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How Good and Pleasant Is Unity

A Song of Ascents. Of David.

133 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
For (A)brothers to dwell together in unity!
It is like the good (B)oil upon the head,
Coming down upon the beard,
Aaron’s beard,
Coming down upon the (C)edge of his robes.
It is like the (D)dew of (E)Hermon
Coming down upon the (F)mountains of Zion;
For there, Yahweh (G)commanded the blessing—(H)life forever.

Living in Harmony

A song of ascents. Of David.

133 How delightfully good
when brothers live together in harmony!(A)
It is like fine oil on the head,
running down on the beard,
running down Aaron’s beard
onto his robes.(B)
It is like the dew of Hermon[a]
falling on the mountains of Zion.(C)
For there the Lord has appointed the blessing –
life for evermore.(D)

Footnotes

  1. 133:3 The tallest mountain in the region, noted for its abundant precipitation

133 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!

It 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;

As 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.

The Love of God’s People

A song ·for going up to worship [of ascents; C perhaps sung while traveling to Jerusalem to celebrate an annual religious festival like Passover]. Of David.

133 ·It is [L How] good and pleasant
    when ·God’s people [L brothers] live together [C in unity]!
It is like ·perfumed [fine] oil on the head
    and running down his beard [Ex. 30:22–33].
It ran down Aaron’s beard
    and on to the collar of his robes.
It is like the dew of Mount Hermon [C in the extreme north of Israel]
    falling on the hills of ·Jerusalem [L Zion; C the location of the Temple].
There the Lord ·gives [L commanded] his blessing
    of life forever.