As we struggled to understand and communicate this Word from God in our worship planning meeting, Beth suggested that we stand Rick in the center of the altar area and pour oil on his head and watch it flow down his face and off his beard to see if we couldn't get the psalmist's point. But we decided against that. Rick was glad. And then I couldn't see what the dew on Mt. Hermon had to do with anything regarding unity among the flock. But with a little study, I found both of these similes to be powerful illustrations of bringing divided parts together in unity.
Scholars know that oil was used to anoint priests and kings.
As the olive oil was poured onto the head, it would drip naturally down the forehead and face, eventually onto the beard and off the beard onto the collar. Mt. Hermon is a mountain in the northern part of Israel, known for its heavy dew. Zion, of course, is the holy mountain in the south. So the image of the dew collecting on Mt. Hermon and flowing all the way down the mountain and through the dry countryside to Mt. Zion outside Jerusalem is a similar image of a divided country being once again united. I think most of us would agree with the psalmist.