[B-Greek] MANIA in Acts 26:24

Daniel Nordlund res90sx5 at verizon.net
Tue Feb 5 16:24:47 EST 2008


> -----Original Message-----
> From: b-greek-bounces at lists.ibiblio.org [mailto:b-greek-bounces at lists.ibiblio.org] On
> Behalf Of Hugh Donohoe Jr.
> Sent: Tuesday, February 05, 2008 10:46 AM
> To: blist greek
> Subject: [B-Greek] MANIA in Acts 26:24
> 
> In Acts 26:24 there is the lexeme MANIA, a word found
> only here in the NT.
> 
> I will quote the verse:
> 
> TAUTA DE AUTOU APOLOGOUMENOU hO PHHSTOS MEGALHi THi
> PHWNHi "MAINHi, PAULE TA POLLA SE GRAMMATA EIS MANIAN
> PERITREPEI.
> 
> I apologize for asking members to do my dirty work. I
> only have the Gingrich-Danker Shorter Lexicon with me.
> For MANIA it has "madness, delirium (also in a
> weakened sense)eccentricity, queerness. At first this
> struck me as an anachronism. In English we call people
> "crazy" in jest, a hyperbolic form of comment. I guess
> this is not unique to my first language. But I still
> wish to know what citations does BDAG give for this
> secondary meaning of MANIA? I glanced at LSJM and did
> not see this meaning.
> 
> ex animo
> 
> Hugh Donohoe
> 
> 
Hugh,

Here is the entry from BDAG.

4673  μαίνομαι
• μαίνομαι (Hom. et al.; POxy 33 IV, 9ff; PHerm 7 I, 18; LXX; TestJob; TestJos 8:3; ParJer 5:20; SibOr 4, 83; Philo; Jos., Bell. 1, 352, C. Ap. 1, 204; apolog. exc. Mel.) be mad, be out of one’s mind beside δαιμόνιον ἔχειν and as a result of it: have no control over oneself J 10:20 (cp. Eur., Bacch. 291ff; Hdt. 4, 79 ὁ δαίμων τὸν βασιλέα λελάβηκε καὶ ὑπὸ τ. θεοῦ μαίνεται; Dio Chrys. 11 [12], 8: the owl warns the other birds about humans, but the birds ἀνόντον αὐτὴν ἡγοῦντο καὶ μαίνεσθαι ἐφασκον; the same Aesop, Fab. 437 P.=105 H.; Diog. L. 1, 49 the members of the Athenian council concerning Solon: μαίνεσθαι ἔλεγον αὐτόν; Orig., C. Cels. 4, 19, 23). Opp. ἀληθείας καὶ σωφροςύνης ῥήματα ἀποφθέγγεσθαι Ac 26:25.  μαίνῃ | you’re crazy, said to one who has brought incredible news 12:15; you’re out of your mind, you’re raving, said to one whose enthusiasm seems to have outrun better judgment 26:24 (Ath. 31, 1 and Sallust. 4 p. 6, 8 m. as a judgment on a man proclaiming certain teachings; Porphyr., Vi. Plotini c. 15 μαίνεσθαι τὸν Πορφύριον as a judgment on a poem that has been recited). Of the impression made on strangers by speakers in ‘tongues’ 1 Cor 14:23 (Herm. Wr. 9, 4 those who were filled w. divine Gnosis made a similar impression on outsiders: μεμηνέναι δοκοῦσι; cp. Hippol., Ref. 5, 8, 6; Did., Gen. 230, 11).—DELG. M-M. TW. Spicq.


Hope this is helpful,

Dan

Daniel Nordlund
Bothell, WA  USA





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