When it is said
A Russian service of prayer for the increase of love begins with this psalm, straight after the usual opening prayers.
A parent can pray it over children who fight, and brothers and sisters can pray it for each other.
Where it comes from
Author by tradition
A psalm of David
The psalm’s Hebrew heading names David. In the Greek Bible, which the Orthodox Church reads, it is numbered 132, and its first line is a question, “what is so good, or what so pleasant, as for brethren to dwell together?”
The Hebrew Bible, on Mechon Mamre; L. C. L. Brenton, The Septuagint in English, on eBible.org
A service of prayer for love
The Russian service this psalm opens is called a service of prayer for the increase of love and the rooting out of hatred and all malice. Its petitions ask God to root out of us hatred, envy, malice and every other passion that destroys love between brothers. They ask Him to sow a love without pretence.
What the words mean
Why oil running down a beard?
The oil is the holy oil Moses poured on Aaron’s head when he made him priest (Leviticus 8:12). The psalm pictures so much of it that it runs down his beard to the collar of his robes. The Hebrew uses that same word, running down, for the dew of Hermon falling on the mountains of Zion. The psalm says that there, on Zion, the Lord commanded the blessing (Psalm 133:3).
The King James Version, on eBible.org; The Hebrew Bible, on Mechon Mamre
The Scripture in it
Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony! It is like fine oil on the head, running down on the beard, running down Aaron’s beard over the collar of his robes. It is like the dew of Hermon falling on the mountains of Zion. For there the LORD has bestowed the blessing of life forevermore.
He also poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron’s head and anointed him to consecrate him.
Bible text: Berean Standard Bible, public domain.