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 cannot be removed by
anything that they can do; not by any sacrifices, services, or
duties of any kind; nor in any other way, nor by any other
person, than the Lord himself: and this is to be understood not
of a removal of the being of sin out of his people, for that is
not done in this life; rather of the removal of the guilt of sin,
by a special application of pardoning grace and mercy; see (
2 Samuel
12:13 ) ( Zechariah
3:4 ) , but, best of all, of a removal of sins to Christ, and
of them by his sacrifice and satisfaction: Christ engaged as a
surety for his people; Jehovah the Father considered him as such;
and therefore did not impute their sins to them, but to him; and
when he sent him in the likeness of sinful flesh, he removed them
from them, and laid them upon him; who voluntarily took them on
himself, cheerfully bore them, and, by bearing them, removed the
iniquity of the land in one day; and carried them away to the
greatest distance, and even put them away for ever by the
sacrifice of himself; and upon the satisfaction he gave to divine
justice, the Lord removed them both from him and them; justified
and acquitted him, and his people in him: and by this means so
effectually, and so far, are their transgressions removed, that
they shall never be seen any more, nor ever be imputed to them,
nor be brought against them to their condemnation; in consequence
of which, pardon is applied to them, and so sin is removed from
their consciences, as before observed; see ( Leviticus
16:21 ) ( Zechariah
3:9 ) .