Psalms 133:1–3
How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together
Study it word by word1A song of the ascents. Of David. Look, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell also together.
2It is like the good oil on the head, coming down on the beard, the beard of Aaron, that comes down over the collar of his garments;
3like the dew of Hermon that comes down on the mountains of Zion; for there YHWH commanded the blessing, life forever.
Its words in the original
- שִׁירshir· song
Song, singing.
- מַּעֲלוֹתmaalot· step; ascent
Step, stair; going up.
- דָוִדdavid· David
David, youngest son of Jesse, of Bethlehem; the second king of Israel. The name means "beloved."
- טּוֹבtov· good
Good in the widest sense: pleasant, beautiful, useful, right, of good quality. As a noun, "good", "good things", "well-being".
- נָּעִיםnaim· pleasant, lovely
Pleasant, dear, delightful; said of persons, of words and of songs.
- שֶׁבֶתshevet· sit, dwell
Sit, sit down; from there stay in a place, live, dwell. In the causative form, settle someone, make to dwell. Also sit as judge or as king.
- אַחִיםachim· brother
Brother; also a close relative, or someone of the same people.
- יָחַדyachad· together
Together, at the same time.
- שֶּׁמֶןshemen· oil
Olive oil. It was used for food, light, and perfume, and also to consecrate something or someone to God (anoint).
- רֹאשׁrosh· head, chief
Head. From there the first or the chief of a group, the top of a mountain, the beginning of something, or the sum; also the branches of a river.
- יֹרֵדyored· go down, bring down
Go down, come down, descend. In the causative form, bring down, take down. Going from Canaan to Egypt is "going down".
- זָּקָןzakan· beard
Beard; also the chin.
- אַהֲרֹןaharon· Aaron
Aaron, the older brother of Moses, his spokesman before Pharaoh and the first high priest of Israel.
- פִּיpi· mouth
Mouth. Also what someone says or commands ("by the mouth of" = by the word of); the edge of a sword; "according to".
- מִדּוֹתָיmidotay· measure, size
Measure, size; also a measured portion or a garment.
- טַלtal· dew
Dew: the moisture of the night, which in a dry land keeps the plants alive.
- חֶרְמוֹןchermon· Hermon
Hermon: a high mountain north of Israel.
- הַרְרֵיharre· mountain
Mount, mountain (a poetic form).
- צִיּוֹןtsiyon· Zion
Zion: the fortified hill of Jerusalem that David took from the Jebusites; later the name is used for all Jerusalem and for the temple mount.
- צִוָּהtsiva· command
Command, give an order; give charge to someone.
- יְהוָהyehva· YHWH
The personal name of the God of Israel, written in Hebrew with four letters, Y-H-W-H, without vowels. Out of reverence Jews stopped pronouncing it and read "Adonai" (Lord), so many Bibles put "the LORD" or "Jehovah". This translation keeps the four letters. The name is related to the verb "to be" (Exodus 3:14-15). He is not a god other than Elohim: "YHWH Elohim" is the same Creator God, called by his name.
- בְּרָכָהberacha· blessing
Blessing: the good that God gives (life, children, prosperity) and the words with which it is asked for or declared. Also a gift.
- חַיִּיםchayim· living, animal, life
Living, alive; also fresh (of water). As a noun, "living thing" or "animal" (above all wild animals); in the plural, "life".
- עוֹלָםolam· forever, eternal
A very long time whose end cannot be seen: looking forward, "forever"; looking back, "of old", "ancient".