Mazmur 133:1

Psalm 133 ¹ 

A song of ascents, ²  by David.

133:1 Look! How good and how pleasant it is

when brothers live together! ³ 

Mazmur 132:2

132:2 and how he made a vow to the Lord,

and swore an oath to the powerful ruler of Jacob. ⁴ 

Mazmur 139:17

139:17 How difficult it is for me to fathom your thoughts about me, O God! ⁵ 

How vast is their sum total! ⁶ 

[133:1]  ¹ sn Psalm 133. The psalmist affirms the benefits of family unity.

[133:1]  ² sn The precise significance of this title, which appears in Pss 120-134, is unclear. Perhaps worshipers recited these psalms when they ascended the road to Jerusalem to celebrate annual religious festivals. For a discussion of their background see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 219-21.

[133:1]  ³ sn This statement refers to the extended family structure of ancient Israel, where brothers would often live in proximity to one another (Deut 25:5), giving the family greater social prominence and security. However, in its later application in the Israelite cult it probably envisions unity within the covenant community. See L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 212-15.

[132:2]  ⁴ tn Heb “the powerful [one] of Jacob.”

[139:17]  ⁵ tn Heb “and to me how precious are your thoughts, O God.” The Hebrew verb יָקַר (yaqar) probably has the sense of “difficult [to comprehend]” here (see HALOT 432 s.v. יקר qal.1 and note the use of Aramaic יַקִּר in Dan 2:11). Elsewhere in the immediate context the psalmist expresses his amazement at the extent of God’s knowledge about him (see vv. 1-6, 17b-18).

[139:17]  ⁶ tn Heb “how vast are their heads.” Here the Hebrew word “head” is used of the “sum total” of God’s knowledge of the psalmist.