Why read Psalm 132?
Psalm 132 is a prayer for unity, peace and reconciliation among brothers and sisters. Its images of anointing oil and dew convey the beauty and blessing of life shared in harmony.
You can read this psalm when its themes speak to your circumstances, or as part of your regular reading of the Psalter. This explanation draws on the text itself; the psalm is not reserved for one particular need.
The full text of Psalm 132 (3 verses), from the 18th Kathisma of the Psalter. Its opening words — “Behold now, how good it is and...” — are also the psalm’s traditional “name”: our grandmothers did not say “psalm 132”, but called it by its first words.
The text of Psalm 132
1. Behold now, how good and how beautiful it is for brothers to dwell together!
2. It is like the anointing oil upon the head, which runs down the beard, Aaron’s beard, and runs down to the edge of his garments.
3. It is like the dew of Hermon, which descends upon the mountains of Zion, for where there is unity, there the Lord has ordained blessing and life for ever.
When Psalm 132 is read
- For reconciliation between brothers.
- At the end of each psalm, tradition adds: «Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.».
Adjacent psalms
The numbering follows the Orthodox Psalter (Septuagint). The same psalm may have a different number in other Bible editions.
