Psalm 119:132

NKJV

132 

Look upon me and be merciful to me,
As Your custom is toward those who love Your name.

KJV

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

The Mercy in His Gaze

My Notes

Scripture: “Look upon me and be merciful to me, as Your custom is toward those who love Your name.” — Psalm 119:132 (NKJV)

David’s humble request for divine favor is evident in his plea: “Look graciously upon me; let me have Your smiles, and the light of Your countenance. Be mindful of me and my affairs, and be merciful to me; let me taste the sweetness of Your mercy and receive the gifts of Your mercy.” A good look is sufficient for him, and he does not plead merit but implores mercy.

This is the cry of a heart that treasures relationship over reward. David knows that God’s mercy is not random—it’s customary. It’s the divine habit toward those who love His name. To love God’s name is to love His character, reputation, and ways. And David, as one who loves deeply, appeals not to merit but to mercy.

For instance, God has shown favors to those who love Him. He extends mercy to thousands of those who love Him, and He loves them in return. He manifests His love to them and admits them to great nearness to Himself. David was one of these individuals; he loved Him sincerely and above all others. He could appeal to Him for the truth of his love and desired only what the Lord had planned for him. Indeed, a man does not need to desire better, as all things work for their good now, and it is not possible to comprehend what God has prepared for them in the future.

The gaze of Christ upon Peter was one of mercy, and all the expressions of the heavenly Father share this characteristic. If He had looked with stern justice, His eyes would not endure us; instead, with mercy, He spares and blesses us.

David’s request is also a declaration of belonging: “Treat me as You treat those who love You.” He identifies with the faithful, the beloved, the ones God draws near. And he trusts that God’s dealings with them are good, wise, and eternally kind.

Cross-References

Scripture	NKJV
Numbers 6:25	“The Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you.”
Luke 22:61	“And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.”
Exodus 20:6	“Showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.”
Isaiah 54:13	“All your children shall be taught by the Lord, and great shall be the peace of your children.”
1 Corinthians 10:13	“No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”

Time to Reflect

1. Do I truly love God’s name—His character, His ways, His reputation? How is that love expressed in my life?

2. In what ways do I need to stop striving for merit and instead rest in mercy?

3. How can I remind myself daily that God’s dealings with those who love Him are always good and trustworthy?

 

Prayer

Abba, I’m coming not with credentials, but with longing. Look upon me—not in judgment, but in mercy. Let Your gaze rest on me with kindness, as You do with those who love Your name. I love You, Lord—not perfectly, but sincerely. Teach me, guide me, and deal with me as You do with Your beloved children. Let me taste the sweetness of Your mercy and walk in Your light. I trust Your ways, and I rest in Your mercy. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Proverb for Today

My son, keep your father’s command, And do not forsake the law of your mother. Bind them continually upon your heart; Tie them around your neck. When you roam, they will lead you; When you sleep, they will keep you; And when you awake, they will speak with you. For the commandment is a lamp, And the law a light; Reproofs of instruction are the way of life, Proverbs 6:20-23 NKJV

Summary of Commentaries Below:

Psalm 119:132 reflects David’s humble plea for God’s merciful attention—not based on merit, but on divine mercy toward those who love Him. Commentators highlight the power of God’s gaze, which, when accompanied by mercy, brings favor, forgiveness, and communion. David longs to be treated as one of God’s beloved, trusting that God’s dealings with His people are gracious and consistent. Spurgeon and Gill emphasize that such a look must be through Christ’s righteousness. Matthew Henry and Barnes affirm that David seeks not extraordinary blessings, but the ordinary mercies God faithfully gives to those who love His name and walk in His ways.

NOTE: Psalm 119 has 22 sections which each section is represented by a letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Today, we’re looking at verse 132, which is in the 17th section, which is called “Pe פ”. The website https://www.abarim-publications.com/Hebrew_Alphabet_Meaning.html has this to say about the letter “Pe פ”: The word פה (peh) means mouth, but is often synonymous with speech. With a little goodwill, one may recognize a face with a mouth in the shape of this letter. The letter peh is written ף when it occurs at the end of a word, and פ when it occurs at the beginning or halfway through a word.

……..Bill

Commentaries:

Charles Spurgeon

“Look thou upon me.” A godly man cannot long be without prayer. During the previous verses, he had been expressing his love to God’s word, but here he is upon his knees again. This prayer is especially short, but exceedingly sententious: “Look thou upon me.” While he stood with open mouth panting for the commandments, he besought the Lord to look upon him, and let his condition and his unexpressed longings plead for him. He desires to be known of God, and daily observed by him. He wishes also to be favored with the divine smile which is included in the word “look.” If a look from us to God has saving efficacy in it, what may we not expect from a look from God to us?

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 favor, but in a way of special grace and mercy.

“And be merciful unto me.” Christ’s look at Peter was a look of mercy, and all the looks of the heavenly Father are of the same kind. If he looked in stern justice, his eyes would not endure us, but looking in mercy, he spares and blesses us. If God looks and sees us panting, he will not fail to be merciful to us.

