The term "crazy" is not directly found in the Bible; however, the concept of madness or irrational behavior is addressed in various passages. In biblical times, what might be considered "crazy" today could encompass a range of behaviors from mental illness to foolishness or spiritual deception.

Old Testament References

In the Old Testament, madness is sometimes seen as a consequence of disobedience to God. Deuteronomy 28:28 states, "The LORD will afflict you with madness, blindness, and confusion of mind." Here, madness is depicted as a divine judgment upon those who turn away from God's commandments.

The account of King Saul provides an example of a leader who experienced periods of irrational behavior. In 1 Samuel 16:14 , it is written, "Now the Spirit of the LORD had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD tormented him." Saul's erratic actions, such as attempting to kill David, can be seen as manifestations of this torment.

New Testament References

In the New Testament, the perception of madness is sometimes associated with the rejection of divine truth. In Acts 26:24 , during Paul's defense before Festus, it is recorded, "At this stage of Paul’s defense, Festus exclaimed in a loud voice, 'You are out of your mind, Paul! Your great learning is driving you to madness!'" Here, Festus perceives Paul's fervent testimony about Christ as madness, highlighting how spiritual truths can be misunderstood by those who do not believe.

The Gospels also recount instances where Jesus was accused of being out of His mind. In Mark 3:21 , it is noted, "When His family heard about this, they went out to take custody of Him, saying, 'He is out of His mind.'" This reflects the misunderstanding and skepticism Jesus faced, even from those close to Him.

Wisdom and Foolishness

The Bible often contrasts wisdom with foolishness, which can be seen as a form of spiritual madness. Proverbs 9:13 describes folly as a woman who is "loud, undisciplined, and without knowledge." The foolish person, in biblical terms, is one who rejects wisdom and understanding, leading to destructive behavior.

Ecclesiastes 7:25 states, "I turned my heart to know and explore and seek out wisdom and the scheme of things, and to understand the stupidity of wickedness and the madness of folly." This verse underscores the pursuit of wisdom as a means to avoid the pitfalls of foolishness and irrationality.

Spiritual Warfare

The Bible also acknowledges the spiritual dimension of madness, where demonic influence can lead to irrational behavior. In the Gospels, Jesus frequently encounters individuals possessed by demons, whose actions could be described as "crazy." In Mark 5:15 , after Jesus heals a demon-possessed man, it is noted, "When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, clothed and in his right mind; and they were afraid." This account illustrates the transformative power of Christ in restoring sanity and order.

Conclusion

While the Bible does not use the term "crazy" as it is understood today, it addresses the themes of madness, foolishness, and spiritual deception. These concepts are often linked to a departure from God's wisdom and truth, highlighting the importance of spiritual discernment and reliance on divine guidance.1. (a.) Characterized by weakness or feebleness; decrepit; broken; falling to decay; shaky; unsafe.

2. (a.) Broken, weakened, or disordered in intellect; shattered; demented; deranged.

3. (a.) Inordinately desirous; foolishly eager.

4583. seleniazomai -- to be moonstruck, spec. be epileptic ...
... be a lunatic. Middle voice or passive from a presumed derivative of selene;
to be moon-struck, ie Crazy -- be a lunatic. see GREEK selene. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4583.htm - 7k

The Middle Colonies: the Jerseys, Delaware, and Pennsylvania --The ...
... Half-crazy or more than half-crazy adventurers and hysterical women, taking up
fantastical missions in the name of the Lord, and never so happy as when they ...
/.../bacon/a history of american christianity/chapter ix the middle colonies .htm

False Comforts for Sinners.
... They might just as well say to God, in plain words, "O God, you are too hard, you
go too fast, you will make him crazy, or kill him, he cannot stand it; poor ...
/.../finney/lectures on revivals of religion/lecture xvii false comforts for.htm

Against Embellishing the Body.
... And if Plutus [1585] is blind, are not those women that are crazy about
him, and have a fellow-feeling with him, blind too? Having ...
/.../clement/the instructor paedagogus/chapter ii against embellishing the body.htm

