Neville Goddard on Genesis 4:1-16 - Mystical Bible Interpretation

Read Genesis 4 in context

Scripture Focus

1And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD.

2And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.

3And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD.

4And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering:

5But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.

6And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?

7If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.

8And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.

9And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper?

10And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground.

11And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand;

12When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth.

13And Cain said unto the LORD, My punishment is greater than I can bear.

14Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me.

15And the LORD said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the LORD set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him.

16And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden.

Genesis 4:1-16

Biblical Context

Cain and Abel present offerings; Abel's is favored while Cain's is not, triggering jealousy. Cain acts from anger, kills Abel, and is cursed and banished, a symbolic exile from the outer world reflecting inner disharmony.

Neville's Inner Vision

Cain and Abel are two states of consciousness within me. Abel represents trust in the I AM, offering firstlings to life; Cain embodies a striving ego seeking to control life by effort. When Cain's offering is not received, fear and wrath arise—sin at the door—signaling a belief in separation. The field dialogue becomes the inner struggle between these states, and the curse and exile show the consequences of choosing fear over alignment with source. Yet the mercy remains: the mark upon Cain is a reminder that I cannot be destroyed by fear, for the I AM remains my true Identity. Returning to the inner altar and re-offering from a higher state dissolves the outer turmoil and returns me to the garden of presence.

Practice This Now

Close your eyes, assume the I AM as your only reality, and revise Cain's fear as a thought and choice. Imagine you have already offered your best and that it is accepted; feel the peace entering your heart and let the world reflect that inner harmony.