MADNESS (mad'nes), (Heb. shig-gaw one', raving). The epithet mad is applied to sev eral descriptions of persons in Scripture.
1. To one deprived of reason (Acts xxvi :24; t Cor. xiv :23).
2. To one whose reason is depraved, and over ruled by the fury of his angry passions (Acts xxvi:It).
3. To one whose mind is perplexed and bewil dered, so disturbed that Ile acts in an uncertain, extravagant, irregular manner (Deut. xxviii :34; Eccl. vii :7).
4. To one who is infatuated by the vehemence of his desires after idols and vanities (Jer. 1: 38), folly, deceit and falsehood (Hos. ix:7).
5. To one disturbed by sudden and startling in telligence (Acts xii :t5).
6. To utterances of false prophets (Is. xliv: 25 ; Hos. ix:7).
7. To the effects of inebriety (Jer. xxv :16; li :7).
8. To derision, with reference to the ecstatic utterances of the prophets when in a state of holy exaltation (2 Kings ix :t ; Jer. xxix :26).
9. To idolatrous hallucination (Jer. 1:38), or wicked and extravag,ant mirth (Eccl. ii :2).
10. To a reckless state of mind (Eccl. x :13), bordering on delirium (Zech. xii :4)• 11. To overstrained mental effort (Ecel. i :t7 ;
ii :12), blind rage (Luke vi 1), or depraved tem pers (Eccl. vii :25; ix:3 ; 2 Pet. ii :P5).
It is well known that among oriental, as among most semi-civilized nations, madmen were looked upon with a kind of reverence, as possessed of a quasi-sacred character. This arises partly no doubt from the feeling that one on whom God's hand is laid heavily should be safe from all other harm ; but partly also from the belief that the loss of reason and self-control opened the mind to supernatural influence, and gave it therefore a su pernatural sacredness. An illustration of it may be seen in the record of David's pretended mad ness at the court of Achish ( Sam. xxi :13-15, which shows it to be not inconsistent with a kind of contemptuous forbearance, such as is often manifested now, especially by the Turks, towards real or supposed madmen.
David's madness, however, says Calmet, is by many supposed not to have been feigned, but a real epilepsy or falling sickness.