Psalm 12 → 111
Reasoning: 1694 Output: 4338 Total: 6032
Argument
Below are several lines of argument for reading **Psalm 111 as a logical follow‑on (a response/answer) to Psalm 12**, moving from crisis to reassurance, from the collapse of human trustworthiness to the stability of YHWH’s truth, covenant, and praise. --- ## 1) “Human faithfulness is gone” (פסו אֱמוּנִים) → “YHWH’s instructions are faithful” (נֶאֱמָנִים כָּל־פִּקּוּדָיו) A very tight conceptual (and root-level) hinge is the **אמן** word-field: - **Ps 12:2**: *פַּסּוּ אֱמוּנִים* (“the faithful / faithful ones have vanished”). - **Ps 111:7**: *נֶאֱמָנִים כָּל־פִּקּוּדָיו* (“all his precepts are faithful / reliable”). - **Ps 111:7–8** also repeatedly uses **אֱמֶת** (“truth”), likewise from the same root-field: *אֱמֶת וּמִשְׁפָּט … עֲשׂוּיִם בֶּאֱמֶת*. So Psalm 12 laments the disappearance of **אֱמוּנִים** among *בני אדם*; Psalm 111 answers by relocating “faithfulness” from humans to **God’s enduring, reliable orders and deeds**. This works particularly well as a “logical next step”: when society’s *אֱמוּנִים* fail, one turns to the *נֶאֱמָנִים* “precepts” of YHWH. --- ## 2) “Double-heart speech” (בְּלֵב וָלֵב) → “Whole-heart praise” (בְּכָל־לֵבָב) Psalm 12 diagnoses a corrupt inner life that produces corrupt speech: - **Ps 12:3**: *בְּלֵב וָלֵב יְדַבֵּרוּ* (“with a heart and a heart”—i.e., divided/double-hearted). Psalm 111 opens with the opposite posture: - **Ps 111:1**: *אוֹדֶה יְהוָה בְּכָל־לֵבָב* (“I will thank/praise YHWH with a whole heart”). So Psalm 111 reads naturally as the **repair** (or the faithful alternative) to Psalm 12’s “double heart”: integrity of worship replaces duplicity of speech. --- ## 3) False “words” vs. pure “words” in Psalm 12 → Psalm 111 expands “YHWH’s words” into “covenant / precepts / truth” Psalm 12 is obsessed with speech: - Human speech: *שָׁוְא… שְׂפַת חֲלָקוֹת… לָשׁוֹן מְדַבֶּרֶת גְּדֹלוֹת* (vv.3–4). - Divine speech: *אִמֲרוֹת יְהוָה אֲמָרוֹת טְהֹרוֹת* (v.7), with the striking metallurgy image of refinement. Psalm 111 doesn’t repeat *אִמְרוֹת* verbatim, but it **develops the same idea** (“what comes from YHWH is pure/true”) in a more “Torah-hymn” register: - **Ps 111:7–8**: God’s outputs are *אֱמֶת… מִשְׁפָּט… נֶאֱמָנִים… בֶּאֱמֶת וְיָשָׁר*. - **Ps 111:9**: *צִוָּה־לְעוֹלָם בְּרִיתוֹ* (his covenant is commanded/established). - **Ps 111:7**: *פִּקּוּדָיו* (his precepts). So Psalm 12 ends by anchoring hope in the purity of YHWH’s *אמרות*; Psalm 111 follows by praising the **entire stable complex of divine truth**: deeds, precepts, covenant, justice. --- ## 4) “Who is lord over us?” (מִי אָדוֹן לָנוּ) → “The fear of YHWH is the beginning of wisdom” (יִרְאַת יְהוָה…) Psalm 12 quotes arrogant rebels: - **Ps 12:5**: *שְׂפָתֵינוּ אִתָּנוּ מִי אָדוֹן לָנוּ* (“our lips are with us—who is lord over us?”) Psalm 111 ends with the theological/ethical counter-claim: - **Ps 111:10**: *רֵאשִׁית חָכְמָה יִרְאַת יְהוָה* (“the beginning of wisdom is the fear of YHWH”). That is a clean logical progression: Psalm 12 presents the problem of human autonomy expressed through speech; Psalm 111 provides the “wisdom conclusion” that directly contradicts that posture—true sense begins with acknowledging YHWH as Lord. --- ## 5) “Now I will arise” (עַתָּה אָקוּם) → Psalm 111 recounts the classic “arising” acts: provision, redemption, inheritance Psalm 