μανία
manía
G3130 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A state of frenzy or madness characterized by loss of reason or control; intense mental agitation or mania. In specific contexts, refers to uncontrolled, irrational behavior, mental disturbance, or fit of madness; can denote an ecstatic or inspired frenzy, especially in religious or prophetic contexts.
Semantic Range
madness, frenzy, mental derangement, violent rage, inspired or ecstatic state, prophetic or oracular trance, mental agitation
Root / Etymology
From the verb μαίνομαι ('to rage, to be mad, to be frenzied').
Historical & Contextual Notes
μανία appears rarely in the Koine period but has a broader attestation in classical Greek, where it refers to states of madness or frenzied inspiration. In classical and Hellenistic literature, μανία can describe both pathological insanity and states of divine possession, as in prophetic or oracular frenzy (e.g., the Pythia at Delphi). The term was used by philosophers (e.g., Plato) to distinguish types of μανία, such as poetic, prophetic, erotic, and ritual madness, with both positive (divine inspiration) and negative (lunacy, mania) connotations. In the Septuagint, it is rare, usually referring specifically to madness as loss of mental control. In the New Testament, the term does not occur but related terms for madness (μαίνομαι) do. Standard English translations often render μανία narrowly as 'madness' or 'fury', but the semantic range in Greek includes states of ecstatic inspiration as well as pathological derangement. Later English versions (inspired by traditional glosses) often miss the nuanced distinction between divine-inspired trance and pathological insanity reflected in ancient Greek usage.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from μαίνομαι; craziness:--(+ make) X mad.
Root Family
μαν- (manía) — to rage, to be mad, to be frenzied
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G3130-01 |
μανίαν | manian | N ACC F SG |
madness | frenzy | madness | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G3130-01 |
Acts 26:24 | μανίαν | manian | N ACC F SG |
madness | frenzy | madness |