Psalms 102:12
As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our iniquities from us.
Open Psalms 102:12 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- quantum distat ortus ab occidente, longe fecit a nobis iniquitates nostras.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- καθ᾽ ὅσον ἀπέχουσιν ἀνατολαὶ ἀπὸ δυσμῶν, ἐμάκρυνεν ἀφ᾽ ἡμῶν τὰς ἀνομίας ἡμῶν.
- Hebrew (WLC) shown from Psalms 103:12
- כִּרְחֹ֣ק מִ֭זְרָח מִֽמַּֽעֲרָ֑ב הִֽרְחִ֥יק מִ֝מֶּ֗נּוּ אֶת פְּשָׁעֵֽינוּ
The Fathers on this verse
St Augustine Expositions on the Book of Psalms, Psalm CIII
16. “Look, how wide the east is from the west; so far hath He set our sins from us” ( ver. 12 ). They who know the Sacraments know this; nevertheless, I only say what all may hear. When sin is remitted, thy sins fall, thy grace riseth; thy sins are as it were on the decline, thy grace which freeth thee on the rise. “Truth springeth from the earth.” What meaneth this? Thy grace is born, thy sins fall, thou art in a certain manner made new. Thou shouldest look to the rising, and turn away from the setting. Turn away from thy sins, turn unto the grace of God; when thy sins fall, thou riseth and profitest.…One region of the heaven falleth, another riseth: but the region which is now rising will set after twelve hours. Not like this is the grace which riseth unto us: both our sins fall for ever, and grace abideth for ever.
St John Chrysostom The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Paul's Epistle to the Romans, Homily XXVIII on Rom. xv. 8
That is, that ye may get clear of that heartlessness ( ἀθυμίας ) towards one another, and may never be cast down by temptations. And this will be by your abounding in hope. Now this is the cause of all good things, and it comes from the Holy Ghost. But it is not simply from the Spirit, but on condition of our contributing our part also. This is why he says, “in believing.” For this is the way for you to be filled with joy, if ye believe, if ye hope. Yet he does not say if ye hope, but, “if ye abound in hope,” so as not to find comfort in troubles only, but even to have joy through the abundance of faith and hope. And in this way, ye will also draw the Spirit to you. In this way, when He is come ye will continually keep to all good things. …
Eusebius The Church History of Eusebius, Panegyric on the Splendor of Affairs
71. Since we, men, children, and women, small and great, are already in part partakers of these things, let us not cease all together, with one spirit and one soul, to confess and praise the author of such great benefits to us, ‘Who forgiveth all our iniquities, who healeth all our diseases, who redeemeth our life from destruction, who crowneth us with mercy and compassion, who satisfieth our desires with good things.’ ‘For he hath not dealt with us according to our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities;’ ‘for as far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our iniquities from us. Like as a father pitieth his own children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him.’