12 contains a mini divine oracle: - **Ps 12:6**: *עַתָּה אָקוּם יֹאמַר יְהוָה* (“Now I will arise, says YHWH”), in response to the exploited poor (*מִשֹּׁד עֲנִיִּים… מֵאַנְקַת אֶבְיוֹנִים*). Psalm 111 reads naturally as the praise that follows such an “arising,” because it catalogs the kinds of saving acts Israel associates with YHWH’s intervention: - **Provision**: *טֶרֶף נָתַן לִירֵאָיו* (v.5). - **Covenant memory**: *יִזְכֹּר לְעוֹלָם בְּרִיתוֹ* (v.5). - **Inheritance/conquest settlement**: *לָתֵת לָהֶם נַחֲלַת גּוֹיִם* (v.6). - **Redemption**: *פְּדוּת שָׁלַח לְעַמּוֹ* (v.9). So Psalm 12’s “God will get up and act” is followed fittingly by Psalm 111’s “here is what it looks like when God acts (and has acted) for his people.” --- ## 6) Shared “eternity” language: protection “forever” → covenant / righteousness / praise “forever” An identical form worth noting is **לְעוֹלָם**, which helps a reader hear Psalm 111 as the stabilization of Psalm 12’s anxiety: - **Ps 12:8**: *תִּצְּרֶנּוּ… לְעוֹלָם* (protection “forever”). - **Ps 111:5, 9**: *יִזְכֹּר לְעוֹלָם… בְּרִיתוֹ* / *צִוָּה־לְעוֹלָם בְּרִיתוֹ*. Also Psalm 111 repeatedly adds **לָעַד** (“forever/everlasting”), e.g. *צִדְקָתוֹ עֹמֶדֶת לָעַד* (v.3), giving the effect of an even more “settled” permanence than the threatened world of Psalm 12. --- ## 7) Social setting contrast: “wicked walk around” → “council of the upright and assembly” Psalm 12 ends with a bleak social picture: - **Ps 12:9**: *סָבִיב רְשָׁעִים יִתְהַלָּכוּן* (“the wicked prowl/walk about on every side”). Psalm 111 opens by situating the speaker among the faithful community: - **Ps 111:1**: *בְּסוֹד יְשָׁרִים וְעֵדָה* (“in the council of the upright and the assembly”). That can be read as a narrative movement: from being surrounded by a corrupt public world to locating oneself liturgically among the **ישרים** (upright), i.e., the faithful remnant/community response to moral collapse. --- ## 8) Form/genre progression: lament + oracle + trust → hymn/wisdom acrostic that “re-orders” reality Even though the forms differ (Psalm 12 is a complaint/plea; Psalm 111 is an alphabetic acrostic hymn), that difference itself can be an argument for “logical sequence”: - Psalm 12 depicts a world of disordered speech (lies, flattering lips, boasting tongues). - Psalm 111’s **acrostic** (ordered A‑to‑Z structure) is a classic way Hebrew poetry signals **wholeness, order, completeness**—a literary “counterworld” to social chaos. So Psalm 111 can function as a deliberate literary-theological move: after the destabilization of Psalm 12, Psalm 111 re-stabilizes the reader with a tightly ordered hymn about YHWH’s ordered, reliable governance (*אמת… משפט… ישר*). --- ### Compressed “logical chain” reading 1. Society collapses into deceit; the faithful disappear (Ps 12:2–5). 2. God promises to arise and protect; his words are pure (Ps 12:6–8). 3. The community responds by gathering and praising the God whose works/precepts/covenant are אמת/נאמנים and endure forever (Ps 111). If you want, I can also list **every shared lexeme** (exact matches like **לְעוֹלָם**, **יְהוָה**, etc.) and the closest **root-level parallels** ranked by rarity/significance, but the strongest “hinges” are the אמן cluster (אֱמוּנִים → נֶאֱמָנִים / אֱמֶת), the heart contrast (בְּלֵב וָלֵב → בְּכָל־לֵבָב), and the “who is lord?” → “fear of YHWH” resolution.
