What does Psalms Chapter 132 say, and which statements belong to its speaker?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

Brethren’s unity is called good and pleasant. Ointment flows along Aaron’s beard to garment skirt. Hermon dew and commanded blessing complete the comparison.

Chapter breakdown

Ecce quam bonum is the incipit, with a heading on happiness of brotherly love and concord and a gradual canticle of David. The speaker calls brethren dwelling together in unity good and pleasant.

It is like precious ointment on the head running down Aaron’s beard to his garment skirt. The comparison does not supply fragrance, a performed consecration ceremony or a guarantee that unity sanctifies every social level.

It is as Hermon’s dew descending upon Mount Sion, where the Lord has commanded blessing and life forevermore. No arid landscape, actual festival gathering or resolved tribal dispute is specified, and dew is not turned into a documented meteorological account.

The story inside

Opening: Brethren’s unity is called good and pleasant. Development: Ointment flows along Aaron’s beard to garment skirt. Conclusion: Hermon dew and commanded blessing complete the comparison.

Lessons worth keeping

1
Brethren’s unity is called good and pleasant.
2
Ointment flows along Aaron’s beard to garment skirt.
3
Hermon dew and commanded blessing complete the comparison.

Test your recall

Which images and requests does the speaker use, and what does the chapter leave unresolved?

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 66335–66339
132:1. Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity: 132:2. Like the precious ointment on the head, that ran down upon the beard, the beard of Aaron, Which ran down to the skirt of his garment:
Lines 66341–66342
132:3. As the dew of Hermon, which descendeth upon mount Sion. For there the Lord hath commanded blessing, and life for evermore.