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

Read 1 Samuel 16 in context

Scripture Focus

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 16:16-23

Biblical Context

The passage shows Saul seeking relief from a troubling spirit by bringing in a skilled harpist; David is chosen and his music brings refreshment, driving away the distress.

Neville's Inner Vision

Saul’s fear is not a person but a restless state of mind. The 'evil spirit' stands for a belief that awareness is diminished, a storm in which the I AM forgets itself. When David, the embodiment of a steady, harmonious state, enters and plays, the mind is refreshed; the disturbance fades as the inner note of truth is sounded. The scene is not about an external musician but about your own inner musician waking your consciousness to its true key. The LORD with him signifies that your I AM is aligned, and the instrument is imagination used with conviction. The real power comes when you revise the scene in your mind, assuming you are the one who can bring ease, courage, and strength through a simple, confident bearing. By dwelling in the posture of the musician—present, capable, unperturbed—you displace fear and reveal the kingdom as your ongoing awareness. Your environment shifts to reflect the inner cadence you accept as real.

Practice This Now

Close your eyes and imagine you are David, before the 'Saul' of your fear, holding a harp of your own inner music. Assume the state of harmony and feel it real until the storm within subsides.