Psalms 133:3

133:3 It is like the dew of Hermon, ¹ 

which flows down upon the hills of Zion. ² 

Indeed ³  that is where the Lord has decreed

a blessing will be available – eternal life. ⁴ 

Psalms 42:6

42:6 I am depressed, ⁵ 

so I will pray to you while I am trapped here in the region of the upper Jordan, ⁶ 

from Hermon, ⁷  from Mount Mizar. ⁸ 

[133:3]  ¹ sn Hermon refers to Mount Hermon, located north of Israel.

[133:3]  ² sn The hills of Zion are those surrounding Zion (see Pss 87:1; 125:2). The psalmist does not intend to suggest that the dew from Mt. Hermon in the distant north actually flows down upon Zion. His point is that the same kind of heavy dew that replenishes Hermon may also be seen on Zion’s hills. See A. Cohen, Psalms (SoBB), 439. “Dew” here symbolizes divine blessing, as the next line suggests.

[133:3]  ³ tn Or “for.”

[133:3]  ⁴ tn Heb “there the Lord has commanded the blessing, life forever.”

[42:6]  ⁵ tn Heb “my God, upon me my soul bows down.” As noted earlier, “my God” belongs with the end of v. 6.

[42:6]  ⁶ tn Heb “therefore I will remember you from the land of Jordan.” “Remember” is here used metonymically for prayer (see vv. 8-9). As the next line indicates, the region of the upper Jordan, where the river originates, is in view.

[42:6]  ⁷ tc Heb “Hermons.” The plural form of the name occurs only here in the OT. Some suggest the plural refers to multiple mountain peaks (cf. NASB) or simply retain the plural in the translation (cf. NEB), but the final mem (ם) is probably dittographic (note that the next form in the text begins with the letter mem) or enclitic. At a later time it was misinterpreted as a plural marker and vocalized accordingly.

[42:6]  ⁸ tn The Hebrew term מִצְעָר (mits’ar) is probably a proper name (“Mizar”), designating a particular mountain in the Hermon region. The name appears only here in the OT.