Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 133:2
[It is] like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, [even] Aaron’s beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments;
2. It is like the goodly oil upon the head descending upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard,
Which descendeth upon the collar of his garments.
Oil was a symbol of joy and festivity (Psa 45:7), but it is not common oil that is mentioned here. The brotherly concord of the dwellers in Jerusalem is compared to the sacred oil with which the High-priest was anointed (Exo 30:23 ff.). This sacred oil was poured upon Aaron’s head (Exo 29:7; Lev 8:12; Lev 21:10) when he was consecrated to the office of high-priest, whereas the ordinary priests were only sprinkled with it (Exo 29:21). It would flow down upon his beard and on to his shoulders and his breast, upon which he bore the names of the Twelve Tribes (Exo 28:9-12; Exo 28:17-21), symbolising thereby the consecration of the whole nation of which he was the representative. The stream of perfumed oil, carefully compounded with aromatic spices, would diffuse its fragrance all around, symbolising the holy influence which should emanate from the chief religious representative of Israel, and from the nation which he represented. The point of the simile then seems to be, that as the sacred oil flowed down over Aaron’s shoulders, so the harmonious unity of those who dwell in Jerusalem will influence the whole nation for good. The same spirit will be diffused throughout the whole community. Cp. Psalms 122.
Aaron might denote any high-priest; but the Psalmist by the use of the present participles seems rather to intend to recall the scene of the consecration of Aaron himself (Leviticus 8). It might have been thought that he was alluding to some recent ceremony; but according to Jewish tradition, the sacred oil was wanting in the time of the Second Temple, and the high-priest was consecrated by investiture with the pontifical robes only.
It is a question whether the clause which descendeth upon the collar of his garments refers to the oil or to Aaron’s beard. The Massoretic accentuation (unless it is to be regarded as rhythmical and not syntactical) makes it refer to Aaron’s beard: the Ancient Versions take it to refer to the oil. In the former case the beard is thought of as connecting the head and the garments; but the latter interpretation is the more natural, and is supported by the fondness of the Psalms of Ascent for the repetition of words.
The collar not the skirts of the high-priest’s garment is denoted by the Heb. word, which means literally ‘mouth’ or ‘opening,’ i.e. the hole through which the head passed, or its bordering. Cp. Exo 28:32; Exo 39:23; Job 30:18.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
It is like the precious ointment upon the head – That is, which was poured upon the head of the high priest, when consecrated to the holy office. The Hebrew is, the good ointment. For a description of the ointment which was used in the consecration of the high priest, and the holy things of the sanctuary, see Exo 30:22-30. Compare the notes at Isa 61:3, on the phrase oil of joy. Anointing with oil was common on festivals and joyous occasions (see the notes at Psa 23:5), and hence, it became an emblem of anything joyous, happy, beautiful; and the idea seemed to be carried to the highest degree when it was connected with the anointing of a high priest to the sacred duties of his office. There is no other resemblance between the idea of anointing with oil and that of harmony among brethren than this which is derived from the gladness – the joyousness – connected with such an anointing. The psalmist wished to give the highest idea of the pleasantness of such harmony; and he, therefore, compared it with that which was most beautiful to a pious mind – the idea of a solemn consecration to the highest office of religion. The comparison is one which would not unnaturally occur to a Jew.
That ran down upon the beard – Descending from the head upon the long, flowing beard. The idea here is that of copiousness, or abundance – as if so much ointment was poured forth as to descend on the whole person, consecrating the entire man.
Even Aarons beard – The word even here, introduced by our translators, weakens the force and beauty of the comparison. The psalmist had the simple image of Aaron before his mind, without intending to compare him with any other.
That went down to the skirts of his garments – literally, to the mouth of his garment. The idea is that the anointing oil was abundant enough to flow down so as to fall on his entire robe, diffusing a sweet fragrance all around. It is possible, though it may seem like a conceit, that the psalmist may have had an idea of unity in this, as if in the anointing of the high priest the whole man was consecrated, or was united in the consecration. It was not merely the head, but the beard, the raiment, the entire person, that partook of the fragrance of the anointing oil. Thus love in a Christian community is so abundant – so overflowing – that it spreads over all the spiritual body, the church; the same sweet and holy influence, represented by the oil of anointing, pervades all, and combines all in one.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Psa 133:2
It is like the precious ointment.
