'-Ites': Tribe Symbology

When reading the Bible with a symbolic or metaphysical eye, one might wonder about the significance of the many tribal names that end in "-ite"—such as Moabites, Ammonites, Canaanites, and others. In the literal reading, these are names of ethnic groups or regions. However, in the framework offered by Neville Goddard, these tribes take on rich inner meaning as symbols of the states of consciousness we must either transcend or transform on our journey of spiritual awakening.

What Does the "-ite" Mean?

The suffix "-ite" comes from the Hebrew ending "-i," which denotes "of" or "belonging to." Thus:

• Moabites = people of Moab (descendants of Lot's son Moab)

• Ammonites = people of Ammon (descendants of Lot's other son, Ben-Ammi)

• Canaanites = people of Canaan (a geographic region and ancestral name)

In essence, these names point to those who belong to a particular mindset or inner world. The battles with these tribes, described in the Bible as outward wars, are inward struggles—conflicts with beliefs, habits, and subconscious patterns.

The Moabites: Limiting Origins

The Moabites are descended from Moab, the child born from Lot and his eldest daughter after the destruction of Sodom (Genesis 19:37). This origin story already hints at a distorted beginning. In Goddard's symbolic reading, Moabites represent the creations or states of mind that arise when imagination is misused or corrupted by trauma, fear, or confusion.

They are the manifestations of a mind trying to survive, yet still bound to the lower self.

The Ammonites: Egoic Thought

Similarly, the Ammonites descend from Ben-Ammi, the child of Lot and his younger daughter (Genesis 19:38). If the Moabites symbolise misguided survival, the Ammonites represent persistent egoic thinking. These are the thought patterns that arise from a divided or double-minded consciousness, always seeking control yet never at peace.

The Canaanites: The Unregenerate Subconscious

Canaanites often populate the land that the Israelites (representing the spiritually awakened self) must enter and transform. In symbolic terms, they represent unregenerate aspects of the subconscious—the mental and emotional states shaped by the world but not yet aligned with divine imagination.

Overcoming the Canaanites is the process of transforming the inner world to reflect spiritual truth.

Other Tribes and Their Symbolic Meanings

• Hittites – Fear-based thoughts or frozen mental patterns rooted in collective belief.

• Perizzites – Open, unguarded mental states that are vulnerable to suggestion, lacking discernment.

• Jebusites – Deeply entrenched resistances; beliefs that feel part of our identity and therefore hard to dislodge.

These tribes are not enemies to be hated, but states to be understood and reimagined. They are the raw material of transformation.

Conquering the Inner World

When the Bible tells of Israel conquering these tribes, it symbolises the spiritual man—the awakened imagination—overcoming internal obstacles and reclaiming dominion over the subconscious mind. Just as Jesus cast out demons and healed afflictions, so must the awakened self cast out the limiting beliefs and outdated identities symbolised by these tribes.

In Neville Goddard's teachings, the promised land is not a location but a state of being. To inherit it, we must overcome the 'ites'—the internal conditions that no longer serve us.

"Your own wonderful human imagination is the actual creative power of God."

So the next time you read about the Moabites or the Hittites, see them not as enemies of flesh and blood, but as stories of your own inner evolution. For in the drama of Scripture, every tribe conquered is a transformation of consciousness—and every victory is a new birth into spiritual freedom.