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Psalms 133:1

in Psalms 133

Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony!

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV

ASV

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity!

KJV

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!

This verse in Psalms 133

Commentary

16 notes on this verse

A commentator

Jerome

Homily 45, on Psalm 132 · Written before 420.

Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity. He says two things: good and pleasant. Martyrdom is good, but it is not pleasant: for it has its tortures and punishments, and there is always pain in torments, and certainly in pain there is no pleasantness. Behold how good and how pleasant. Again, pleasure is pleasant. For example, to eat sweet foods seems to be pleasant: for it drives one to lust.

This site's exposition

brothers live together in harmony

The verse calls it good and pleasant that brothers live together, and the Hebrew says how twice. Spurgeon marked that doubling and called the thing a wonder seldom seen. The word behind harmony is yachad, together.

The record, by era

The Church Fathers5 voices

A commentator

Augustine of Hippo

Exposition on Psalm 133 · Written in the 5th century.

proposed

This is a short Psalm, but one well known and quoted. "Behold, how good and how pleasant is it, that brethren should dwell together in unity" [Psalm 133:1]. So sweet is that sound, that even they who know not the Psalter, sing that verse. ...

A commentator

Augustine of Hippo

LETTER 142 · Written in the 5th century.

proposed

Perform your duties in the church faithfully and joyfully, as they fall to your lot according to your rank, and fulfill your ministry with uprightness, because of that God under whom we are fellow servants and to whom we understand that we shall render an account of our actions. Therefore, his mercy ought to abound in us, because "judgment without mercy to him that has not done mercy." For this reason pray with us for those who still cause us sadness, that the sickness of their carnal mind, intensified and concentrated by long custom, may be healed. For who does not understand "how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity" if that pleasure touches a palate from which the mind has spit out all the bitterness of division and that loves the sweetness of charity? The God to whom we pray for them is powerful and merciful enough to use any sort of occasion to draw them even now to salvation. May the Lord preserve you in peace.

A commentator

Peter Chrysologus

SERMON 132 · Written before 450.

proposed

The law was given not for one, but for all. So, too, Christ came not for one or to one but to all and for all. He desired to bring all things together into a unity that alone is good and pleasant. The prophet, aware …

A commentator

Pope Zephyrinus

EPISTLES OF ZEPHYRINUS 2:1 · Written before 217.

proposed

Assist, therefore, one another in good faith, and by deed and with a hearty will; nor let any one remove his hand from the help of a brother, since "by this," says the Lord, "shall all people know that you are my disciples, if you …

A commentator

Oresiesis-Heru-sa Ast

THE TESTAMENT OF HORSIESI 50 · Written before 380.

proposed

The apostle taught us that our community, the communion by which we are joined to one another, springs from God, when he said, "Do not forget good works and communion, for God takes pleasure in such sacrifices." We read the same thing in the Acts …
9 more voices on this verse

The Church Fathers1 voice

A commentator

Valerian of Cimiez

HOMILY 12:6 · Written before 460.

proposed

The prophet said in praise of fraternal charity: "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity." What good is there in the life of people except peace, in which upright pursuits make progress and religious activities are fostered? …

The Medieval Church1 voice

A commentator

Bonaventure

Collationes de Septem Donis, Collation 3 · Written in the 13th century.

proposed

As a figure of this it is written in the Psalm: "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity. Like ointment upon the head, which descended upon the beard, the beard of Aaron." We have one Father, one …

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

They are blessed of God, and therefore blessed indeed: There, where brethren dwell together in unity, the Lord commands the blessing, a complicated blessing, including all blessings. It is God's prerogative to command the blessing, man can but beg a blessing. Blessings according to the promise are commanded blessings, for he has commanded his covenant for ever.
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is,....

The Nineteenth Century4 voices

A commentator

Charles Spurgeon

1834–1892

The Treasury of David, Vol. 7 (1885)

Behold. It is a wonder seldom seen, therefore behold it! It may be seen, for it is the characteristic of real saints, —therefore fail not to inspect it! It is well worthy of admiration; pause and gaze upon it! It will charm you into imitation, therefore note it well! God looks on with approval, therefore consider it with attention. How good and holy pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! No one can tell the exceeding excellence of such a condition; and so the Psalmist uses the word "how" twice;—Behold how good! and how pleasant!

