Wisdom & Poetry · Old Testament
Psalms 133
Psalm 133: brethren in unity, like oil on Aaron's beard and dew on Zion
General context
The psalm declares how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity. It compares this to the precious ointment on the head that ran down on the beard, Aaron's beard, and went down to the skirts of his garments. It compares it also to the dew of Hermon and the dew that descended on the mountains of Zion, and it ends by saying that there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.
Cited passages: Psalms 133:1, Psalms 133:2, Psalms 133:3
Psalms 133 (KJV)
1Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!
2It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments;
3As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.
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Historical context
The source prints no heading for this psalm; verse 1 begins with "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is", so no title, author or occasion is given and none is asserted. Aaron is the one person named, and only his beard and garments are mentioned; the psalm does not say when the ointment ran down or refer to any event. Hermon and the mountains of Zion are the places named, and the psalm does not explain the distance between them or how dew from one relates to the other. The "brethren" are not identified, and the psalm does not say whether it means a family or a wider group. "There" in verse 3 is where the Lord commanded the blessing; the nearest named place is the mountains of Zion, but the text does not say so outright. No Selah occurs.
Cited passages: Psalms 133:1, Psalms 133:2, Psalms 133:3
Literary context
One statement and two comparisons. The opening exclamation names the subject, brethren dwelling in unity, and nothing after it describes the brethren; the rest of the psalm is picture. Both pictures move downward: ointment runs from head to beard to the skirts of the garments, and dew descends on mountains. The first is named as "precious" and tied to Aaron; the second is doubled, the dew of Hermon and the dew on Zion's mountains. The last clause turns from likeness to the Lord's act, "commanded the blessing", and the psalm's final words, "life for evermore", widen a scene about ointment and dew into a promise without limit. The verses grow longer as the psalm goes on, from a single line to a two-part comparison to a comparison that carries the conclusion.
Cited passages: Psalms 133:1, Psalms 133:2, Psalms 133:3
Key moments
- Brethren in unity (Psalms 133:1). The psalm exclaims how good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.
- Oil on Aaron's beard (Psalms 133:2). Unity is likened to precious ointment running down Aaron's beard to his garments.
- Dew and the commanded blessing (Psalms 133:3). Unity is likened to dew on Zion's mountains, where the Lord commanded life for evermore.
For reflection
The psalm praises unity among brethren but describes only oil running down and dew descending, both things that arrive from above and spread. What does that choice of pictures suggest about where the psalm thinks unity comes from?