Unity compared to oil
1. It is precious ointment. It is not to common and ordinary use; oil of any consideration whatsoever, but the best and choicest that could be lighted on: like that wherewith Mary Magdalene anointed Christ before His passion (Mar 14:3). Such was this whereunto the concord of brethren is compared here in this Scripture. To set forth unto us the preciousness and excellency of it. It is a virtue of very rare account, and so to be esteemed of by us. It is such which carries a good name and report with it, and accordingly like that is also better than precious ointment.
2. It is compared not to oil enclosed and shut up in a vessel, but to oil effused and poured forth abroad, which is more significant, as that which does cast forth a special fragrancy and odoriferousness with it. Look how a box of precious ointment when it is broken casts forth such a smell as does refresh the nostrils and brains of all such persons as are made partakers of it. So in like manner the unity of brethren is very sweet to all that observe it.
3. It is not the anointing only of some Levite, or common priest, but the anointing of Aaron himself, who was the highest priest of all, and therein a special type of Christ, as prefigured, and shadowed out in him.
4. It was not oil which rested only upon Aarons head, but ran down upon his heard, and froth thence further to the skirts of his garments, which is a lively description to us of the property of this grace of love and brotherly agreement. It is such as does not rest itself only in those who are the next and immediate subjects of it, but it conveys itself to many others. Love it is of a very diffusive and communicative disposition. (T. Horton, D. D.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 2. Like the precious ointment] The composition of this holy anointing oil may be seen, Ex 30:23; sweet cinnamon, sweet calamus, cassia lignea, and olive oil. The odour of this must have been very agreeable, and serves here as a metaphor to point out the exquisite excellence of brotherly love.
Ran down upon the beard] The oil was poured upon the head of Aaron so profusely as to run down upon his garments. It is customary in the east to pour out the oil on the head so profusely as to reach every limb.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
It is no less grateful and refreshing than that oil which was plentifully poured forth upon Aarons head at the time of his consecration to the priestly office, which was exceeding pleasant, not only for the extraordinary fragrancy of it, but because by this, together with the other rites prescribed, he was initiated into that sacred office, which was so acceptable to God, and so comfortable and beneficial to the people, as being the happy instrument of making atonement to God for them, and of procuring and maintaining their peace with God, upon which all their happiness of this life and of the next depends.
Skirts; or, skirt; for the Hebrew word is of the singular number. Not to the lower skirt or bottom of his sacerdotal garment, for that the sacred oil was poured forth in so great plenty is not probable, nor was it necessary or convenient; but to the upper skirt of it, or the mouth of it, as this Hebrew word properly signifies; or to the collar of his upper priestly garment, which the ointment falling upon his beard might easily reach.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
[It is] like the precious ointment upon the head,…. The composition which Moses was ordered to make of the principal spices, and therefore called precious; and which was poured on the heads of kings and priests, when they were anointed with it, Ex 30:23;
that ran down upon the beard, [even] Aaron’s beard; this was put upon the head of Aaron when he was anointed, and so on any other high priest, and trickled down to his beard; see Ex 29:7. The reasons Kimchi and Ben Melech give, why the anointing of Aaron and other priests is mentioned, and not the anointing of a king, or of David himself, are, because the anointing of Aaron was first, and also more public and better known by the people;
that went down to the skirts of his garments; or, “the mouth” or “opening of his garments” a; not the extremity of them, as our version inclines to; for not so great a quantity of oil was poured upon him; nor would it have been decent to have his clothes thus greased from top to bottom: but the upper part of his garment, the top of the coat, on which the beard lay, as Jarchi; the neck or collar of it, as Kimchi and Ben Melech; the hole in which the head went through when it was put on, about which there was a band, that it might not be rent,
Ex 28:32; where the Septuagint use the same word as here. Suidas b says, David means the superior aperture of the garment, that which we call the neck or collar band; and so Theodoret: and the Arabic version renders it, the “aperture”, or opening of it; and hitherto the ointment came. This was typical of the grace of the Spirit, the unction from the Holy One; which has been poured on Christ, the head of the church, without measure; and with which he has been anointed above his fellows; and from him it is communicated to all his members; to every one of which is given grace, according to the measure of the gift of Christ; and who from his fulness receive, and grace for grace: and particularly brotherly love is compared to this ointment; because of the preciousness of it, which is true of every grace; and because of the extensiveness of it, reaching to head and members, to Christ and all his saints, the meanest and lowest of them; and because of its fragrancy and sweet odour to all that are sensible of it; and because of its delightful, cheering, and refreshing nature; like ointment and perfume it rejoices the heart; yea, the worst things said, or reproofs given, in brotherly love, are like oil, pleasant and useful, Pr 27:9; and is as necessary for the saints, who are all priests unto God, to offer up their spiritual sacrifices; particularly that of prayer, which should be “without wrath”, as well as without doubting; and to do all other duties of religion, which should spring from charity or love; as the anointing oil was to Aaron and his sons, in order to their officiating in the priest’s office.