A commentator

Charles Spurgeon

1834–1892

The Treasury of David, Vol. 7 (1885)

proposed

Behold. It is a wonder seldom seen, therefore behold it! It may be seen, for it is the characteristic of real saints, —therefore fail not to inspect it! It is well worthy of admiration; pause and gaze upon it! It will charm you into imitation, therefore note it well! God looks on with approval, therefore consider it with attention. How good and holy pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! No one can tell the exceeding excellence of such a condition; and so the Psalmist uses the word "how" twice;—Behold how good! and how pleasant! He does not attempt to measure either the good or the pleasure, but invites us to behold for ourselves. The combination of the two adjectives "good" and "pleasant", is more remarkable than the conjunction of two stars of the first magnitude: for a thing to be "good" is good, but for it also to be pleasant is better. All men love pleasant things, and yet it frequently happens that the pleasure is evil; but here the condition is as good as it is pleasant, as pleasant as it is good, for the same "how" is set before each qualifying word. For brethren according to the flesh to dwell together is not always wise; for experience teaches that they are better a little apart, and it is shameful for them to dwell together in disunion. They had much better part in peace like Abraham and Lot, than dwell together in envy like Joseph's brothers. When brethren can and do dwell together in unity, then is their communion worthy to be gazed upon and sung of in holy Psalmody. Such sights ought often to be seen among those who are near of kin, for they are brethren, and therefore should be united in heart and aim; they dwell together, and it is for their mutual comfort that there should be no strife; and yet how many families are rent by fierce feuds, and exhibit a spectacle which is neither good nor pleasant!

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

proposed

Behold, how good and how pleasant - Unity is, according to this scripture, a good thing and a pleasant; and especially among brethren - members of the same family, of the same Christian community, and of the same nation. And why not among the great family of mankind? On the other hand, disunion is bad and hateful. The former is from heaven; the latter, from hell.
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, Son 7:6; of a friend, 2Sa 1:26; of a place, Gen 49:15; of words, Pro 15:26; of beauty or glory, as of Yahweh, Psa 27:4. It is descriptive of the pleasure which we derive from a picture, from a landscape, from sweet sounds and gentle voices, or from love. For brethren to dwell together in unity - Margin, even together. Hebrew, “The dwelling of brethren also together.” Perhaps the idea in the word “also” may be, that while the unity of brethren when separate, or as they were seen when scattered in their habitations, was beautiful, it was also pleasant to see them when actually assembled, or when they actually came together to worship God. As applicable to the church, it may be remarked (1) that all the people of God - all the followers of the Redeemer - are brethren, members of the same family, fellow-heirs of the same inheritance, Mat 23:8. (2) There is a special fitness that they should be united, or dwell in unity. (3) There is much that is beautiful and lovely in their unity and harmony. They are redeemed by the same Saviour; they serve the same Master; they cherish the same hope; they are looking forward to the same heaven; they are subject to the same trials, temptations, and sorrows; they have the same precious consolations. […]

Modern Voices1 voice

I've learned that broken covenants impact your spiritual authority because disunity diminishes the anointing (Ps. 133) and creates conditions for the curse.

How the passage was read

What the Jewish commentators add

Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brothers also to dwell together When the Holy One, blessed be He, will dwell in the Temple with Israel, who are called brothers and friends, and He too will be together with them.
Rashi: France, 1040–1105 · Rashi on Psalms 133:1:1, via Sefaria, The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg

This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.

Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 4 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.

The words behind it

9 Hebrew words

Every Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

The walk

8 stops

Each card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.

  • Through

    1 Corinthians 1:10

    I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree together, so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be united…

    it leads to

    • Philippians 2:1–4

      Therefore if you have any encouragement in Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any affection and compassion,

    • Ephesians 4:1–7

      As a prisoner in the Lord, then, I urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling you have received:

    • 1 Corinthians 12:25

      so that there should be no division in the body, but that its members should have mutual concern for one another.

    • Romans 12:16

      Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but enjoy the company of the lowly. Do not be conceited.

  • Through

    1 Peter 3:8

    Finally, all of you, be like-minded and sympathetic, love as brothers, be tenderhearted and humble.

    it leads to

    • 1 Peter 1:22

      Since you have purified your souls by obedience to the truth so that you have a genuine love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from a pure heart.

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

    • Romans 12:10

      Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Outdo yourselves in honoring one another.

  • Through

    John 13:35

    By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.”

    it leads to

    • 1 John 4:20–21

      If anyone says, “I love God,” but hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.

    • 1 John 2:10

      Whoever loves his brother remains in the light, and there is no cause of stumbling in him.

Where this verse is studied

On this page

About Psalms

Abraham Goes to the Land of Canaan. Gustave Dore, 1866. Dore's English Bible (1866). Public domain.
Abraham Goes to the Land of Canaan. Gustave Dore, 1866. Dore's English Bible (1866). Public domain.
This page draws on 15 works. Open the list of works

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Augustine of Hippo, Exposition on Psalm 133; Augustine of Hippo, LETTER 142; Bonaventure, Collationes de Septem Donis, Collation 3; Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David; Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David, Vol. 7; Jennifer Eivaz, Unroll the Scroll (blog article, JenniferEivaz.com); Jerome, Homily 45, on Psalm 132; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Oresiesis-Heru-sa Ast, THE TESTAMENT OF HORSIESI 50; Peter Chrysologus, SERMON 132; Pope Zephyrinus, EPISTLES OF ZEPHYRINUS 2:1 and Valerian of Cimiez, HOMILY 12:6.