Psalm 133:2
New International Version
It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down on the collar of his robe.

New Living Translation
For harmony is as precious as the anointing oil that was poured over Aaron’s head, that ran down his beard and onto the border of his robe.

English Standard Version
It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes!

Berean Standard Bible
It is like fine oil on the head, running down on the beard, running down Aaron’s beard over the collar of his robes.

King James Bible
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;

New King James Version
It is like the precious oil upon the head, Running down on the beard, The beard of Aaron, Running down on the edge of his garments.

New American Standard Bible
It is like the precious oil on the head, Running down upon the beard, As on Aaron’s beard, The oil which ran down upon the edge of his robes.

NASB 1995
It is like the precious oil upon the head, Coming down upon the beard, Even Aaron’s beard, Coming down upon the edge of his robes.

NASB 1977
It is like the precious oil upon the head, Coming down upon the beard, Even Aaron’s beard, Coming down upon the edge of his robes.

Legacy Standard Bible
It is like the good oil upon the head, Coming down upon the beard, Aaron’s beard, Coming down upon the edge of his robes.

Amplified Bible
It is like the precious oil [of consecration] poured on the head, Coming down on the beard, Even the beard of Aaron, Coming down upon the edge of his [priestly] robes [consecrating the whole body].

Christian Standard Bible
It is like fine oil on the head, running down on the beard, running down Aaron’s beard onto his robes.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
It is like fine oil on the head, running down on the beard, running down Aaron’s beard onto his robes.

American Standard Version
It is like the precious oil upon the head, That ran down upon the beard, Even Aaron's beard; That came down upon the skirt of his garments;

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
It is like oil that descends upon the head and upon the beard, the beard of Aaron, that descends upon the collar of his garment

Brenton Septuagint Translation
It is as ointment on the head, that ran down to the beard, even the beard of Aaron; that ran down to the fringe of his clothing.

Contemporary English Version
It is as beautiful as olive oil poured on Aaron's head and running down his beard and the collar of his robe.

Douay-Rheims Bible
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:

English Revised Version
It is like the precious oil upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard; that came down upon the skirt of his garments;

GOD'S WORD® Translation
It is like fine, scented oil on the head, running down the beard-down Aaron's beard- running over the collar of his robes.

Good News Translation
It is like the precious anointing oil running down from Aaron's head and beard, down to the collar of his robes.

International Standard Version
It is like precious oil on the head, descending to the beard— even to Aaron's beard— and flowing down to the edge of his robes.

JPS Tanakh 1917
It is like the precious oil upon the head, Coming down upon the beard; Even Aaron's beard, That cometh down upon the collar of his garments;

Literal Standard Version
As the good oil on the head, | Coming down on the beard, the beard of Aaron, | That comes down on the skirt of his robes,

Majority Standard Bible
It is like fine oil on the head, running down on the beard, running down Aaron’s beard over the collar of his robes.

New American Bible
Like fine oil on the head, running down upon the beard, Upon the beard of Aaron, upon the collar of his robe.

NET Bible
It is like fine oil poured on the head which flows down the beard--Aaron's beard, and then flows down his garments.

New Revised Standard Version
It is like the precious oil on the head, running down upon the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down over the collar of his robes.

New Heart English Bible
It is like the precious oil on the head, that ran down on the beard, even Aaron's beard; that came down on the edge of his robes;

Webster's Bible Translation
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 garment;

World English Bible
It is like the precious oil on the head, that ran down on the beard, even Aaron’s beard, that came down on the edge of his robes,

Young's Literal Translation
As the good oil on the head, Coming down on the beard, the beard of Aaron, That cometh down on the skirt of his robes,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
How Pleasant to Live in Harmony
1A song of ascents. Of David. Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony! 2It is like fine oil on the head, running down on the beard, running down Aaron’s beard over the collar of his robes. 3It is like the dew of Hermon falling on the mountains of Zion. For there the LORD has bestowed the blessing of life forevermore.…

Cross References
Exodus 28:33
Make pomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn all the way around the lower hem, with gold bells between them,

Exodus 29:7
Then take the anointing oil and anoint him by pouring it on his head.

Exodus 30:25
Prepare from these a sacred anointing oil, a fragrant blend, the work of a perfumer; it will be a sacred anointing oil.

Exodus 30:30
Anoint Aaron and his sons and consecrate them to serve Me as priests.

Exodus 39:24
They made pomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn and finely spun linen on the lower hem of the robe.

Leviticus 8:12
He also poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron's head and anointed him to consecrate him.