“As thou usest to do unto those that love thy name.” Look on me as thou lookest on those who love thee; be merciful to me as thou art accustomed to be towards those who truly serve thee. There is a use and wont which God observes towards them that love him, and David craved that he might experience it. He would not have the Lord deal either better or worse with him than he was accustomed to deal with his saints—worse would not save him, better could not be. In effect, he prays, “I am thy servant; treat me as you treat thy servants. I am thy child; deal with me as with a son.” Especially is it clear from the context that he desired such an entering in of the word, and such a clear understanding of it as God usually gives to his own, according to the promise, “All thy children shall be taught of the Lord.”

Reader, do you love the name of the Lord? Is his character most honorable in your sight? Most dear to your heart? This is a sure mark of grace, for no soul ever loved the Lord except as the result of love received from the Lord himself.

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Enduring Word

Look upon me and be merciful to me: This first request is really two: asking God to look and then to be merciful. The psalmist had reason to believe God would answer, knowing that this was God’s custom…toward those who love Your name.

i. It is wonderful to think that God has a custom, a pattern of action, toward those who love His name. That custom is to look upon them (giving them His attention) and to be merciful to them. This promise is a solid ground for trusting, bold prayer in a time of need.

ii. Look…be merciful: Yet God’s look – the turning of His attention – would be a curse and not a blessing unless it was accompanied by His mercy. If we have the first, we desire the second.

(Guzik)

“Lord! Since our looks to thee are often so slight, so cold, so distant, that no impression is made upon our hearts; do thou condescend continually to look upon us with mercy and power.” (Bridges)

“Brethren, there is great virtue in our looking to Christ: it is the way of salvation. What virtue, then, must there be in Christ’s love-gaze upon us!” (Spurgeon)

Those who love Your name: To love the name of God means to…

· Love the person of God.

· Love the character of God.

· Love the revelation of God.

· Love the glory of God.

(Guzik)

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Albert Barnes

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 Psalms 106:4.

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John Gill

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 favor, but in a way of special grace and mercy. It may be rendered, “turn unto me”; 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 favor;

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 favors 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.

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Matthew Henry

1. David’s request for God’s favor to himself: “Look graciously upon me; let me have thy smiles, and the light of thy countenance. Take cognizance of me and my affairs, and be merciful to me; let me taste the sweetness of thy mercy and receive the gifts of thy mercy.” See how humble his petition is. He asks not for the operations of God’s hand, only for the smiles of his face; a good look is enough, and for that he does not plead merit, but implores mercy.

2. His acknowledgment of his favor to all his people: As thou usest to do unto those that love thy name. This is either,

(1.) A plea for mercy: “Lord, I am one of those that love thy name, love thee and thy word, and thou usest to be kind to those that do so; and wilt thou be worse to me than to others of thy people?” Or,

(2.) A description of the favor and mercy he desired-“that which thou usest to bestow on those that love thy name, which thou bearest to thy chosen,“ Ps. 106:4, 5. He desires no more, no better, than neighbors fare, and he will take up with no less; common looks and common mercies will not serve, but such as are reserved for those that love him, which are such as eye has not seen, 1 Co. 2:9. Note, The dealings of God with those that love him are such that a man needs not desire to be any better dealt with, for he will make them truly and eternally happy. And as long as God deals with us no otherwise than as he uses to deal with those that love him, we have no reason to complain, 1 Co. 10:13.

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Miscellaneous Comments

“Look thou upon me.” Lord! since our looks to thee are often so slight, so cold, so distant, that no impression is made upon our hearts, do thou condescend continually to look upon us with mercy and with power. Vouchsafe us such a look as may bring us to ourselves and touch us with tenderness and contrition in the remembrance of that sin, unbelief, and disobedience, which pierced the hands, the feet, the heart of our dearest Lord and Saviour. Comp. Luk 22:61.

—Charles Bridges.

“As thou usest to do,” etc. David would not lose any privilege that God hath by promise settled on his children. Do with me, saith he, “as thou usest to do.” This is no more than family fare, what you promise to do for all that love thee; and let me not go worse clad than the rest of my brethren.

—William Gurnall.

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Additional Cross-References

Psalm 25:16 (KJV)

¹⁶  Turn thee unto me, and have mercy upon me;

For I am desolate and afflicted.

 

Psalm 106:4 (KJV)

⁴  Remember me, O Lord, with the favour that thou bearest unto thy people:

O visit me with thy salvation;

 

Psalm 5:11 (KJV)

¹¹  But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice:

Let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them:

Let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.

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Pe פ: Steps directed by God’s wonderful word.

129 

Your testimonies are wonderful;
Therefore my soul keeps them.

130 

The entrance of Your words gives light;
It gives understanding to the simple.

131 

I opened my mouth and panted,
For I longed for Your commandments.

132 

Look upon me and be merciful to me,
As Your custom is toward those who love Your name.

133 

Direct my steps by Your word,
And let no iniquity have dominion over me.

134 

Redeem me from the oppression of man,
That I may keep Your precepts.

135 

Make Your face shine upon Your servant,
And teach me Your statutes.

136 

Rivers of water run down from my eyes,
Because men do not keep Your law.

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Posted on 10/6/2025 by Bill Stephens

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