Moral Insanity.
... If bedlam itself furnishes evidence that its bedlamites are crazy,
intellectually; so does every sinner that he is mad, morally. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/finney/sermons on gospel themes/ix moral insanity.htm

His Journey to South Russia.
... When they had loaded their luggage and spread hay to lie upon, they started; but
before they were out of sight of the stable the crazy vehicle broke down, and ...
/.../chapter xix his journey to.htm

Judas Hangs Himself.
... and none for you. The blood of the innocent cries aloud for vengeance.".
"What has driven you crazy? Speak, but speak with reverence ...
/.../stead/king of the jews/chapter vi judas hangs himself.htm

Topical Index
... Christ, 21, 65, 84, 103 Confessing Christ, 26, 27, 35, 52, 77, 109 Conversion, 25,
80, 88 Conviction, 21 Courage, 20 Covetousness, 27, 35, 51 Crazy from sin ...
//christianbookshelf.org/moody/moodys stories/topical index.htm

Introductory Remarks on the Importance of Orthodoxy
... are philosophically right. For obviously a man ought to confess himself
crazy before he confesses himself heretical. The Bohemian ...
//christianbookshelf.org/chesterton/heretics/i introductory remarks on the.htm

Impressive Phrases
... emotional. cowardly, timid, shrinking, and timorous. crazy, absurd, nonsensical,
and preposterous. crude, rough, jagged, and pitiless. D. ...
/.../kleiser/fifteen thousand useful phrases/section iv impressive phrases.htm

Letter x. To John, Theologos, Apostle and Evangelist, Imprisoned ...
... As for you then, I would never be so crazy as to imagine that you feel any suffering;
but I am persuaded that you ate sensible of the bodily sufferings merely ...
/.../dionysius/letters of dionysius the areopagite/letter x to john theologos.htm

Crazy (5 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Crazy (5 Occurrences). Acts 12:15 They said to
her, "You are crazy!" But she insisted that it was so. They ...
/c/crazy.htm - 8k

Mad (22 Occurrences)
... 4. (superl.) Disordered in intellect; crazy; insane. ... (KJV ASV YLT). Acts 26:24 As
he thus made his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, "Paul, you are crazy! ...
/m/mad.htm - 19k

Festus (14 Occurrences)
... (WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV). Acts 26:24 As he thus made his
defense, Festus said with a loud voice, "Paul, you are crazy! ...
/f/festus.htm - 15k

Quarrels (10 Occurrences)
... 1 Timothy 6:4 he is puffed up with pride and has no true knowledge, but is crazy
over discussions and controversies about words which give rise to envy ...
/q/quarrels.htm - 9k

Quarrelling (5 Occurrences)
... (WEY). 1 Timothy 6:4 he is puffed up with pride and has no true knowledge, but is
crazy over discussions and controversies about words which give rise to envy ...
/q/quarrelling.htm - 8k

Unbelieving (22 Occurrences)
... the whole assembly is assembled together and all speak with other languages, and
unlearned or unbelieving people come in, won't they say that you are crazy? ...
/u/unbelieving.htm - 13k

Unlearned (7 Occurrences)
... the whole assembly is assembled together and all speak with other languages, and
unlearned or unbelieving people come in, won't they say that you are crazy? ...
/u/unlearned.htm - 9k

Learning (40 Occurrences)
... When he understood that he was from Cilicia, he said, (See NIV). Acts 26:24 As he
thus made his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, "Paul, you are crazy! ...
/l/learning.htm - 18k

Wild (147 Occurrences)
... training, or regulation; turbulent; tempestuous; violent; ungoverned; licentious;
inordinate; disorderly; irregular; fanciful; imaginary; visionary; crazy. ...
/w/wild.htm - 50k

Insane (10 Occurrences)
... (WBS). Acts 26:24 As he thus made his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, "Paul,
you are crazy! Your great learning is driving you insane!" (WEB WBS NIV). ...
/i/insane.htm - 9k

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Crazy: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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