σεληνιάζομαι

I am a lunatic

Definition

The verb σεληνιάζομαι literally means 'to be moonstruck' and was used in ancient Greek to describe someone suffering from epilepsy or a form of madness believed to be influenced by the moon. In the New Testament, it is used to describe a severe physical and mental affliction. In Matthew 4:24, it appears in a list of various illnesses brought to Jesus for healing, categorizing it as a notable malady. In Matthew 17:15, a father uses it to describe his son's violent, debilitating condition, which the disciples could not heal, but which Jesus later identifies as a form of demonic oppression that requires prayer and faith.

Biblical Usage

This word is used only twice in the New Testament, both times in the Gospel of Matthew. It describes a severe physical affliction with symptoms like falling into fire or water and suffering greatly (Matthew 17:15). Its usage places it among other serious illnesses like demon-possession and paralysis (Matthew 4:24), indicating it was viewed as a profound and recognizable form of suffering in that society that required divine intervention for healing.

Etymology

Derived from the Greek noun σελήνη (selēnē), meaning 'moon.' The verb form σεληνιάζομαι literally means 'to be moonstruck,' reflecting the ancient belief that the phases of the moon could influence mental stability and physical health, particularly conditions like epilepsy.

Semantic Range

This word highlights the New Testament's realistic portrayal of human suffering and the comprehensive nature of Jesus's healing ministry. It shows that Jesus's authority extends over all forms of affliction, whether understood by contemporary culture as medical, mental, or spiritual. The episode in Matthew 17:15-21 further connects faith and prayer to the exercise of this authority, teaching that some manifestations of evil require dedicated spiritual discipline to overcome.

In the ancient Greco-Roman world, it was a common belief that the moon (σελήνη) could cause madness or seizures, hence the term 'lunatic' from the Latin 'luna' for moon. The biblical usage accepts the contemporary cultural label for the illness but, in the case of Matthew 17, ultimately reinterprets the root cause as spiritual (demonic oppression), demonstrating a clash and correction of cultural assumptions by Christ's authority.

δαιμονίζομαι (daimonizomai, G1139) — specifically denotes being under the control of a demon, whereas σεληνιάζομαι is a cultural diagnosis of symptoms that could have a spiritual root.

Word Details

Scripture References