Neville Goddard on 1 Kings 3:16-28 - Mystical Bible Interpretation

Read 1 Kings 3 in context

Scripture Focus

16Then came there two women, that were harlots, unto the king, and stood before him.

17And the one woman said, O my lord, I and this woman dwell in one house; and I was delivered of a child with her in the house.

18And it came to pass the third day after that I was delivered, that this woman was delivered also: and we were together; there was no stranger with us in the house, save we two in the house.

19And this woman's child died in the night; because she overlaid it.

20And she arose at midnight, and took my son from beside me, while thine handmaid slept, and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my bosom.

21And when I rose in the morning to give my child suck, behold, it was dead: but when I had considered it in the morning, behold, it was not my son, which I did bear.

22And the other woman said, Nay; but the living is my son, and the dead is thy son. And this said, No; but the dead is thy son, and the living is my son. Thus they spake before the king.

23Then said the king, The one saith, This is my son that liveth, and thy son is the dead: and the other saith, Nay; but thy son is the dead, and my son is the living.

24And the king said, Bring me a sword. And they brought a sword before the king.

25And the king said, Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other.

26Then spake the woman whose the living child was unto the king, for her bowels yearned upon her son, and she said, O my lord, give her the living child, and in no wise slay it. But the other said, Let it be neither mine nor thine, but divide it.

27Then the king answered and said, Give her the living child, and in no wise slay it: she is the mother thereof.

28And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had judged; and they feared the king: for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him, to do judgment.

1 Kings 3:16-28

Biblical Context

Two harlots bring a dispute before the king about a living child; the king's test reveals the true mother and displays divine wisdom in judgment, inspiring awe in all who witness.

Neville's Inner Vision

I see the scene as a vivid image of the mind's two states contending for a living idea. The living child represents the true idea you desire to bring forth; the dead child is the belief that your creation is lost. The king's sword-test is the moment of decision in the I AM, the place where you choose which thought you will nourish. When the merciful mother speaks, her plea to spare the child is the feeling of unity with the living idea—your consciousness choosing the living truth over fear. The other voice, clamoring to divide, embodies the impulse to hold onto lack and separate from your own creation. The king's ruling—giving the living child to the one who loves it—shows that inner discernment guided by mercy preserves the life of your idea. As you dwell in this consciousness, life itself begins to reflect that inner wisdom; situations and results bear witness to the decision you have made in mind. The lesson is simple: mercy and clear inner judgment are the means by which truth is revealed and realized in form.

Practice This Now

Imaginative Act: Stand in your inner court and, with full feeling, declare that your living idea is yours now. Hold the idea, feel its fullness, and affirm, 'This is mine, and I guard it with mercy.'