Psalms 133:1

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! Psalms 133:1.-The goodness and pleasantness of brethren dwelling together in unity. "Behold" accords with the reference being to a meeting of the national brotherhood at the great festivals. So the comparison to the priesthood (). Zion, in , is marked as the place of meeting. As in Psalms 122:1 David strengthened the people's love for Jerusalem, so in this psalm he glorifies the communion of saints now restored at Zion, after its long intermission during the ark's twenty years' stay out of mind at Kirjath-jearim. Behold, how good and...

1._Behold how good, _etc. I have no doubt that David in this Psalm renders thanks to God for the peace and harmony which had succeeded a long and melancholy state of confusion and division in the kingdom, and that he would exhort all individually to study the maintenance of peace. This is the subject enlarged upon, at least so far as the shortness of the Psalm admits of it. There was ample ground to praise the goodness of God in the highest terms, for uniting in one a people which had been so deplorably divided. When he first came to the kingdom the larger part of the nation considered him in the light of an enemy to the public good, and were alienated from him. Indeed so mortal was the feud which existed, that nothing else than the destruction of the party in opposition seemed to hold out the prospect of peace. The hand of God was wonderfully seen, and most unexpectedly, in the concord...

PSALM CXXXIII _The comfort and benefit of the communion of saints_, 1-3. NOTES ON PSALM CXXXIII There are different opinions concerning this Psalm; the most probable is, that it represents the priests and Levites returned from captivity, and united in the service of God in the sanctuary. This, the preceding, and the following, appear to make one subject. In the _one hundred and thirty-second_, the Lord is entreated to enter his temple, and pour out his benediction; in the _one hundred and thirty-third_, the beautiful order and harmony of the temple service is pointed out, and in the _one hundred and_ _thirty-fourth_, all are exhorted to diligence and watchfulness in the performance of their duty. It is attributed to David by the Hebrew, the Syriac, and the Vulgate; but no na

BEHOLD - As if he looked upon such a gathering, and saw there the expressions of mutual love. This may have been uttered in the actual contemplation of such an assemblage; or it may have been a picture of the imagination. HOW GOOD - How good in itself; how proper; how suited to promote happiness, and to diffuse good influences abroad. AND HOW PLEASANT - The word used here means lovely, charming, attractive; that which fills the mind with delight, spoken of one beloved, Song of Solomon 7:6; of a friend, 2 Samuel 1:26; of a place, Genesis 49:15; of words,...

EXPOSITION A SHORT psalm in praise of unity and brotherly harmony. As Dr. Kay observes, "The preservation of this unity was the object of the selection of ONE place, to which the tribes should go up on pilgrimage three times a year." And the intercommunion with each other, which the pilgrimages fostered, was certainly one of the chief means by which a unity of feeling and sentiment was kept up among the scattered members of the nation century after century. The pilgrimages were to the Israelites what the meetings at the Olympic and ether games were to the Greeks—at once witnesses to a belief in ethnic unity, and a strong and efficient bond of union. This psalm was therefore admirably fitted for a "pilgrim-song," which it is allowed on all hands to have been, and must have greatly helped the various classes of pilgrims-the spiritual and secular authorities, the rich, the poor, the citizen...

BEHOLD, HOW GOOD AND HOW PLEASANT [IT IS],.... Aben Ezra thinks the word thing should be supplied; the thing is what follows; FOR BRETHREN TO DWELL TOGETHER IN UNITY: which the Targum interprets of Zion and Jerusalem, as two brethren; Aben Ezra of the priests; Kimchi of the King Messiah and the priest; and Jarchi, and Kimchi's father, of the Israelites; which is best of all, especially of those who are Israelites indeed; for this is not to be understood of all mankind, who are in some sense brethren, being all of one blood, and among whom peace is to be cultivated; nor merely of those of the same nation, under one and the same government, who should endeavour to live peaceably and quietly; nor of brethren in a strict natural state, who belong to the same family, and are of the same parents, and should be kindly affectioned one to another; but rather of such who are so in a spiritual sen...

A SONG OF DEGREES Literally, "of ascents." Perhaps chanted by the people as they went up to Jerusalem to the feasts. See, for example (Psalms 112:1); (Psalms 112:2)....

PSALM 120-134 The Psalms of Degrees Fifteen brief Psalms follow, called songs of degrees, or, ascents. They were in all probability used by Israel going up to Jerusalem three times a year to celebrate the feasts of the Lord--”Whither the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD, a testimony for Israel, to give thanks unto the name of the LORD.” They are indeed Psalms of “the goings-up” for we rise higher and higher as we read through them. Prophetically they give us again the steps from trial and suffering to the glorious consummation. As they are so simple in language and construction no lengthy annotations are needed. Psalms 120:1 begins with distress, picturing again the suffering of the righteous godly remnant. In Psalms 121:1 the Keeper of Israel, the Covenant Keeping God, is revealed

CXXXIII. FRATERNAL LOVE. The general sense is clear, but it presents difficulties due to the intrusion of glosses. The unity spoken of here is the special good-will which becomes those who join in Temple worship. It is compared to precious oil with which Aaron was consecrated (Leviticus 8:30), and which was used in such abundance that it streamed from his beard to the collar of his vestment. Next this fraternal unity is compared with the life-giving dew (p. 29) which falls abundantly on Hermon in the north, its freshness being also felt far south on Mount Zion. [See also OTJC 2, p. 212. A. S. P.]...

TITLE.. SONG OF DEGREES. Same as 120. The three subjects of the three Psalms of this last group are merged in blessing. OF DAVID. by David. Hezekiah found this Psalm exactly suited for his purpose. David wrote it on the experience of. similar blessing of "unity, "when "all Israel" were united "as the heart of ONE MAN "(2 Samuel 19:9; 2 Samuel 19:14). It was the same with Hezekiah. Read 2 Chronicles 30:5; 2 Chronicles 30:6 2 Chronicles 30:11,...