Psalm 133 - How good is unity?

Psalm 133 is both the second-last psalm of ascents and also the second-shortest psalm of ascents. It's also the one with all the beards! It's the fourth "for David", or the fifth if you want to include the previous psalm which is all about David but not actually "for David." 

As a David psalm it is hard to find the link on first viewing, except perhaps to point to the priests who serve in Zion. However, there is more, which we will come back to below.

The first word of the psalm proper (הנה, look, behold) is also the first word of the following psalm, linking them together. So too does the word blessing, which occurs only once at the end of this psalm but repeatedly, even as the keyword, in the next psalm. 

Apart from these words which link with the following psalm, in the rest of this psalm there is again much repetition. “Good” occurs in v1 and v2, “how?” twice in v1, “beard” twice in v2, “go down” twice in v2 and a third time in v3. על (upon) is thrice in v2 and then a fourth time in v3. And the comparative כ is used to introduce the two similes in v2. 

The structure seems to be step after step. It looks pretty awful, but here it is:

A song for going up. For David.

1 How good and how pleasant

when brothers live together in harmony!

2 like good oil on the head, 

running down on the beard - the beard of Aaron,  

running down onto his robes.

3 like the dew of Hermon 

falling on the mountains of Zion. 

For there Yhwh commands blessing— 

life until forever.

The subject of the psalm

This is an odd psalm, in that it seems to be dealing with two subjects. In the first verse the subject is the closeness of brothers: 

שׁבת אחים גם־יחד  | brothers dwelling together. 

This is the subject of two rhetorical questions: how good and how pleasant in the first stich. In other words, what is better than the closeness of two brothers?! However this topic seems to be superseded by a second subject in the final two stichs of the psalm, the place where Yhwh has appointed (lit. commanded, צוה (ṣiwwâ) to rhyme with ציון (ṣı̂yôn, Zion)) blessing. It's not immediately clear how these two fit together. "There" is a location, but “brothers” (whether this be actual siblings, all Israel, the priesthood) describes a relationship. The blessing which is found there (שׁם) is חיים עד־העולם (life unto eternity), which again, doesn't quite gel with how the psalm began.

Perhaps the way these two separate ideas come together is in the blessing refracted through unity among people. That is, where there is unity, there is blessing. Where there is togetherness, there is a lasting presence. In disunity there is fracturing and disaster and dissolution of the good. 

Until eternity

The final phrase עד־העולם (with the article) is shared with a number of psalms (28:9; 41:13; 106:48), and indeed gives this psalm its eschatological direction. The three remaining uses of the phrase are Nehemiah 9:5, but also significantly 1 Chronicles 16:36; 17:14. In ch. 16 it is the final words of the song David sang to celebrate the delivery of the ark into Jerusalem, while in ch. 17 is Yhwh speaking through Nathan to confirm his promise to build David a house. In this sense, the use of עד־העולם is almost as if it is an overflow from Psalm 132, with the joy of the ark coming to Jerusalem and Yhwh's promise to David, being the launching pad from which to sing this new song. Indeed, the picture of 1 Chronicles 16 is that of unity, with every person in the whole land celebrating, every person in the whole land given a gift of food from the king, and the song itself (v8-36) makes numerous references to the one nation of Israel and God's care and salvation of it מן־העולם ועד־העולם (from forever and until forever). 

Hermon and Zion

The two places mentioned in apposition to one another are the mountains of Zion and Hermon, both mountains among other mountains. Hermon in particular has multiple summits and is way up north, even in Syria/Palestine. Depending on your map the kingdoms of David and Solomon probably extended that far (it is in between the northernmost Israelite town of Dan and the Syrian city of Damascus). Goldingay (BCOTWP) spends a whole page debunking the oft-repeated theory that Hermon had especially noteworthy dew (he calls it "inherently implausible"). The markers then, much like in the second of the songs (Meschech & Kedar; 121:5), are pointing to the two important mountains to the north (Hermon) and south (Zion) of Israel, which could be something of a merismus to imply the whole of the nation.

