Neville Goddard on Deuteronomy 22:23-24 - Mystical Bible Interpretation

Read Deuteronomy 22 in context

Scripture Focus

23If a damsel that is a virgin be betrothed unto an husband, and a man find her in the city, and lie with her;

24Then ye shall bring them both out unto the gate of that city, and ye shall stone them with stones that they die; the damsel, because she cried not, being in the city; and the man, because he hath humbled his neighbour's wife: so thou shalt put away evil from among you.

Deuteronomy 22:23-24

Biblical Context

Plainly, the verse says: if a man lies with a betrothed virgin in the city, they are to be stoned; the damsel because she cried not, and the man because he wronged his neighbor's wife; thus evil is removed from among you.

Neville's Inner Vision

Viewed through Neville's psychology, the 'city' is your current state of consciousness, the 'virgin' your vow to know the I AM, and the 'man' a lower impulse seeking to violate that vow. When such an intrusion arises, the command to stone them becomes a call to decisively withdraw belief from the impulse and realign with your higher self. The damsel's cry (or silence) signals whether inner guidance was heard; when you heed it and refuse to feed the old image, the inner evil is purged from your mind and your life reflects a purer state. The lesson is not punishment from an external deity but the purification of your inner atmosphere; as you align your imagination with integrity, fidelity to the I AM, and the perception that you are always free, you release the power to create only from holy states. In this renewal, the 'evil' disappears and the life you imagine becomes the life you live.

Practice This Now

Sit quietly and assume the I AM governs your mind. Visualize the inner city gate and watch the impulse fade away as you withdraw belief from it, then declare 'I choose purity and integrity now' and feel that choice as real.