The union of Christians is something really important and something that has not always happened over the years. Psalm 133 is a call to the union of people to worship God and praise His grace; so today we bring it to you analyzed in detail in Your Bible Online.
Psalm 133 of the Bible
Since time immemorial there have been numerous conflicts in humanity, either between people within the same community or large-scale wars with disastrous consequences.
As the intelligent beings that we humans are, we have always looked for ways to solve these conflicts by putting things in common and trying to move forward together. Even so, world peace has never reached one hundred percent.
What if we all joined together motivated by something greater than all of us, such as the worship of the Lord and the pursuit of a fulfilling spiritual life? This may be the solution to many human conflicts, but for this to happen, everyone should know the Word of God.
In Psalm 133 of the Bible we find a true ode to the union of people under the love of God. Thus, being knowledgeable about the Lord’s message, we can use this psalm to let people know the magnificent consequences of joining together to praise God.
In this article of Your Bible Online we are going to comment on the verses of Psalm 133 in detail so that you can perfectly understand its meaning. You will also find the context in which it was written and a prayer to culminate a nice time of prayer with us.
Welcome to the Bible commentary on Psalm 133!
Psalm 133 complete spoken
We begin the article with Psalm 133 on video, so that you can listen to it attentively without having to think about anything else. Just let yourself flow through the three verses which, although short, enjoy a wonderful strength and power.
Go ahead and listen to Psalm 133!
Psalm 133 of the Bible in English and large print
Below you will find Psalm 133 1960 of the Bible, in English and large print so that you can read it without difficulty. Feel the true strength of union by reading these words and share them with whoever you want, so that everyone can share this beautiful message.
The beatitude of brotherly love
Gradual canticle; of David.
1 Look how good and delicious it is!
Siblings living together in harmony!
2 It is like good oil on the head,
Which descends on the beard,
Aaron’s beard,
And he goes down to the hem of his garments;
3 As the dew of Hermon,
Which descends upon the mountains of Zion;
For there the LORD sends a blessing,
And eternal life.
Psalm 133 with meaning and reflection
As you have seen, Psalm 133 is very short, being only one verse longer than the shortest chapter you can find in the Bible. This is Psalm 117, which we leave you below, since its theme is similar to the one we are studying today:
“Praise the LORD, all you nations;
All peoples, praise him.
For he has magnified his mercy upon us,
And the faithfulness of Jehovah is forever.
Alleluia.” (Psalm 117)
This cry for the Lord’s praise throughout the world is the main theme of Psalm 133 as well, in this case contextualized with the situation of Israel at the time of its writing.
Psalm 133 was conceived by David when he succeeded in unifying all the tribes of Israel under the same reign ruled by the Word of God. After years of intense struggle and persecution, all the peoples of the region swore allegiance to David, who was to establish the reign of God on Earth.
In the following, we will analyze each verse in detail, without leaving out any important thing to mention, so that you can perfectly understand the message of this psalm. Let’s get started!
- Psalm 133:1
“Look how good and how delicious it is
Dwell brothers together in harmony!“
Just to begin, David leaves us a precious message that touches the deepest part of our hearts. What is life without the love of the community? Nothing good, that’s for sure.
The union of people through faith is something superior to any other human feeling. And the main figure of this is Our Lord, who guides us all. He is the reason for our joys and makes our union more powerful than anything else in the world.
When there is peace, everything works much better and that is when we move forward as a society. And only with the Lord is it possible to reach this longed-for and desired peace, since his message is one of love among all human beings.
- Psalm 133:2
“It’s like good oil on the head,
Which descends on the beard,
Aaron’s beard,
And go down to the hem of his garments;”
This verse gives comparisons for what has been said in the first verse of the psalm. Many of them will not make any impression on you, since they were dedicated to the people who lived during the Old Testament, but we will explain them to you so that you can get an idea of their depth.
In ancient times, people were anointed on the head with aromatic oils as a way of welcoming them to a home. This was intended to refresh the newcomer and remove the bad odors that were so present in those times.