A more important question however is what is going on in this verse. The syntax is a little confusing (or at least, it is to me), as there's only the one verb to go around.

כטל־חרמון | like the dew of Hermon

שׁירד | which falls down

על־הררי ציון | upon the mountains of Zion

→ the three key words/phrases in order

like the dew of Hermon which falls down

[like the dew] upon the mountains of Zion

→ they both are mountains, and dew falls on both of them

like the dew of Hermon

[the very dew] which falls down upon the mountains of Zion

→ the dew falls down on Hermon and then runs down on to Zion

The first syntax option is syntactically weirder (the verb really should go with Zion) but the second is a weirder image (how does the dew from one mountain run hundreds of kilometres down and then uphill?!). 

The NIV (if I'm understanding it correctly) goes with a third option, taking it as an eschatological hope, that the mythical dew which falls on Hermon (a now debunked theory!) might one day also fall on Zion: "It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Zion". The CSB and RSV and others go with my second option, that the same dew of Hermon keeps flowing to Zion (or perhaps evaporates from Hermon and then falls on Zion). 

First off, it's worth saying that the precipitation that Hermon is best known for is snow, rather than dew, but that snow does indeed, like in alpine regions, flow downhill, and would flow down into the Jordan and to the foothills of Canaan, out of which Zion climbs. So although this is not the immediate image conjured, when coupled with the flowing oil in v2, from head to beard to clothes, the image is one of God pouring out dew/snow/precipitation on the most northerly point of Israel, which then flows to and nourishes the rest of the land.

Putting it all together

Working from the end to the beginning, this psalm speaks of the way he brings blessing to his people. We know how snow from the highest peaks nourishes all the land through the rivers, as Hermon does Zion. We can look at the priesthood for another illustration, as precious oil is poured on the head and flows to the beard and then clothing of Aaron and his descendants. All this is an illustration of unity, most perfectly illustrated between brothers. It is good and pleasant not just for them at the head, but for everyone their unity impacts as their harmony flows down the chain. 

This psalm is not arguing for trickle down economics, but for trickle-down blessing. It begins with unity and harmony, and as people live out the gospel in life, in forgiveness and selflessness and generosity, this flows down and impacts many others by bringing the blessing of Yhwh: life evermore.

i'm back, with Asaph

1/ apologies for the lack of blogging in the last week (sorry mum and mark)
i've been quite busy, and then i took a week off in the blue mountains. i'm sure byron will oblige with a couple of points for anyone able to guess the lookout point for this photo!
2/ still reading through the Psalms, i've arrived at the offerings of a chap called Asaph. he starts off book three, with psalms 73-83, as well as 50, and possibly that recorded in 1 Chronicles 16, after the Ark of the covenant was brought back to Jerusalem.
he also got the great job of banging the cymbals on the way (along with Heman!), to warn people not to grab it like Uzzah did.

the thing that interested me especially was the progression from 73-83.
please do read on if this interests you!

73 starts of saying he's worried by the prosperity of the wicked, but realises that his strength is in the Lord,

v25-26 Whom have I in heaven but you?
And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

74 therefore returns to the honour, not of his own self, but of God,

v21-22 Let not the downtrodden turn back in shame;
let the poor and needy praise your name.
Arise, O God, defend your cause;
remember how the foolish scoff at you all the day!

75 is "according to Do Not Destroy"; Israel looks in pretty bad shape, and their enemies may well be closing in, it seems a desperate reminder that they are God's chosen people, and their enemies are not,

v8-9 For in the hand of the Lord there is a cup
with foaming wine, well mixed,
and he pours out from it,
and all the wicked of the earth
shall drain it down to the dregs.
But I will declare it forever;
I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.

76 is a reminder of God's worthiness, of the unworthiness of all others, and after effusive praises,

v11-12 Make your vows to the Lord your God and perform them;
let all around him bring gifts
to him who is to be feared,
who cuts off the spirit of princes,
who is to be feared by the kings of the earth.

