1. The Name Naphtali: "My Struggle"
Genesis 30:8 records Rachel naming her son Naphtali, from the Hebrew נַפְתָּלִי, meaning "my struggle" or "wrestling". In Neville’s framework, this signifies the sacred friction between the old self—bound by limiting beliefs—and the emerging new self poised to manifest higher states of consciousness.
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Subconscious origin: Born of Bilhah, the handmaid, Naphtali represents imagination stirring from the subconscious depths.
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Necessary tension: Without this internal wrestling there can be no growth; Naphtali embodies the conflict essential to transformation.
2. The Blessing: From Struggle to Freedom
Jacob’s blessing in Genesis 49:21 depicts the resolution of the struggle:
"Naphtali is a doe let loose: he giveth goodly words."
Here, the wrestling self becomes a liberated doe—graceful and unfettered. In Neville’s terms, the imagination, once freed from doubt, flows with divine eloquence:
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Doe let loose: Imagination now unbounded, moving effortlessly in creation.
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Giving goodly words: The power of inspired expression—our thoughts and words shaping reality.
3. Naphtali’s Territory: The Landscape of Imagination
Scripture details Naphtali’s land allotment (Joshua 19:32–39) and its cities of refuge (Joshua 20:7). Moses even views this territory from Mount Nebo (Deuteronomy 34:2).
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Mental domain: The territory symbolises the fertile ground of our imaginative mind, where new realities take root.
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Refuge in imagination: Cities of refuge remind us that the freed imagination provides safety from old patterns.
4. Naphtali in Action: Barak’s Victory
Judges 4:10 introduces Barak of Naphtali, who defeats the Canaanite king. Barak represents the imagination in action—victorious over fear and limitation when aligned with inner faith.
5. Exile and Return: The Shadow of Lost Imagination
In 2 Kings 15:29, Assyria conquers Naphtali, exiling its people. Neville teaches that exile reflects the imagination’s suppression by external doubt. Yet this plight beckons us to reclaim our creative power and return it from captivity.
6. Naphtali’s Legacy: The Dawn of New Light
Isaiah’s prophecy and Matthew 4:15–16 place the coming of Christ’s ministry in Zebulun and Naphtali, proclaiming a great light in Galilee. This marks the birth of a new consciousness—the fully awakened imagination.
7. Naphtali and the Poetic Spirit: Wrestling with the New Self and Its Fulfilment
Naphtali’s journey culminates in the Song of Solomon’s celebration of the transformed self.
7.1 Wrestling with the New Self
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Name meaning: The very name Naphtali highlights the inner struggle—the soul’s wrestling with limiting habits, beliefs and fears as it reaches for higher awareness.
7.2 From Struggle to Expression
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Genesis 49:21: The rise of the free, articulate self—the doe let loose now giving "goodly words."
7.3 The Song of Solomon’s Fulfilment
Natural imagery in Song 2:9, 17—"My beloved is like a roe or a young hart..."—echoes Naphtali’s liberated doe, celebrating freedom and beauty. Passages such as Song 3:1 and 8:6 convey the soul’s passionate tension and ultimate union, illustrating the imaginative faculty at its most expressive.
Conclusion: Embrace the Naphtali Within
Neville Goddard’s teachings invite us to honour the Naphtali principle—the creative friction that births transformation. Our internal wrestling is sacred, preparing the way for imagination to break free. The Song of Solomon then reminds us to rejoice in our newfound freedom, moving like a doe let loose and giving goodly words that shape our world.