Thus, the union of the community to praise God generates this characteristic feeling of freshness and well-being. Together we regenerate and feel at ease, as after receiving the oil on our foreheads.
On the other hand, this oil is spread all over the face refreshing more parts of the body, such as the beard and later the shoulders. This means that the joy of a united community does not remain only in the community itself, but spreads and is contagious outside.
Christians should spread the Word of God throughout the world, so that all people may be refreshed with the love of the Lord.
We highlight in this verse the mention of Aaron, a biblical character who was Moses’ brother and accompanied him during most of his life. In Exodus 29:7, it is explained to us how Aaron is anointed with oil to be consecrated as high priest, a fact that David uses to sanctify and give more relevance to the comparison he makes.
“Then you shall take the anointing oil, and pour it on his head, and anoint him.”
(Exodus 29:7)
- Psalm 133:3
“Like the dew of Hermon,
Which descends upon the mountains of Zion;
For there the LORD sends a blessing,
And eternal life.”
The third and last verse of the psalm is a second comparison of this very important union among Christians by faith. In this case the image used is that of the green and blooming Mount Hermon and its dew.
Israel is largely a desert and arid place, with few green places that support animals and plants. David uses the metaphor of Mount Hermon given its contrast with the rest of the landscapes in the area.
Mount Hermon is a mountain range located on the borders of the present-day peoples of Israel, Lebanon and Syria. Given its high altitude compared to the rest of the territory, there are seasons with abundant rainfall and even snow. So it is not surprising that the people of that time had in mind the image of a fertile Mount Hermon, full of life.
In addition, the waters that originate on this mountain flow southward through the Jordan River east of Jerusalem and through the extensive Mediterranean plain to the west. This is what David is referring to with the second phrase of the verse, in which he intends to situate Jerusalem as the new religious center of all Jews.
This is reaffirmed in the last words of the psalm, explaining that God blesses that area by making it a holy city. From that moment of union of the people of Israel centered in Jerusalem, this city has acquired a fundamental importance in all monotheistic religions.
In the New Testament, Jesus went to Jerusalem after spending forty days in the desert, entering the city as the Messiah and King. It is no coincidence that this episode happened in this city, given its importance, as we have explained.
Who wrote Psalm 133
In this case the title leaves no room for doubt: Psalm 133 has a known author, and that is David. Do you know who this biblical character was and what was his important work? If not, stay in this section and we will tell you about it.
The prophet Samuel went to Bethlehem to seek David in the name of God, and to tell him that he was the one chosen to be the new king of Israel. At that time, the territory of Israel was divided into smaller tribes and kingdoms that differed greatly from one another.
From then on, David went through a thousand and one stories that finally led him to become king of Israel, unifying all peoples under one kingdom that followed the light of the Lord. In this long journey throughout his life, David was threatened and persecuted by many and always sought refuge under the Word of God.
He transmitted this attitude to his followers, to such an extent that he was considered one of the main prophets of Judaism and later of Christianity.
His psalms, poetic and musical compositions that transmit teachings to the faithful in a pleasant and easy to memorize way, have reached our times. All of them are collected in the Book of Psalms, along with other psalms written by renowned prophets or even some whose authorship is unknown.
Psalm 133 Prayer
As we have analyzed in this Psalm 133 and as you have been able to read in the text, the union in community is an indispensable pillar of our faith that we must not forget.
For this, we propose a prayer related to Psalm 133, which we heartily recommend you to pray in company and thus put into practice all that you have learned in today’s psalm.
After this precious prayer, we bid you farewell, but not before thanking you for reading our articles and sharing them with your loved ones, thus spreading the Word of God and uniting the Christian community.
Remember that you can find other articles related to psalms, proverbs and other chapters by browsing our website. For our part, and if you have not yet read it, we invite you to know the 23rd Psalm of the Catholic Bible, a real wonder.
That said, thank you once again and, see you in the next article!