Neville Goddard on Psalms 50:12

Executive Summary

Neville explains that the voice in Psalms 50 declaring, "If I were hungry, I would not tell you," is the voice of God. Because God is within you, this is your own declaration of absolute ownership over all of creation. This principle means you should not pray to any external being or feel you must earn your desires. Instead, you are to 'appropriate'—or simply take—what is already yours, as the entire world and all it contains belongs to you.

Key Concepts

• The voice speaking in Psalms 50 is God's, which is your own voice.
• The entire world and everything within it is already yours.
• You do not need to ask permission from any external power to receive what you desire.
• You do not have to 'earn' what you want; it is yours by right.
• The correct action is to 'appropriate' what you desire, which means to take possession of it in consciousness.
• The only limitation is ignorance of your true identity as the owner of all things.

Detailed Explanation

Neville Goddard interprets the 50th Psalm, specifically the verse "If I were hungry, I would not tell you," as a fundamental statement of your true identity and power. The speaker is God, who declares ownership over the world and everything in it, including "the cattle on a thousand hills." Since God is within you, this declaration is not about an external deity but is your own truth. You are the God who owns everything.

This understanding fundamentally changes the nature of prayer. Instead of asking, begging, or petitioning an outside power—whether a male or female god—you simply appropriate what is already yours. To appropriate is to take possession. If you owned all the cattle, you would not ask for permission to eat; you would simply slay and eat. Likewise, you do not need to ask for anything you desire because it is already part of your property.

This principle stands in contrast to the idea that you must 'earn' your good. Your ownership is inherent, not conditional. However, this power is useless if you are unaware of it. One can own the entire world and still suffer from want if they do not know that the world is theirs. The key is to awaken to the knowledge that all things are yours and to begin consciously appropriating the states and experiences you wish to have.

Important Quotes

I’m told the world is mine, and all within it; and “were I hungry, I would not tell you.” (Psalm 50:12) I would slay and eat, “for the cattle on a thousand hills are mine.” (Psalm 50:10) so, why should I ask you for permission to take what is mine?

— No Other Gods

We are told in the 50th Psalm, “Were I hungry, I wouldn’t tell you, for the world is mine and all that is in it.” (Psalm 50:12)

— Where Are You Staying

But if I don’t know it’s mine, I could die of starvation for the want of a dollar and still own the world.

— Where Are You Staying

Related Concepts

• I AM: This interpretation is a direct expression of the principle that your consciousness, your I AM, is God. By identifying yourself with the speaker in the psalm, you are claiming your identity as the owner of the universe.
• Law of Assumption: The act of 'appropriating' what is yours is the Law of Assumption in practice. You assume the feeling of the wish fulfilled because, from the perspective of owning everything, the desire is already your property to be claimed.
• Desire: This teaching reframes desire not as a lack to be filled by an outside source, but as an impulse to claim something that is already within your vast inventory of possessions.

Common Misunderstandings

• Praying to an external God: A core misunderstanding is to continue praying to a God outside of yourself. The source material explicitly contrasts asking an external male or female god with the correct action of appropriating what is already yours because you are God.
• Believing you must earn your desires: Another error is thinking you must earn what you want through struggle or works. The source states, "you don’t have to earn it. You simply appropriate it."

Practical Applications

The practical application of this teaching is to cease praying to a power outside yourself and begin claiming as the power that you are. When a desire arises, instead of asking for it, recognize that it is already yours within the infinite storehouse of your being. The work is to shift your consciousness from a state of wanting to a state of having. You do this by assuming that you already are the person you want to be and have the thing you desire, because in truth, the entire world is yours to claim.

Frequently Asked Questions

According to Neville, who is the speaker in Psalms 50:12?

The speaker is God. Since God is your own consciousness, it is you who is speaking and declaring ownership over the entire world and everything within it.

What does it mean to 'appropriate' something?

It means to take what is already yours without asking for permission. You don't need to earn it or pray to an external being for it; you simply claim it as your own because it already belongs to you.

Why wouldn't I tell anyone if I were hungry?

Because as the owner of 'the cattle on a thousand hills' and the entire world, you have no need to ask anyone else for anything. You have the inherent right and power to take what is already yours to satisfy any need.