Why read Psalm 133?
Read Psalm 133 for a short prayer of praise in the evening or at night. Its invitation to God's servants to lift their hands towards the sanctuary makes it a simple prayer of blessing.
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.
Psalm 133 opens the heart with the call “Behold, now bless the Lord, all...”. It is one of the 3-verse psalms in the 18th Kathisma and is recited both at services and in prayer at home — the Psalter being a foundational book for the Orthodox Christian.
The text of Psalm 133
1. Behold, now bless the Lord, all servants of the Lord, who stand in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God.
2. At night, lift up your hands towards the holy places and bless the Lord.
3. The Lord will bless you from Zion, He who made heaven and earth.
When Psalm 133 is read
- It belongs to the 18th Kathisma and is recited in personal prayer, especially for peace and understanding.
- 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.
