Psalm 133
King James Version
A short Song of degrees praising unity among brethren.
Download the handwriting worksheet (PDF)Printable, ruled for handwriting: copy it by hand, then type it here.
About this text
At three verses, Psalm 133 is another of the short "Songs of degrees," and its subject — unity among brethren — is illustrated with two comparisons in a row: oil poured on Aaron's head and running down his beard, and dew from Mount Hermon settling on the mountains of Zion. Both images describe something spreading generously downward and outward, which is the point being made about unity itself.
The second verse is a single long sentence tracing the oil's path — head, beard, garments — in careful sequence, which makes it good practice for following a sentence that describes physical movement without losing track of where it started. The unfamiliar proper nouns (Aaron, Hermon, Zion) are also worth copying carefully rather than skimming past.
What to watch for
- 1 semicolon: a semicolon joins two complete thoughts that belong together, a pause longer than a comma but shorter than a period.
- 2 colons: a colon points ahead to what explains or completes the first half of the sentence.
- 1 exclamation or question mark: ask the child how the sentence should sound when read aloud, and why the writer chose that mark.
- 1 apostrophe: sort each one into possession (the shepherd's staff) or a missing letter (don't = do not).
- Capital letters in the middle of a sentence: Aaron's, Hermon, Zion, LORD. Ask why each one is capitalized before typing it.
- Longest word: "descended" (9 letters). Try spelling it aloud once before reaching it.
- 3 lines averaging about 23 words each. Long lines: a younger child may do half the text per sitting.
Full text (reference)
1Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!
2It 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;
3As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the LORD commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.