; clustered use) - Ps 12:3–4 שוא ידברו … מדברת גדלות (human speech = falsehood and arrogance) - Ps 85:9 אשמעה מה־ידבר … כי ידבר שלום (divine speech = peace) - Force: both psalms revolve around “speech.” Psalm 12 contrasts human lies with God’s pure words; Psalm 85 explicitly “listens” for those words and states their content. This is a strong thematic hinge. - דור “generation” (same noun; interlocking phrases) - Ps 12:8 תצרנו מן־הדור זו לעולם (“guard us from this generation forever”) - Ps 85:6 תמשֹך אפך לְדוֹר וָדוֹר? (rhetorical: “to generation and generation?”) - Force: Ps 85’s question implicitly denies that wrath—and thus the crisis of “this generation”—will be endless, answering the fear of Ps 12:8. - הלך “to go/walk” (same root; mirrored subjects) - Ps 12:9 סביב רשעים יתהלכון (“the wicked walk about”) - Ps 85:14 צדק לפניו יהלך (“righteousness will go before him”) - Force: precise root repetition with a dramatic reversal of who/what is “walking” the land—wickedness in 12, righteousness in 85. - ארץ “land/earth” (same noun; refunctionalized) - Ps 12:7 … כסף צרוף בעליל לארץ, מזוקק שבעתים (a crucible “of the earth”—rare phrasing) - Ps 85:2 ארצך; 85:10 בארצנו; 85:12 אמת מארץ תצמח; 85:13 ארצנו תתן יבולה - Force: in Ps 12 the “earth” is the place where divine words are refined; in Ps 85 the “land” is the place where divine qualities take root and where produce returns. The motif moves from refining (12) to fruitful sprouting and yield (85). Medium‑significance semantic/root links - חסד/חסיד + אמת/אמונים cluster - Ps 12:2 פַסּוּ אמונים; גמר חסיד - Ps 85:8 הראנו … חסדך; 85:11 חסד־ואמת נפגשו; 85:12 אמת מארץ תצמח - Force: not identical lexemes (אמונים vs אמת) but the well-known covenant cluster חסד–אמת is fully realized in 85 just where 12 lamented the disappearance of “the faithful” (אמונים/חסיד). Conceptually tight, lexically proximate. - Guarding/keeping vs not returning to folly - Ps 12:8 אתה־יהוה תשמרם תצרנו מן־הדור זו - Ps 85:9 … ואל ישובו לכסלה (so that the people do not relapse) - Force: different roots, but both describe the post‑oracle condition: protection from corrupt generation (12) parallels the exhortation not to relapse (85). Form and stylistic sequencing - Shared formal arc: petition → divine word → confidence/vision. - Ps 12: Petition (vv2–5), then a divine oracle (v6 “עתה אקום … אשית בישע”), then confidence in God’s words (vv7–8). - Ps 85: Petition framed by remembered favor (vv2–8), then explicit oracle-hearing (v9 “אשמעה מה־ידבר”), then a visionary tableau of restored order (vv10–14). - Force: Psalm 85 reads as the expanded realization of the oracle structure that Psalm 12 already models. - Superscriptional frame: לַמְנַצֵּחַ … מִזְמוֹר in both. - Formulaic, hence low weight by itself, but it makes it plausible liturgically to read them in sequence. Thematic inversions and resolutions (logical follow‑on) - From corrupt human speech to God’s effective speech: - Ps 12 circles around lying lips, boastful tongues, and “pure words” of YHWH (vv3–7). - Ps 85 picks up by “hearing” those words and naming their content—shalom for his people and his חסידים (v9). - From social collapse to covenantal re‑knitting: - Ps 12: the faithful have vanished; the poor are oppressed; vileness is exalted among “the sons of Adam” (vv2,6,9). - Ps 85: חסד and אמת meet; צדק and שלום kiss; אמת sprouts from the earth; צדק looks down from heaven (vv11–12). This is the precise social‑cosmic repair that Ps 12 lacks and asks for. - From wicked mobility to righteous procession: - Ps 12:9 רשעים יתהלכון סביב. - Ps 85:14 צדק לפניו יהלך—righteousness now “walks” and sets the path for God’s steps. The verb is the same; the subject is gloriously reversed. - From fear of endless “evil generation” to end of wrath: - Ps 12:8 worries about being preserved “from this generation forever.” - Ps 85:6 pointedly asks whether wrath will be drawn out “to generation and generation,” expecting a “no,” and vv7–8 request revival and renewed salvation. Historical/liturgical plausibility - A two‑stage communal rite fits both psalms: - Stage 1 (Ps 12): a fast‑day complaint against social falsehood and oppression, culminating in a brief oracle of deliverance (“עתה אקום … אשית בישע”) and a trust statement. - Stage 2 (Ps 85): a communal service after national crisis (שבת שבי/שבות יעקב), asking for the full return of divine favor and explicitly “listening” for the oracle; the oracle promises shalom and depicts covenant virtues re‑knit across heaven and earth. This reads as the enacted answer to Ps 12’s plea for intervention on behalf of the poor and the faithful. Why these links are probative under your weighting - Strong lexical anchors: חסיד; repeated ישע; the דבר cluster with explicit oracle language in 85; דור; shared root הלך with antithetical subjects; the dense ארץ motif. - Programmatic reversals: Ps 12’s final line—“when vileness is exalted among the sons of Adam” (כרום זלות לבני אדם)—is answered in Ps 85 by “to dwell glory in our land” (לשכן כבוד בארצנו). Not a lexical match, but an exact thematic counterpoint. - Oracle continuity: Ps 12 asserts the purity of “אמרות יהוה” (v7); Ps 85 is the narrative moment when those “אמרות” are actually heard (אשמעה מה־ידבר), and their content unfurls in vv11–14. Bottom line Read consecutively, Psalm 12 and Psalm 85 form a coherent arc: complaint about a generation of deceit and the disappearance of the חסיד/אמונים → divine rise to save (ישע) → communal hearing of the divine דבר that brings shalom → the reappearance of חסידים and the public reunion of חסד–אמת and צדק–שלום in the land. The network of shared roots and mirrored images, especially חסיד, ישע, דבר, דור, הלך, and the land/earth motif, makes a strong case that Psalm 85 can be read as the logical sequel to Psalm 12.