77 is a time when things have, it seems, hit rock-bottom,

v2-3 In the day of my trouble I seek the Lord;
in the night my hand is stretched out without wearying;
my soul refuses to be comforted.
When I remember God, I moan;
when I meditate, my spirit faints. Selah

78 then recounts the entire history of God's covenantal relationship with his people, remembering his fidelity despite his people's continual provocation,

v5-8 He established a testimony in Jacob
and appointed a law in Israel,
which he commanded our fathers
to teach to their children,
that the next generation might know them,
the children yet unborn,
and arise and tell them to their children,
so that they should set their hope in God
and not forget the works of God,
but keep his commandments;
and that they should not be like their fathers,
a stubborn and rebellious generation,
a generation whose heart was not steadfast,
whose spirit was not faithful to God.

79, now that God's character has been firmly established, is the plea to him, to redeem them, like in Ps74,

v9 Help us, O God of our salvation,
for the glory of your name;
deliver us, and atone for our sins,
for your name's sake!

80, similarly, pleads for redemption,

v7-8 Restore us, O God of hosts;
let your face shine, that we may be saved!
You brought a vine out of Egypt;
you drove out the nations and planted it.

81, and it seems it's not working. The problem isn't with God, the problem lies in his people,

v13 Oh, that my people would listen to me,
that Israel would walk in my ways!

82 (a favourite with JW's!) compares the God of Israel to the other (false) gods, and illuminates the way those who follow other gods end up treating others (assuming the English punctuation is accurate),

v2-3 How long will you judge unjustly
and show partiality to the wicked? Selah
Give justice to the weak and the fatherless;
maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute.

83 wraps up this big eleven with a final plea for God to take action, to no longer be silent,

v17-18 Let them be put to shame and dismayed forever;
let them perish in disgrace,
that they may know that you alone,
whose name is the Lord,
are the Most High over all the earth.

i've been trying to think through Asaph's role as David's Psalmist, thinking how it may've worked, what he would be instructing his Psalmist, "quick, the Philistines are coming! write a Psalm we can sing to God reminding him of the covenant."
[...]
"well that obviously didn't work. how about one telling him that it's not about us, but him!"

i don't know if that's quite how it would have worked, how much artistic license the King's Psalmist would have, how much direction etc.

but it is interesting seeing the progression, from 73's, "help us God, you're really good," to the incredulity at God's inactivity in 74, then remembering who he really is in 75-76; a big, all-in plea in 77, and then a reminder to God of his covenantal promises (c/f Exodus 2:23-25?) in 78.
the final five seem quite despondent, although they do seem to recognise the root problem - namely their own sin.

i guess in some ways it goes to show that even over a lifetime of relating to the God of the Universe, there are always going to be the same elements of sin, of asking, "where is God now?" and of singing his praises.

something worse than abortion

the untouchables series at church have been interesting and engaging, to say the least. they were on racism, homosexuality, abortion and church and state. a step away from the week-to-week exegetical preaching we're used to, the topical talks have been a good point for engagement with the community.

the angle that wasn't looked at, at least explicitly, was from the perspective of retrieval ethic. mainly associated with (i think) Reinhold Niebuhr (but also Michael Hill of Moore College), it's looking at questions that would, should be open and shut, were we living in a perfect world.

but since we aren't, questions such as "war", are actually not as simple as "war's bad", because, using the paradigm of the retrieval ethic, there may be "worse things than war", such as (to use the Niebuhr example) Hitler ruling the world! that is not to say there should be no boundaries, no rules of engagement, no limits - but that pacifism isn't necessarily the answer, as so many who quote John 18:36 may claim:

Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.”

likewise, i think the same may apply to the question of abortion. we see the "right to lifers" coming to blows with the "pro-choicers", in much the same way as pacifists come at the warmongers.

it's not about the 3rd way or the middle path; rather accepting doing the best we can in this fallen world to be compassionate, merciful and just, recognising that we are under God.


anything we can therefore do is not going to reverse the curse, nor should that be in our minds.

1 Chronicles 29:11-12 Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all.
Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all.