Lectionary Calendar
Saturday, December 21st, 2024
the Third Week of Advent
the Third Week of Advent
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Bible Commentaries
Hengstenberg on John, Revelation, Ecclesiastes, Ezekiel & Psalms Hengstenberg's Commentary
Copyright Statement
These files are public domain.
Text Courtesy of BibleSupport.com. Used by Permission.
These files are public domain.
Text Courtesy of BibleSupport.com. Used by Permission.
Bibliographical Information
Hengstenberg, Ernst. "Commentary on Psalms 133". Hengstenberg on John, Revelation, Ecclesiastes, Ezekiel & Psalms. https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/heg/psalms-133.html.
Hengstenberg, Ernst. "Commentary on Psalms 133". Hengstenberg on John, Revelation, Ecclesiastes, Ezekiel & Psalms. https://www.studylight.org/
Whole Bible (44)Old Testament (1)Individual Books (5)
Introduction
Psalms 133
The Psalm is a celebration of brotherly harmony, the loveliness of which is represented under a double image. The behold! with which it begins, shows that the Psalmist had before his eyes a lovely meeting of brethren, and thence took occasion to direct attention to the blessing of such a meeting. That this meeting has a religious centre, is manifest at once from the whole character of the Psalm itself, and shines out with special clearness from the comparison made with the priesthood, in Psalms 133:2. According to Psalms 133:3, it refer to the assembling of the people at Zion, as that was wont to take place since the time of David at the great festivals, especially at the Passover. With this the superscription entirely coincides.
The Psalm forms a side-piece to Psalms 122, which sought to form in the people a heart for the new capital, or rather to lend words to the heart of the people, already filled with love to it. David brings here to the consciousness of the people the glory of the fellowship of the saints, which had so long fallen into abeyance, and the restoration of which had begun with the setting up of the tabernacle in Zion, after it had been interrupted during the entire period in which the ark had been buried as in its grave at Kirjath-jearim.
The supposition that the Psalm refers to the unity of the remnant who had come back from exile, rests upon an arbitrary rejection of the superscription, and an overlooking of the fresh, original, pregnant character of the little Psalm. It is against the supposition also, that the mournful character which pervades all the post-exile Psalms, does not meet us here. The Psalm manifestly proceeds from a prosperous condition for the people of God, on which the eye of the Psalmist lingers with delight. The people of God, according to Psalms 133:3, rejoice in the possession of life and blessing, on account of the good specially mentioned by the Psalmist and generally.
Verses 1-3
Ver. 1. A Song of the Pilgrimages of David. Behold how good and how lovely it is, that brethren also dwell together. Ver. 2. As the good oil upon the head, flowing down upon the beard, the beard of Aaron, wit down upon the border of his garments. Ver. 3. As Hermon’s dew, which descends upon the mountains of Zion; for there has the Lord commanded the blessing, life for evermore.
Brethren, Psalms 133:1, were all the children of Israel toward each other, because they were all sons of God. This also is not to be overlooked or impaired. The brotherly relation had constantly existed, but what should have followed upon this, their feeling themselves to be brethren, and, as such, living harmoniously together, this for a long time had been wanting. The good oil, Psalms 133:2, is the holy anointing oil, for the preparation of which directions are given in Exodus 30:22 ss. It consisted of olive oil, mixed with four of the best spices. The predicate good does not refer simply to the physical quality of this oil. The Psalmist views it with a spiritual eye, and, so viewed, it served as an image to him of what was most glorious and lovely; it was the symbol of the spirit of God; comp. Christol. on Daniel 9:24; Bähr Symbolik ii. s. 171. On the expression: on the head, comp. Exodus 29:7; Leviticus 8:12, Leviticus 21:10. Aaron stands here not simply for the high-priest, but rather as the venerable father of the whole priesthood, whose dignity was still further increased by the goodness of the oil. The image is not taken from what was then visible, but from scripture; comp. Exodus 29:7, Exodus 40:13. There is no reason to look away from the person of Aaron, and it is indeed very doubtful, whether the later high-priests were anointed, and whether the anointing of Aaron was not rather the first and the last, available for all times. To the goodness of the high-priest’s anointing belonged its copiousness; flowing down upon the beard, through which the anointing of the high-priest was distinguished from that of the priests. Only with Aaron was the oil richly poured out upon the head: the common priests were merely streaked with oil upon the forehead; see Bähr. שירך refers to the beard, not to the anointing, which must not flow down upon the holy garments, but was only intended for the hair,—from that of the head to that of the long beard. פי is the opening or border at the neck of the garment.
The point of comparison in Psalms 133:3 has been falsely made out by several. It is fixed by the: how good and how lovely, in Psalms 133:1. In the oil the goodness is expressly marked as the point of comparison. So that the lovely specially remains for the dew. The passage is to be taken thus: Hermon, Hermon’s dew = lovely dew. The dew is the more lovely the more glorious the place where it falls, as, in Psalms 133:2, the goodness of the oil was heightened by the dignity of the person who was anointed with it. The question, how could the dew of Hermon descend upon the mountains of Zion, is consequently disposed of. Brotherly unity resembles, a lovely dew, which descends on the hills of Zion, where this unity is so strikingly exemplified. The local שם , there, refers not to the brotherly unity, but to the place mentioned immediately before, the hills of Zion. To Zion, which comes here into consideration as the then bearer of the kingdom of God, belongs blessing and prosperity generally, therefore also the blessing and prosperity connected with brotherly unity, such as is not to be found in the world, nor grows on the soil of nature, but only in that of grace, which is confined to the kingdom of God.