a , Sept. “super os”, Montanus, Piscator; “super os, vel aperturam”, Michaelis; “in capitium”, Tigurine version; “upon the collar of his garments”, Ainsworth. b In voce .
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(2) It is like.The italics of the Authorised Version are wrongly inserted. Unity could not be said to flow down. The other term of the simile is implied in Psa. 133:3. (See Note.) Literally, Like the oil, the good oil, on the head descending upon the beard, Aarons beard, which (was) descending to the mouth of his robes. Oil meets us as the standing symbol of joy and festivity. (See Psa. 45:7, Note; Isa. 61:3.) It is also brought closely into connection with love (Son. 1:3). But while this association, as also the pleasure derived from the fragrance of the oil, would be present here as always in the truly Oriental image, its elaboration in this passage points to a further purpose. It is the holy oil, that whose composition is described in Exo. 30:22-23, that the poet alludes to. This, while the garments of all the priests were sprinkled with it (Exo. 29:21; Lev. 8:30), was poured on the head of Aaron (Exo. 29:7; Lev. 8:12; Lev. 21:10), so that the description of the psalm, unpleasing as it is to Western ideas, of the saturation, not only of his head, but of face and beard, was actually true. It would run down his neck to the collar of the priestly robe. That this is the meaning of mouth here is plain from the actual description of the sacerdotal garments (Exo. 28:31-32): And thou shalt make the robe of the ephod all of blue. And there shall be a mouth in the top of it, in the midst thereof: and it shall have a binding of woven work round about the mouth of it, as it were the mouth of a habergeon, that it be not rent. (Comp. Exo. 39:23; and Job. 30:18, where Authorised Version has collar.) To the ideas of joy and fragrance, therefore, must also be added that of consecration. But the point of the comparison does not lie even here; nor is it in the freshness of the dew, in the next verse, or its abundance, though dew suggests both of these (see Note, Psa. 110:3), but in the word three times repeateddescending. Our version unfortunately obscures this point, by rendering this recurrent participle each time by a different word, missing, at the same time, the marked peculiarity of the rhythm of these psalms. The oil descends from Aarons head over his face and beard; the dew of Hermon descends on Zionlow in actual measurement, but exalted by the Divine favour above the loftiest hills. It is not unity, then, in itself which is the subject of the poem, but the unity of the covenant under which all blessings flowed down from above, rested on Mount Zion, and took outward shape and form there in the political and religious constitution.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
2. Precious ointment Hebrew, Good oil. The allusion is to the consecration of Aaron, Leviticus 8. The purest olive oil was used, perfumed with costly spices, Exo 30:22-33. It was good or “precious” because it was pure, highly aromatic, and holy; it was unlawful to use it for any but holy or ritualistic purposes.
Upon the head As the representative of the entire man. Thus was all consecrating oil used, whether on kings or priests. Thus, also, by the imposition of hands upon the head were priestly and other consecrations made, both in the Old and New Testaments. Thus the Spirit descended upon the head at Pentecost, and thus God applied his seal to the forehead of his own, Rev 7:3. The particle of comparison indicates a resemblance between brotherly love and unity and the holy anointing of Aaron. The point of the comparison is not in the purity, or fragrance, or copiousness, or holiness, of the oil, separately considered, but in these combined, uniting with them the significance of the holy act of consecration. Nothing was more sacred in the Jewish service than the holy oil. Itself an emblem of purity and fragrance, its consecrating use conferred the highest honour and sanctity.
