Neville Goddard on 1 Samuel 16:14-23 - Mystical Bible Interpretation

Read 1 Samuel 16 in context

Scripture Focus

14But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him.

15And Saul's servants said unto him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubleth thee.

16Let our lord now command thy servants, which are before thee, to seek out a man, who is a cunning player on an harp: and it shall come to pass, when the evil spirit from God is upon thee, that he shall play with his hand, and thou shalt be well.

17And Saul said unto his servants, Provide me now a man that can play well, and bring him to me.

18Then answered one of the servants, and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, that is cunning in playing, and a mighty valiant man, and a man of war, and prudent in matters, and a comely person, and the LORD is with him.

19Wherefore Saul sent messengers unto Jesse, and said, Send me David thy son, which is with the sheep.

20And Jesse took an ass laden with bread, and a bottle of wine, and a kid, and sent them by David his son unto Saul.

21And David came to Saul, and stood before him: and he loved him greatly; and he became his armourbearer.

22And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, Let David, I pray thee, stand before me; for he hath found favour in my sight.

23And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took an harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.

1 Samuel 16:14-23

Biblical Context

Saul loses the Spirit of the LORD and is troubled by an inner darkness; when a higher inner image arrives (David and his harp), the troubled mind is refreshed.

Neville's Inner Vision

In Neville's terms, the Spirit departing from Saul symbolizes a moment in which the I AM (awareness) identifies with fear and limitation, allowing a negative 'spirit' to seem real. The cure is not an external exorcism but a return to a higher state of consciousness—inviting the image of David, a courage-filled prototype, and his harp as the instrument of inner harmony. The Lord being with him points to the inner truth that your true self is already attended by divine presence. When you consent to a new vibration—calm, faith, clarity—the troubling thought-form dissolves, and the mind is refreshed. The scene invites you to shift your center from problem-focused thinking to the feeling of being the I AM, the one who can hear the music that calms the storm. Remember: imagination creates reality; you revise your inner weather by embracing the state you wish to inhabit.

Practice This Now

Close your eyes and declare 'I AM' with every breath. Then imagine a harp playing within you, softly aligning your mood until the sense of disturbance vanishes and the refreshing presence returns.