Neville Goddard on Exodus 21:12-17 - Mystical Bible Interpretation

Read Exodus 21 in context

Scripture Focus

12He that smiteth a man, so that he die, shall be surely put to death.

13And if a man lie not in wait, but God deliver him into his hand; then I will appoint thee a place whither he shall flee.

14But if a man come presumptuously upon his neighbour, to slay him with guile; thou shalt take him from mine altar, that he may die.

15And he that smiteth his father, or his mother, shall be surely put to death.

16And he that stealeth a man, and selleth him, or if he be found in his hand, he shall surely be put to death.

17And he that curseth his father, or his mother, shall surely be put to death.

Exodus 21:12-17

Biblical Context

These verses spell out capital offenses and harsh penalties for harming others, including parents and fellow humans, underscoring the gravity of violence and theft. They present a framework where actions against others are treated as breaches of a divine order.

Neville's Inner Vision

Viewed through the Neville lens, Exodus 21:12–17 speaks less of public penalties than of inner states. The death penalties point to a mind that believes itself separate from life; when you imagine acting to slay, you are killing a portion of your own vitality. The clause that a killer may flee to a place God appoints becomes a counsel to withdraw your attention from the impulse in you that wants to hurt, returning to a centered consciousness where the I AM governs. To act presumptuously with guile is to attempt to enforce your version of life on another; the remedy is not punishment of others but removal of the guile from your own inner sanctuary. 'Mine altar' is your heart's sanctuary of reverence; to pull someone from that altar is to denigrate your own life and yours. The lines about cursing or stealing a person point to misidentification—believing you can own or destroy another's life. When you align with the I AM as the sole law and see the other as an expression of your own life, the old penalties dissolve, and true order emerges within.

Practice This Now

Sit quietly, place a hand on your heart, and affirm 'I AM the law of life within me' while revising a recent grievance by blessing the other as part of yourself; feel this unity as real.