Skirts of his garments Hebrew, The mouth of his garments; that is, the aperture, or opening about the neck, translated “collar,” Job 30:18, and “hole,” or opening at the top, Exo 28:32. The oil dropped from Aaron’s head to his beard, and from his beard to the neck band of his garment. Thus the whole body was consecrated, and thus the oil of consecrating grace descends from Christ, the Head, to all the members of the Church, his mystical body.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Psa 133:2. It is like the precious ointment, &c. This verse is explained by Exo 30:23; Exo 30:38 where God gave directions concerning the ointment which was to anoint Aaron and his sons. It was to be composed of several rich spices, which, by being rightly tempered and mixed together, yielded a most fragrant odour, and thus became a most expressive emblem of an unanimous and well cemented society; all jointly conspiring, and in strict friendship contributing, according to their various capacities, tempers, and conditions, to the good and welfare of the whole. Dr. Hammond, and after him Mr. Johnson, carry this comparison further, and suppose that the anointing oil being said to go down to the skirts of Aaron’s cloathing, implies that unity is a blessing to the subject, as well as the governor; to the meanest person in the society, as well as the greatest. This is certainly a truth; but it may be questioned whether it was intended by the Psalmist to be here implied. The former part of the comparison is beautiful and elegant; and in general it may not be proper to expect that every circumstance of a simile mentioned in scripture should hold good throughout. Mons. Fleury has well observed, that the resemblance generally falls upon some one single circumstance; and the rest are added, not as parts of the comparison, but try give some agreeable and natural image of the thing from whence the comparison is taken. He produces as a remarkable instance Solomon’s Song, ch. Psa 6:6.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Psa 133:2 [It is] like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, [even] Aaron’s beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments;
Ver. 2. It is like the precious ointment ] This similitude setteth forth the pleasure and amenity of it; as the other (from the dew) the profit and commodity. Sic miscnit utile dulci. This ointment was most rich (as made up of the chiefest spices, Exo 30:1-38 ), and very fragrant, refreshing the senses, not of Aaron oaly, but of all about him; so doth Christian unity and amity (that “fruit of the Spirit,” Gal 5:22 ) far beyond that common friendship so highly extolled by Cicero, and other heathens; and is therefore here fitly compared to that nonsuch odoriferous ointment.
Upon the head, that ran down upon the beard
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
ointment = oil (Exo 30:23-25).
ran down = descended. Exo 29:7. Lev 8:12; Lev 21:10.
went down = descended, as in Psa 133:3.
to the skirts, &c. = to the opening of his robes (see Exo 28:32). Hebrew = mouth (or opening).
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
It is like: Psa 141:5, Pro 27:9, Son 1:3, Joh 12:3
that ran down: Exo 30:25-30, Lev 8:12
Reciprocal: Gen 43:29 – God Exo 29:7 – General Exo 29:21 – the anointing oil Lev 21:10 – upon Ecc 7:1 – precious Mat 26:7 – very
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Psa 133:2. It is like the precious ointment, &c. It is no less grateful and refreshing than that holy anointing oil, which was strongly perfumed, and diffused its fragrance all around, to the great delight of all present, when it was poured upon the head of Aaron, at the time of his consecration to the priestly office, so plentifully, that it ran down his face, even to the collar or binding of his garment. This verse is explained by Exodus 13:23, &c., where God gave directions concerning the ointment which was to anoint Aaron and his sons. It was to be composed of several rich spices, which, by being rightly tempered and mixed together, yielded a most fragrant odour, and thus became a most expressive emblem of unanimity and concord, in a well-cemented society; all jointly conspiring and contributing, according to their various capacities, tempers, and conditions, to the good of the whole. Dodd. Dr. Hammond carries this comparison further, and supposes that this anointing oil, being said to go down to the skirts of Aarons garments, implies that unity is a blessing to the subject, as well as to the governor; to the meanest person in the society, as well as the greatest; which is an undoubted truth, though, perhaps, it might not be intended here by the psalmist.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
133:2 [It is] like the precious {b} ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, [even] Aaron’s beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments;
(b) The ointment was a figure of the graces which come from Christ the head of his Church.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
2. The descriptions of unity 133:2-3
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)
The writer compared brotherly unity to the oil that Moses poured over Aaron’s head when he anointed him as Israel’s first high priest (Lev 8:12). That oil flowed down over his head and beard, and down onto the robe and breastplate that bore the names of the 12 Israelite tribes. As the consecrating oil covered everything, so unity among believers makes them acceptable to God as a kingdom of priests.
"The specific reference to ’Aaron’ should not be limited to him, as the whole priesthood was anointed with oil. Here Aaron is the ’head’ of the priestly clan. His name is representative of all the priests." [Note: VanGemeren, p. 816.]