Neville Goddard on Deuteronomy 19:1-10 - Mystical Bible Interpretation

Read Deuteronomy 19 in context

Scripture Focus

1When the LORD thy God hath cut off the nations, whose land the LORD thy God giveth thee, and thou succeedest them, and dwellest in their cities, and in their houses;

2Thou shalt separate three cities for thee in the midst of thy land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee to possess it.

3Thou shalt prepare thee a way, and divide the coasts of thy land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee to inherit, into three parts, that every slayer may flee thither.

4And this is the case of the slayer, which shall flee thither, that he may live: Whoso killeth his neighbour ignorantly, whom he hated not in time past;

5As when a man goeth into the wood with his neighbour to hew wood, and his hand fetcheth a stroke with the axe to cut down the tree, and the head slippeth from the helve, and lighteth upon his neighbour, that he die; he shall flee unto one of those cities, and live:

6Lest the avenger of the blood pursue the slayer, while his heart is hot, and overtake him, because the way is long, and slay him; whereas he was not worthy of death, inasmuch as he hated him not in time past.

7Wherefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt separate three cities for thee.

8And if the LORD thy God enlarge thy coast, as he hath sworn unto thy fathers, and give thee all the land which he promised to give unto thy fathers;

9If thou shalt keep all these commandments to do them, which I command thee this day, to love the LORD thy God, and to walk ever in his ways; then shalt thou add three cities more for thee, beside these three:

10That innocent blood be not shed in thy land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, and so blood be upon thee.

Deuteronomy 19:1-10

Biblical Context

The verses appoint three cities of refuge in the land so the one who has killed accidentally may flee and live; by keeping the commandments, the land may expand and three more cities may be added.

Neville's Inner Vision

Within this law you are not dealing with land alone but with the inner geography of consciousness. The ‘nations’ cut off are the old beliefs you have set aside; the three cities stand inside you as fixed points of refuge where a heated reaction can be tamed. The slayer is the impulsive thought or moment when you would strike at another with anger or fear. When you feel that heat, you may flee instead to one of these inner cities—stillness, mercy, and deliberate choice—where the energy settles and life can be preserved. The avenger is the fear that pursues you; by dwelling in these inner sanctuaries, you outrun it, for your heart is no longer ruled by a hot impulse. The command to add three more cities if your coast enlarges is your invitation to consciousness growth: as you love the Lord and walk in His ways, your interior land expands, and more refuge arises. The essence is not punishment but alignment: keep the divine law in your heart, and your life will reflect that order.

Practice This Now

Imaginative_act: Close your eyes, breathe, and imagine stepping into one of your three inner cities of refuge—where you pause before reacting, where mercy dissolves blame, and where clear choice preserves life. Then revise by affirming, 'I am the awareness through which I choose life; I have already established these refuges in my mind.'