The big picture
Psalms 133 opens in verse 1 with “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!”, reaches its middle movement near verse 2 with “It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even…”, and closes in verse 3 with “As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for…” Repeated or prominent terms include beard, Aaron’s, blessing, brethren, commanded. Together, those details trace this chapter’s own movement from its opening to its conclusion.
Scripture beside the summary
Psalms · King James Version · 3Psalms 133:1-3
1–3: Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together…
Psalms 133:1–3 opens with “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” and reaches “As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Psalms 133 develops its own movement around beard, Aaron’s, blessing, brethren, commanded, with particular weight carried by beard, Aaron’s, blessing.
Psalms 133:1-3
King James Version1Behold, 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.
Details worth noticing
The opening image
Psalms 133:1 begins with “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!”
Where the chapter turns
Psalms 133:2 forms a natural hinge: “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;”
The final note
Psalms 133:3 leaves the reader with “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.”
A word trail through the chapter
The words beard, Aaron’s, blessing, brethren, commanded, descended help reveal the chapter’s repeated concerns.
KJV words made clear
- behold
- look, or pay close attention
Text first
Where readers differ
The chapter summary begins with what the passage says and how its parts fit together. It does not assume one denomination has already settled every question. Where a conclusion depends on a tradition, literary theory, or historical reconstruction, that dependence is named openly.
The KJV text is presented first. Interpretive conclusions are labeled, and differences are introduced only when they help a reader understand why serious communities do not always reach the same answer.
Comparative interpretive notes for this chapter are in preparation. Until reviewed notes are ready, this page separates the KJV text from summary and application without claiming that serious readers agree on every question.