Neville Goddard on Deuteronomy 20:10-15 - Mystical Bible Interpretation

Read Deuteronomy 20 in context

Scripture Focus

10When thou comest nigh unto a city to fight against it, then proclaim peace unto it.

11And it shall be, if it make thee answer of peace, and open unto thee, then it shall be, that all the people that is found therein shall be tributaries unto thee, and they shall serve thee.

12And if it will make no peace with thee, but will make war against thee, then thou shalt besiege it:

13And when the LORD thy God hath delivered it into thine hands, thou shalt smite every male thereof with the edge of the sword:

14But the women, and the little ones, and the cattle, and all that is in the city, even all the spoil thereof, shalt thou take unto thyself; and thou shalt eat the spoil of thine enemies, which the LORD thy God hath given thee.

15Thus shalt thou do unto all the cities which are very far off from thee, which are not of the cities of these nations.

Deuteronomy 20:10-15

Biblical Context

The passage describes approaching a city to fight, offering peace; if accepted, the inhabitants become tributaries and serve; if not, siege and spoils follow.

Neville's Inner Vision

To one who understands consciousness as the creator, the 'city' is a fixed condition of mind. Approaching it with the decree of peace is a decision of awareness. If your inner parts respond in harmony, they become tributaries, serving your purpose as allied energies within your life. If the peace is denied, you stand firm in the encounter, and the discipline of inner revision continues until the belief yields. The line about the LORD delivering it into your hands marks the moment your I AM presence realizes you possess the power to release fear and cut away the armed insistence of limitation. The 'spoil'—the women, the little ones, the cattle—symbolizes inner wealth: the energy, insight, and capacities that gather when you maintain absolute alignment. This practice can be applied to every distant city of doubt, extending your inner sovereignty until the entire field of experience rests in peaceful coexistence within your consciousness.

Practice This Now

Practice: In a quiet moment, assume the situation is already settled in peace; imagine the inner city opening its gates to you and your aligned parts stepping into cooperative service; feel it as real now for several minutes.