Psalms 103:12

As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. AS FAR AS THE EAST IS FROM THE WEST, (SO) FAR HATH HE REMOVED OUR TRANSGRESSIONS FROM US - entirely acquitting us of their guilt and penalty (Micah 7:18)....

6-14 Truly God is good to all: he is in a special manner good to Israel. He has revealed himself and his grace to them. By his ways we may understand his precepts, the ways he requires us to walk in; and his promises and purposes. He always has been full of compassion. How unlike are those to God, who take every occasion to chide, and never know when to cease! What would become of us, if God should deal so with us? The Scripture says a great deal of the mercy of God, and we all have experienced it. The father pities his children that are weak in knowledge, and teaches them; pities them when they are froward, and bears with them; pities them when they are sick, and comforts them; pities them when they are fallen, and helps them to rise; pities them when they have offended, and, upon their submission, forgives them; pities them when wronged, and rights them: thus the Lord pities those tha...

Verse Psalms 103:12. _AS FAR AS THE EAST IS FROM THE WEST_] As the east and the west can never meet in one point, but be for ever at the same distance from each other, so our sins and their decreed punishment are removed to an eternal distance by his mercy....

AS FAR AS THE EAST IS FROM THE WEST - As far as possible; as far as we can imagine. These are the points in our apprehension most distant from each other, and as we can conceive nothing beyond them, so the meaning is, that we cannot imagine our sins could be more effectually removed than they are. The literal meaning of the Hebrew is, “like the distance of the east from the west” or, “like its being far.” SO FAR HATH HE REMOVED OUR TRANSGRESSIONS FROM US - That is, he has put them entirely away. They are so removed that they cannot affect us any more. We are safe from all condemnation for our sins, as if they had not been committed at all. Compare the notes at Isaiah 43:25; notes at Isaiah 44:22....

EXPOSITION A PSALM of joy and thanksgiving for God's manifold mercies, especially for his loving kindness in forgiving sin and transgression (Psalms 103:3, Psalms 103:8, Psalms 103:17) passing into adoration of him upon his heavenly throne (Psalms 103:19), and a call on all creation to praise him (Psalms 103:20-19). The "title" assigns the psalm to David, and this view of its authorship is taken by Hengstenberg and Professor Alexander. But other critics see in "certain Aramaic terminations" indications o

AS FAR AS THE EAST IS FROM THE WEST,.... Which Kimchi thinks is mentioned because it contains the length of the habitable world; and therefore it is not said as far as the north is from the south; since a man can go from east to west, but not from north to south, because of the extreme heat and cold. But this distance is not given with respect to those opposite parts of the earth, which scarcely exceed 12700 miles; but with respect to those opposite points in the heavens: and the meaning is, that as far as the eastern point of the heavens is from the western point of them; which more illustrates the matter in hand, or the blessing later mentioned, than the other. SO FAR HATH HE REMOVED OUR TRANSGRESSIONS FROM US; which removed men and angels from God, and set them at a distance from him; and which, if not removed, are such burdens as must sink men down into the lowest hell; and yet cann...

Let us read, dear friends, the one hundred and third Psalm, not because we do not know it, but because I trust that we know it by heart, and feel that it is a fit expression for our heart's thankfulness on this last Sabbath evening of another year. Psalms 103:1. _Bless the LORD, O my soul:_ He has been blessing thee; now begin thou to bless him. If, during the week, thou hast been busy about the things of the world now leave these unimportant matters, and come to the grandest exercise in which an intelligent spirit can be engaged. «Bless the Lord, O my soul.» Let there be no sleeping now, no coldness, no indifference; let it be real soul-work. His blessings have been real, let thy praises be real, too. Psalms 103:1. _And all that is within me, bless his holy name._

REMOVED OUR TRANSGRESSION FROM US Three Hebrew words are translated, forgive, forgiven: kaphar, to cover; nasa, to lift away; salach, to send away (cf). (Leviticus 16:21); (Leviticus 16:22) the fundamental Old Testament idea of forgiveness being not the remission of penalty, but the separation of the sinner from his sin. (Psalms 103:12) expresses this....

Psalms 103 The Praise of Israel _ 1. The benefits of full salvation (Psalms 103:1)_ 2. Merciful and gracious (Psalms 103:8) 3. His throne and His kingdom (Psalms 103:19) This is the well-beloved Psalm, because God's people love it for its precious and beautiful expressions, telling out the full salvation of our Saviour Lord and the gracious compassion which He manifests towards His own. But we must not overlook the prophetic aspect, which but few believers have recognized. It is really the hymn of Praise which will be sung by redeemed and restored Israel. Theirs will be a whole-souled praise. The

CIII. A HYMN OF THANKSGIVING FOR YAHWEH'S PARDONING LOVE. The main theme is stated in Psalms 103:6. Yahweh is just, He rights the oppressed, but above all He is considerate and ready to pardon sin. He acts like a father to His children. PSALMS 103:1. The poet speaks from his own experience. He calls on his own soul to bless Yahweh. Here the singular is used: not so in Psalms 103:6 (see above). Psalms 103:15. A man's life is short, but Yahweh continues His kindness to a pious man's descendants. Psalms 103: