Leviticus 18:22: “A Man Shall Not Lie With a Man as With a Woman”

Explored Through Amnon and Tamar, the Song of Solomon, and the Symbolism of Cakes

The Bible is filled with stories that symbolise inner states of consciousness and spiritual processes. Viewing these narratives as psychological symbolism helps us uncover deeper insights about imagination, desire, ego, and transformation, making the teachings relevant to our personal growth.

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The Literal Verse and Its Inner Meaning

“You shall not lie with a man as with a woman; it is an abomination.”
—Leviticus 18:22

At first glance, this forbids physical same-sex relations. But spiritually and psychologically, it points to a fundamental error in inner union:

When the masculine egoic self (man) attempts to unite with itself (man) instead of entering a genuine creative relationship with imagination (woman).

This is the spiritual “abomination” — a forced, sterile, and self-consuming relationship that bypasses the receptive feminine creative power.

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Amnon and Tamar: A Spiritual Example of This Error

In the story of Amnon and Tamar (2 Samuel 13):

• Amnon represents the outer masculine ego — a fragmented, self-serving consciousness.

• Tamar represents the inner feminine imagination — the receptive creative power meant to be honoured and loved.

When Amnon forces Tamar, it symbolises the ego trying to possess itself or seize creative power by force, rather than entering a true, loving union.

This is the essence of “a man lying with a man” spiritually:

• The ego attempts to unite only with itself, ignoring or violating the receptive feminine.

• It becomes a closed, self-consuming loop, disconnected from true creation.

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Cake Symbolism: Coerced Sustenance and Spiritual Violation

In 2 Samuel 13:6, Amnon forces Tamar to make cakes and serve him, under false pretenses.

• Cakes represent nurturing, the fruits of imagination’s creative power.

• But Amnon’s demand is coercive, reflecting the ego’s manipulative attempt to feed itself by stealing from imagination without genuine connection.

This mirrors the idea of “man lying with man” because the ego tries to sustain itself by forcing its own will without receptive feminine harmony.

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Song of Solomon: The True Fulfilment of Union

Contrast this with the Song of Solomon, where the bride asks to be nourished by love and imagination’s fruits freely and joyfully:

“Strengthen me with raisin cakes, refresh me with apples, for I am faint with love.”
—Song of Solomon 2:5

Here, the union is mutual, creative, and nourishing, representing the proper relationship between masculine and feminine inner states:

• The ego (man) lovingly unites with imagination (woman),

• Sustained by willing, receptive nourishment (cakes and fruits).

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Summary Table

Element	Amnon and Tamar (Leviticus Error)	Song of Solomon (True Union)
Spiritual Union	Egoic self consuming itself (“man with man”)	Masculine ego united with receptive imagination (“man with woman”)
Role of Cakes	Coerced, manipulative sustenance	Willing, joyful nourishment
Result	Spiritual violation and inner conflict	Creative fruitfulness and spiritual harmony

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Neville Goddard’s Insight: Assumption and Imaginative Harmony

Neville teaches that manifestation requires the ego to assume the feeling of the wish fulfilled—a loving, reverent engagement with imagination.

Amnon’s story warns us what happens when the ego tries to forcefully possess without this assumption—essentially “lying with itself” without the feminine creative flow.

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Final Thought

Leviticus 18:22 symbolises the spiritual danger of egoic self-absorption—“a man lying with a man”—which in the story of Amnon and Tamar becomes a tragic narrative of coercion and violation.

The Song of Solomon reveals the true path: a sacred, nurturing union of masculine and feminine states within us, celebrated through the joyful sharing of “cakes,” or the fruits of imagination.