Psalm 141:5
Let the righteous man strike me; let his rebuke be an act of loving devotion. It is oil for my head; let me not refuse it. For my prayer is ever against the deeds of the wicked.


Treasury of Scripture

It is like the precious ointment on the head, that ran down on the beard, even Aaron's beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments;

it is like

Psalm 141:5
Let the righteous smite me; it shall be a kindness: and let him reprove me; it shall be an excellent oil, which shall not break my head: for yet my prayer also shall be in their calamities.

Proverbs 27:9
Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: so doth the sweetness of a man's friend by hearty counsel.

Song of Solomon 1:3
Because of the savour of thy good ointments thy name is as ointment poured forth, therefore do the virgins love thee.

that ran down

Exodus 30:25-30
And thou shalt make it an oil of holy ointment, an ointment compound after the art of the apothecary: it shall be an holy anointing oil…

Leviticus 8:12
And he poured of the anointing oil upon Aaron's head, and anointed him, to sanctify him.

Jump to Previous
Aaron Aaron's Beard Collar Edge Face Flowing Garment Garments Good Great Head Oil Ointment Poured Precious Price Ran Robes Running Skirt Skirts
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Aaron Aaron's Beard Collar Edge Face Flowing Garment Garments Good Great Head Oil Ointment Poured Precious Price Ran Robes Running Skirt Skirts
Psalm 133
1. The blessedness of unity among brothers














(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 Psalm 133:3. (See Note.) Literally, Like the oil, the good oil, on the head descending upon the beard, Aaron's beard, which (was) descending to the mouth of his robes. Oil meets us as the standing symbol of joy and festivity. (See Psalm 45:7, Note; Isaiah 61:3.) It is also brought closely into connection with love (Song of Solomon 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 Exodus 30:22-23, that the poet alludes to. This, while the garments of all the priests were sprinkled with it (Exodus 29:21; Leviticus 8:30), was poured on the head of Aaron (Exodus 29:7; Leviticus 8:12; Leviticus 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 (Exodus 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. Exodus 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, Psalm 110:3), but in the word three times repeated--descending. 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 Aaron's head over his face and beard; the dew of Hermon descends on Zion--low 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. . . . Verse 2. - It is like the precious ointment upon the head. The anointing oil of the sanctuary was an ointment composed of many "precious" ingredients, as myrrh, cinnamon, sweet calamus, and cassia, besides oil olive, which was its basis (Exodus 30:23, 24). Not only Aaron (Leviticus 8:12), but all later high priests, were anointed with it (Exodus 30:30). That ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard. This would be the natural result of a copious "pouring" of the oil upon the top of the head. Though not mentioned historically in Leviticus, it presents itself to the eye of the poet, on whose mental vision the whole scene rises. That went down to the skirts of his garments. Streamed even to the lower fringe of his long vesture (Kay). The high priest at his consecration was a type and symbol of unity. He bore on his breastplate the names of the twelve tribes, so that the holy oil, typical of the grace of God, when it was poured upon him, flowed down on all the tribes, diffusing everywhere an odor of fragrance.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
It is like fine
הַטּ֨וֹב ׀ (haṭ·ṭō·wḇ)
Article | Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 2896: Pleasant, agreeable, good

oil
כַּשֶּׁ֤מֶן (kaš·še·men)
Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 8081: Grease, liquid, richness

on
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

the head,
הָרֹ֗אשׁ (hā·rōš)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7218: The head

running down
יֹרֵ֗ד (yō·rêḏ)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 3381: To come or go down, descend

on
עַֽל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

the beard,
הַזָּקָ֥ן (haz·zā·qān)
Article | Noun - common singular
Strong's 2206: Beard, chin

running down
שֶׁ֝יֹּרֵ֗ד (yō·rêḏ)
Pronoun - relative | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 3381: To come or go down, descend

Aaron’s
אַהֲרֹ֑ן (’a·hă·rōn)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 175: Aaron -- an elder brother of Moses

beard
זְקַֽן־ (zə·qan-)
Noun - common singular construct
Strong's 2206: Beard, chin

over
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

the collar
פִּ֥י (pî)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 6310: The mouth, edge, portion, side, according to

of his robes.
מִדּוֹתָֽיו׃ (mid·dō·w·ṯāw)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 4060: Extension, height, breadth, a measure, a portion, a vestment, tribute


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OT Poetry: Psalm 133:2 It is like the precious oil (Psalm Ps Psa.)
Psalm 133:1
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