Psalm 119:132

Look thou upon me, and be merciful unto me, as thou usest to do unto those that love thy name.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(132) As . . . name.—See margin. But the absence of the suffix is against this correction, as it is against the Authorised Version itself. Rather, according to the right of. It was not only theirs by custom, but by right of the covenant.

Benson Commentary

Psalm 119:132-133. Look thou upon me — Favourably, as the next clause explains it; and be merciful unto me — Let me taste the sweetness, and receive the gifts of thy mercy; let me have thy smiles, and the light of thy countenance; as thou usest to do, &c. — As thou hast been wont to do unto thy people in all former ages. Do not deny me the common privilege of all the faithful. Order my steps in thy word — By thy grace direct and govern all my affections and actions in the way prescribed in thy word. Let thy Spirit accompany thy word, and ingraft it in me, so that I may be guided and ruled by it. And let not any iniquity have dominion over me: let not the law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, lead me captive to the law of sin: but, though the flesh may lust against the spirit, let the spirit oppose the desires of the flesh, and overcome and subdue them. The dominion of sin is to be dreaded and deprecated by every one of us; and if in sincerity we pray against it, we shall receive, as an answer of our prayers, the accomplishment of that promise, Romans 6:14, Sin shall not have dominion over you.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

119:129-136 The wonders of redeeming love will fix the heart in adoration of them. The Scriptures show us what we were, what we are, and what we shall be. They show us the mercy and the justice of the Lord, the joys of heaven, and the pains of hell. Thus they give to the simple, in a few days, understanding of those matters, which philosophers for ages sought in vain. The believer, wearied with the cares of life and his conflicts with sin, pants for the consolations conveyed to him by means of the sacred word. And every one may pray, Look thou upon me, and be merciful unto me as thou usest to do unto those that love thy name. We must beg that the Holy Spirit would order our steps. The dominion of sin is to be dreaded and prayed against by every one. The oppression of men is often more than flesh and blood can bear; and He who knoweth our frame, will not refuse to remove it in answer to the prayers of his people. Whatever obscurity may appear as to the faith of the Old Testament believers, their confidence at the throne of grace can only be explained by their having obtained more distinct views of gospel privileges, through the sacrifices and services of their law, than is generally imagined. Go to the same place, plead the name and merits of Jesus, and you will not, you cannot plead in vain. Commonly, where there is a gracious heart, there is a weeping eye. Accept, O Lord, the tears our blessed Redeemer shed in the days of his flesh, for us who should weep for our brethren or ourselves.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Look thou upon me - Turn not away from me. Regard me with thy favor.

And be merciful unto me, as thou usest to do unto those that love thy name - Margin, "According to the custom toward those," etc. The Hebrew word is "judgment:" "according to the judgment to the lovers of thy name." The word seems here to be used in the sense of "right;" of what is due; or, of what is usually determined: that is, as God usually determines, judges, acts toward those who love him. The idea is, Treat me according to the rules which regulate the treatment of thy people. Let me be regarded as one of them, and be dealt with accordingly. On the sentiment in this passage, see the notes at Psalm 106:4.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

132. Look … upon me—opposed to hiding or averting the face (compare Ps 25:15; 86:6; 102:17).

as thou usest to do—or, "as it is right in regard to those who love Thy name." Such have a right to the manifestations of God's grace, resting on the nature of God as faithful to His promise to such, not on their own merits.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Ver. 132. Look thou upon me, to wit, favourably, as the next clause explains it, and as this phrase is commonly used; whereby also he implies that God at present did hide his face and favour from him.

As thou usest to do unto those that love thy name; as thou hast done in all former ages. Do not deny me the common privilege of all the faithful.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Look thou upon me,.... Not as in himself; a sinful creature will not bear looking upon by the Lord, especially with the strict eye of justice; but as in Christ, and clothed with his righteousness; and so not merely in a providential way, though that is a favour, but in a way of special grace and mercy. It may be rendered, "turn unto me" (r); as it is in Psalm 25:16; the Lord had turned from him, and had hid his face, which had given him trouble; and therefore he desires he would turn again to him, and show him his face and favour;

and be merciful unto me; in forgiving his sins, and admitting him to communion with him: he pleads mercy, and not merit and this shows it was not any look but a look of grace and mercy he prays for;

as thou usest to do unto those that love thy name; that is, himself: such as love the Lord have favours shown them; he shows mercy to thousands of them that love him; he loves them that love him; he manifests his love to them, and admits them to great nearness to himself. David was one of these; he loved him in sincerity, and above all others and could appeal to him for the truth of it, and desires no other nor better usage than such had; and indeed a man need not desire better, since all things work for their good now, and it is not to be conceived what God has prepared for them hereafter.

(r) "convertere ad me", Michaelis; "turn the face unto me", Ainsworth.

Geneva Study Bible

Look thou upon me, and be merciful unto me, as thou usest to do unto those that love thy name.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

132. Look &c.] Turn unto me and be gracious unto me. So Psalm 25:16; Psalm 86:16.

as thou usest to do &c.] Better, as is the right of those that love thy name. The plea is a bold one, but not too bold. The covenant gives those who love Jehovah’s revelation of Himself (Psalm 5:11; Psalm 69:36) the right to claim His grace. Cp. Hebrews 6:10. The word for right is mishpâṭ, usually rendered judgement.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 132. - Look thou upon me; rather, turn thee unto me, but in the sense of "turn round and look upon me." And be merciful unto me (comp. vers. 41, 58, 76, 77, etc.). As thou usest to do unto those that love thy Name; literally, as thy rule is with those that love thy Name. Psalm 119:132

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

The eightfold Phe. The deeper his depression of spirit concerning those who despise the word of God, the more ardently does he yearn after the light and food of that word. The testimonies of God are פּלאות, wonderful and strange (paradoxical) things, exalted above every-day life and the common understanding. In this connection of the thoughts נצרתם is not intended of careful observance, but of attentive contemplation that is prolonged until a clear penetrating understanding of the matter is attained. The opening, disclosure (פּתח, apertio, with Tsere in distinction from פּתח, porta) of God's word giveth light, inasmuch as it makes the simple (פּתיים as in Proverbs 22:3) wise or sagacious; in connection with which it is assumed that it is God Himself who unfolds the mysteries of His word to those who are anxious to learn. Such an one, anxious to learn, is the poet: he pants with open mouth, viz., for the heavenly fare of such disclosures (פּער like פּער פּה in Job 29:23, cf. Psalm 81:11). יאב is a hapaxlegomenon, just as תּאב is also exclusively peculiar to the Psalm before us; both are secondary forms of אבה. Love to God cannot indeed remain unresponded to. The experience of helping grace is a right belonging to those who love the God of revelation; love in return for love, salvation in return for the longing for salvation, is their prerogative. On the ground of this reciprocal relation the petitions in Psalm 119:133-135 are then put up, coming back at last to the one chief prayer "teach me." אמרה, Psalm 119:133, is not merely a "promise" in this instance, but the declared will of God in general. כּל־און refers pre-eminently to all sin of disavowal (denying God), into which he might fall under outward and inward pressure (עשׁק). For he has round about him those who do not keep God's law. On account of these apostates (על לא as in Isaiah 53:9, equivalent to על־אשׁר לא) his eyes run down rivers of water (ירד as in Lamentations 3:48, with an accusative of the object). His mood is not that of unfeeling self-glorying, but of sorrow like that of Jeremiah, because of the contempt of Jahve, and the self-destruction of those who contemn Him.