Neville Goddard on Deuteronomy 29:17-18 - Mystical Bible Interpretation

Read Deuteronomy 29 in context

Scripture Focus

17And ye have seen their abominations, and their idols, wood and stone, silver and gold, which were among them:)

18Lest there should be among you man, or woman, or family, or tribe, whose heart turneth away this day from the LORD our God, to go and serve the gods of these nations; lest there should be among you a root that beareth gall and wormwood;

Deuteronomy 29:17-18

Biblical Context

The passage warns that among the community there should be no one turning from the LORD to the idols of other nations. It cautions that such turning would plant a root of bitterness—gall and wormwood—in the heart.

Neville's Inner Vision

To interpret this in Neville's sense, the 'abominations' and idols are not distant stones but currents in your own mind. The gods of the nations symbolize images that would lure your awareness away from the I AM, the unchanging you. When you believe you are governed by forces outside yourself, you plant a root that bears gall and wormwood—bitterness, fear, and longing. Moses' warning is a call to awaken to the truth that the LORD your God is the only power in your life, not a visible shrine but the living awareness behind every thought. The moment you see you cannot serve two powers in consciousness, you may revise by turning your attention to the I AM and feeling it as real. Do not argue with the image; feel its reality as the only reality. Your world shifts to reflect the inner state you maintain. Rest in the certainty that the I AM is all-powerful and loving, and the rival idols dissolve as you persist in that recognition.

Practice This Now

Imaginative Act: For 5 minutes, assume 'I AM' is the sole reality of your life; revise any image of lack or competing power by dwelling in that awareness and feeling it real.