Psalm 133: Pledge Of Davidic Allegiance
When exactly did those brothers dwell pleasantly together?
Psalm 133 is a work of pure propaganda.
“How good and how pleasant is it that brothers dwell together.”
Who could ever think of disagreeing with such a positive sentiment?
Yet the Bible is filled with stories of sibling rivalries, brothers committing fratricide (or at least trying to), and myriad other examples of familial discord or deceit. Cain and Abel, Isaac and Esau, the entire Laban narrative, Joseph and his brothers, Miriam and Aaron’s racism towards their sister-in-law, and that is not even covering the entire Pentateuch.
There are also numerous examples of siblings living apart, from Abraham fleeing his home, to Joseph, to Moses not growing up with his siblings, and even then fleeing Egypt, to two and a half tribes choosing to live on the other side of the river.
In fact, the kingdom was split between the Kingdom of Israel and the Kingdom of Judah, becoming divided when most of the tribes did not accept Solomon’s son Rehoboam as their king.
The second verse isn’t much better. It references Aaron, the metonym for the priesthood, yet another institution which, with David’s ascendance, lay divided between the two priestly factions of Abiathar and Zadok.
And finally, the third verse references the “dew of Hermon”, a mountain range in the Northern Kingdom / Kingdom of Israel, while elevating the importance of the hills of Zion, the metonym for Jerusalem, the central location for the Davidic monarchy. And only that location is blessed by God, divine justification for the location of the palace.
In this forced apologetic, it is quite apparent that David is the Big Brother, praising unity, as long as it happens under his rule and control.
At only three verses long, its brevity itself suggests that it is more of a pledge of allegiance or anthem to be uttered frequently by all, than a beautiful liturgy that may only be truly mastered by a few.