Behold, How Good, How Pleasant Is the Union

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Behold, how good, how pleasant is the union, When brothers, sisters live in sweet communion

Versifier: Bertus Frederick Polman (1986)
Tune: GENEVAN 133
CCLI Number: 1018399
Published in 1 hymnal

Printable scores: PDF, MusicXML
Audio files: MIDI

Representative text cannot be shown for this hymn due to copyright.

Versifier: Bertus Frederick Polman

Bert Frederick Polman (b. Rozenburg, Zuid Holland, the Netherlands, 1945; d. Grand Rapids, Michigan, July 1, 2013) was chair of the Music Department at Calvin College and senior research fellow for the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship. Dr. Bert studied at Dordt College (BA 1968), the University of Minnesota (MA 1969, PhD in musicology 1981), and the Institute for Christian Studies. Dr. Bert was a longtime is professor of music at Redeemer College in Ancaster, Ontario, and organist at Bethel Christian Reformed Church, Waterdown, Ontario. His teaching covered a wide range of courses in music theory, music history, music literature, and worship, and Canadian Native studies. His research specialty was Christian hymnody. He was also an orga… Go to person page >

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First Line:	Behold, how good, how pleasant is the union, When brothers, sisters live in sweet communion
Title:	Behold, How Good, How Pleasant Is the Union
Versifier:	Bertus Frederick Polman (1986)
Meter:	11.11.8.10.10.8
Language:	English
Copyright:	© 1987, CRC Publications

Psalm 133
(hymns)

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Notes

Acclaim for the good and beautiful unity of people knit together in their commitment to the LORD.

Scripture References:
st. 1 = vv. 1-2
st. 2 = v. 3

Psalm 133 is another of the fifteen "Songs of Ascents" (120-134) the Israelites sang as they went up to worship at the temple in Jerusalem. The people's oneness of heart in commitment to the LORD sanctifies them for the worship of God, as did the oil of consecration poured on Aaron's head (st. 1). There on Mount Zion, God's blessing falls upon the people like the life-refreshing dew on Mount Hermon (part of the Lebanon range, st. 2). Bert Polman (PHH 37) versified this psalm in 1986 for the Psalter Hymnal Another setting of Psalm 133 is at 514.

Liturgical Use:
Reflections on the goodness and beauty of unity among God's people (especially appropriate at ecumenical gatherings).

--Psalter Hymnal Handbook

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Tune

GENEVAN 133

GENEVAN 133 first appeared in the 1551 edition of the Genevan Psalter. Howard Slenk (PHH 3) harmonized the tune in 1985. Composed in the Ionian mode (major), GENEVAN 133 consists of six lines that group into two very long melodic curves with identical cadences at the ends of lines 3 and 6. Sing the…

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