Bible Commentaries

The occasion of this short but beautiful psalm is not named; yet it is thought to have been written when the tribes, after a civil war of seven years with the house of Saul, came together, and made David king; when the princes, the altar, and the throne gave each other the hand. How pleasant to see a nation thus of one mind!

Psalms 133:2. It is like the precious ointment, of very exquisite perfume, which Moses commanded to be prepared, and richly poured upon the frontlets of the head of Aaron. Exodus 30:25-30.

Psalms 133:3. As the dew of Hermon, a high hill, thirty miles east of Jerusalem: [and as the dew] these four last words are printed in italics, in our bibles, to show that they are not in the Hebrew text; neither are they in the Greek, nor in the Latin. Both Jerome and Montanus read, Sicut ros Hermon, qui descendit in montem Sion. As the dew of Hermon which descended on mount Zion. The sense is injured by making a double rain. Whoever first foisted those four words into his version, was ignorant of meteorology. When the experienced Hebrew saw the morning dew spread on all the ground, he said, the sun will gain the ascendancy, and we shall have a hot day; but when he saw the cloud on Hermon, he augured rain on Zion, and all the happy land; and with the rain he augured the continuance of all the promised blessings, long and happy life; yea, by association, life eternal.

REFLECTIONS.

The Hebrew families had at the first a spacious lot of land; but if the family multiplied, those lands by frequent subdivisions would become small. Hence the brethren dwelt together; and when they lived in peace and love it was a high commendation, and consequently fit to express that union of heart and hope which makes the whole church of Christ become one spirit in the Lord. A thousand smiles, a thousand joys, a thousand comforts are consequent on a society being like the primitive church, all of one heart and of one soul.

It is like the precious ointment, or the fragrant oil poured on the head of Aaron, and the princes, which was figurative of the grace of the Holy Spirit, which alone can qualify men for sacred offices. It ran down—to his skirts. In like manner, divine grace overflowing the soul of a father, shall run down upon his children, even the anointing and heritage of the Lord. So also will the Lord ever raise up young converts in the church, as fruitful branches to perpetuate the beauty of Zion.

This unity was good and pleasant as the dew of Hermon, a mountain east of Jerusalem, and near the Jordan. When the dews lay long on the ground, the husbandman would expect another sultry day; but when he saw the summit of Hermon enshrouded with a cloud, he knew it would soon fall with blessings on the hill of Zion, and on all the land. So unity of heart and fervour of spirit is the way for the cloud of pentecost still to descend anew on his parched people, and make his Zion as the garden of Eden; yea, to bless her with life for evermore. Oh Lord, save us from all strife, and grant us this good and pleasant thing.