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How Pleasant to Live in Harmony!
Psalm 133 is a short song about the goodness of brothers living together in unity. It uses two strong comparisons, precious oil and dew, to show that unity is not small or ordinary.
Understanding the passage
Read these words in context
This three-verse psalm begins by calling attention to how good and pleasant unity is. It then compares that unity to precious oil running down Aaron’s beard and robes, and to the dew of Hermon coming down on the hills of Zion. The psalm ends by saying that Yahweh gives blessing there.
Psalms 133:1–3Main takeaway
This psalm presents brothers living together in unity as good and pleasant, and links that unity with Yahweh’s blessing.
Explore the poem and its images
Open a card to explore the full explanation and its Bible references.
01A song that says unity is goodThe psalm starts with an invitation to notice something: “See”. What the singer wants people to notice is that it is “good” and “pleasant” for brothers to live together in unity.
Explanation
The psalm starts with an invitation to notice something: “See”. What the singer wants people to notice is that it is “good” and “pleasant” for brothers to live together in unity. The verse does not argue the point at length. It simply states the value of unity clearly and warmly.
02Like precious oil running downThe first comparison says unity is “like the precious oil on the head”. The picture continues as the oil ran down on the beard, on Aaron’s beard, and down to the edge of his robes.
Explanation
The first comparison says unity is “like the precious oil on the head”. The picture continues as the oil ran down on the beard, on Aaron’s beard, and down to the edge of his robes. The repeated movement downward gives the image a full, flowing quality, and the oil is called “precious”.
03Like the dew of HermonThe second comparison is “like the dew of Hermon, that comes down on the hills of Zion”. As in the previous verse, the image includes something coming down.
Explanation
The second comparison is “like the dew of Hermon, that comes down on the hills of Zion”. As in the previous verse, the image includes something coming down. The psalm does not explain every detail of the comparison, but it places this picture alongside the picture of oil to describe unity.
04Yahweh gives blessing thereThe final line explains why this matters so much: “for there Yahweh gives the blessing”. The blessing is then named as “life forever more”.
Explanation
The final line explains why this matters so much: “for there Yahweh gives the blessing”. The blessing is then named as “life forever more”. The psalm ends by connecting unity with Yahweh’s gift, so the song closes not only with a pleasant picture but with blessing and life from Yahweh.
Questions to explore
Pause, look back at the verses and talk together.
01What two words does verse 1 use to describe brothers living together in unity?
Read the opening line carefully and find the exact words the psalm uses before it mentions brothers living together in unity.
02What details make the oil picture in verse 2 memorable?
Notice where the oil starts, where it runs, and whose beard and robes are named in the comparison.
03According to verse 3, who gives the blessing, and what is the blessing called?
Look at the final line, which names both the giver of the blessing and the words used to describe it.
Read the Bible passage
World English Bible ClassicScripture quotation · Public domain
Psalms 133:1–3
1See how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to live together in unity!
2It is like the precious oil on the head, that ran down on the beard, even Aaron’s beard, that came down on the edge of his robes,
3like the dew of Hermon, that comes down on the hills of Zion; for there Yahweh gives the blessing, even life forever more.