Evaluation
Score: 4.0
Evaluated at: 2026-02-09T02:16:27 (UTC)
Evaluator model: gpt-5.2
Evaluator version: v2
Reasoning: 465 Output: 5174 Total: 5639
Checklist
- Has verse refs: Yes
- Factual error detected: No
- Only generic motifs: No
- Counterargument considered: No
- LXX/MT numbering acknowledged: Yes
Vocabulary specificity: 4.0 / 10
Multiple accurate verse-linked contrasts (Ps12:2/111:7 אמן; 12:3/111:1 whole vs double heart; 12:5/111:10; 12:6/111:5–9). But links are mostly common motifs; no editorial/sequence evidence, and psalms aren’t adjacent.
Prompt
Consider Psalm 12 and Psalm 111 (reproduced below). What arguments could you make to justify that Psalm 111 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 111:
Psalm 111
1. הַ֥לְלוּ
יָ֨הּ ׀
אוֹדֶ֣ה
יְ֭הוָה
בְּכָל־
לֵבָ֑ב
בְּס֖וֹד
יְשָׁרִ֣ים
וְעֵדָֽה׃
2. גְּ֭דֹלִים
מַעֲשֵׂ֣י
יְהוָ֑ה
דְּ֝רוּשִׁ֗ים
לְכָל־
חֶפְצֵיהֶֽם׃
3. הוֹד־
וְהָדָ֥ר
פָּֽעֳל֑וֹ
וְ֝צִדְקָת֗וֹ
עֹמֶ֥דֶת
לָעַֽד׃
4. זֵ֣כֶר
עָ֭שָׂה
לְנִפְלְאֹתָ֑יו
חַנּ֖וּן
וְרַח֣וּם
יְהוָֽה׃
5. טֶ֭רֶף
נָתַ֣ן
לִֽירֵאָ֑יו
יִזְכֹּ֖ר
לְעוֹלָ֣ם
בְּרִיתֽוֹ׃
6. כֹּ֣חַ
מַ֭עֲשָׂיו
הִגִּ֣יד
לְעַמּ֑וֹ
לָתֵ֥ת
לָ֝הֶ֗ם
נַחֲלַ֥ת
גּוֹיִֽם׃
7. מַעֲשֵׂ֣י
יָ֭דָיו
אֱמֶ֣ת
וּמִשְׁפָּ֑ט
נֶ֝אֱמָנִ֗ים
כָּל־
פִּקּוּדָֽיו׃
8. סְמוּכִ֣ים
לָעַ֣ד
לְעוֹלָ֑ם
עֲ֝שׂוּיִ֗ם
בֶּאֱמֶ֥ת
וְיָשָֽׁר׃
9. פְּד֤וּת ׀
שָׁ֘לַ֤ח
לְעַמּ֗וֹ
צִוָּֽה־
לְעוֹלָ֥ם
בְּרִית֑וֹ
קָד֖וֹשׁ
וְנוֹרָ֣א
שְׁמֽוֹ׃
10. רֵ֘אשִׁ֤ית
חָכְמָ֨ה ׀
יִרְאַ֬ת
יְהוָ֗ה
שֵׂ֣כֶל
ט֭וֹב
לְכָל־
עֹשֵׂיהֶ֑ם
תְּ֝הִלָּת֗וֹ
עֹמֶ֥דֶת
לָעַֽד׃