Evaluation
Score: 7.7
Evaluated at: 2026-01-22T02:33:10 (UTC)
Evaluator model: gpt-5
Evaluator version: v2
Reasoning: 3136 Output: 5088 Total: 8224
Checklist
- Has verse refs: Yes
- Factual error detected: No
- Only generic motifs: No
- Counterargument considered: Yes
- LXX/MT numbering acknowledged: No
Vocabulary specificity: 4.0 / 10
Multiple accurate, verse-anchored links (חסיד; ישע density; דבר/“oracle” contrast; דור; יתהלכון vs יהלך; land motif) and coherent petition→oracle→vision sequence. However, vocabulary is common and Book I→III distance weakens.
Prompt
Consider Psalm 12 and Psalm 85 (reproduced below). What arguments could you make to justify that Psalm 85 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 85:
Psalm 85
1. לַמְנַצֵּ֬חַ ׀
לִבְנֵי־
קֹ֬רַח
מִזְמֽוֹר׃
2. רָצִ֣יתָ
יְהוָ֣ה
אַרְצֶ֑ךָ
שַׁ֝֗בְתָּ
שבות
שְׁבִ֣ית
יַעֲקֹֽב׃
3. נָ֭שָׂאתָ
עֲוֺ֣ן
עַמֶּ֑ךָ
כִּסִּ֖יתָ
כָל־
חַטָּאתָ֣ם
סֶֽלָה׃
4. אָסַ֥פְתָּ
כָל־
עֶבְרָתֶ֑ךָ
הֱ֝שִׁיב֗וֹתָ
מֵחֲר֥וֹן
אַפֶּֽךָ׃
5. שׁ֭וּבֵנוּ
אֱלֹהֵ֣י
יִשְׁעֵ֑נוּ
וְהָפֵ֖ר
כַּֽעַסְךָ֣
עִמָּֽנוּ׃
6. הַלְעוֹלָ֥ם
תֶּֽאֱנַף־
בָּ֑נוּ
תִּמְשֹׁ֥ךְ
אַ֝פְּךָ֗
לְדֹ֣ר
וָדֹֽר׃
7. הֲֽלֹא־
אַ֭תָּה
תָּשׁ֣וּב
תְּחַיֵּ֑נוּ
וְ֝עַמְּךָ֗
יִשְׂמְחוּ־
בָֽךְ׃
8. הַרְאֵ֣נוּ
יְהוָ֣ה
חַסְדֶּ֑ךָ
וְ֝יֶשְׁעֲךָ֗
תִּתֶּן־
לָֽנוּ׃
9. אֶשְׁמְעָ֗ה
מַה־
יְדַבֵּר֮
הָאֵ֢ל ׀
יְה֫וָ֥ה
כִּ֤י ׀
יְדַבֵּ֬ר
שָׁל֗וֹם
אֶל־
עַמּ֥וֹ
וְאֶל־
חֲסִידָ֑יו
וְֽאַל־
יָשׁ֥וּבוּ
לְכִסְלָֽה׃
10. אַ֤ךְ ׀
קָר֣וֹב
לִירֵאָ֣יו
יִשְׁע֑וֹ
לִשְׁכֹּ֖ן
כָּב֣וֹד
בְּאַרְצֵֽנוּ׃
11. חֶֽסֶד־
וֶאֱמֶ֥ת
נִפְגָּ֑שׁוּ
צֶ֖דֶק
וְשָׁל֣וֹם
נָשָֽׁקוּ׃
12. אֱ֭מֶת
מֵאֶ֣רֶץ
תִּצְמָ֑ח
וְ֝צֶ֗דֶק
מִשָּׁמַ֥יִם
נִשְׁקָֽף׃
13. גַּם־
יְ֭הוָה
יִתֵּ֣ן
הַטּ֑וֹב
וְ֝אַרְצֵ֗נוּ
תִּתֵּ֥ן
יְבוּלָֽהּ׃
14. צֶ֭דֶק
לְפָנָ֣יו
יְהַלֵּ֑ךְ
וְיָשֵׂ֖ם
לְדֶ֣רֶךְ
פְּעָמָֽיו׃