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Psalm 103:12
Total Forgiveness
Psalm 103:12
As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
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Why it is worth knowing
- East and west never meet: the distance is infinite and unbridgeable
- God does not just forgive sin: he removes it, places it at a distance
- The image is spatial and total, not partial or conditional removal
- This forgiveness is grounded in God’s covenant love (hesed) described in the surrounding verses
Where it sits: Psalm 103:10-14
He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor repaid us for our iniquities. For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is his loving kindness toward those who fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. Like a father has compassion on his children, so Yahweh has compassion on those who fear him. For he knows how we are made. He remembers that we are dust.
Hear the passage it sits in, sung word for word, on BibleDo's Psalms page.
Background
Psalm 103 is a song of David cataloguing God’s benefits: forgiveness, healing, redemption, steadfast love, and compassion. The east-west metaphor for forgiveness is profound: north and south have endpoints (the poles), but east and west have no meeting point. God’s removal of transgressions is therefore infinite and irrevocable. The surrounding context deepens it: God deals with us not according to our sins but according to his hesed (steadfast, covenant love). He knows we are dust (mortal and frail) and he responds with fatherly compassion.