Library Home>All Subjects>B Subjects>be a lunatic

be a lunatic

Boyd’s Bible Dictionary:

(moon-struck). Epileptics are probably meant (Matt. 4:24; 17:15²⁴And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them. (Matthew 4:24)
¹⁵Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water. (Matthew 17:15)).

Concise Bible Dictionary:

These are clearly distinguished in Matthew 4:24²⁴And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them. (Matthew 4:24) from those possessed by demons. The word is σεληνιαζόμενοι, which, like the word lunatic, is derived from “the moon,” and is thought to embrace epileptics as well as those of unsound mind. The lad in Matthew 17:15¹⁵Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water. (Matthew 17:15) is called a lunatic, but he was also possessed by a demon: in Mark 9:25²⁵When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him. (Mark 9:25) it is called a “dumb and deaf spirit.”

Strong’s Dictionary of Greek Words:

Number:

4583 (find all occurrences in KJV Bible)

Greek:

σεληνιάζομαι

Transliteration:

seleniazomai

Phonic:

sel-ay-nee-ad’-zom-ahee

Meaning:

middle voice or passive from a presumed derivative of 4582; to be moon-struck, i.e. crazy

KJV Usage:

be a lunatic