4583. seléniazomai

Lexical Summary

seléniazomai: To be moonstruck, to be lunatic, to be epileptic

Original Word: σεληνιάζομαι
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: seléniazomai
Pronunciation: seh-lay-nee-AH-zoh-my
Phonetic Spelling: (sel-ay-nee-ad'-zom-ahee)
KJV: be a lunatic
NASB: epileptics, lunatic
Word Origin: [middle voice or passive from a presumed derivative of G4582 (σελήνη - moon)]

1. to be moon-struck, i.e. crazy

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

be a lunatic.

Middle voice or passive from a presumed derivative of selene; to be moon-struck, i.e. Crazy -- be a lunatic.

see GREEK selene

HELPS Word-studies

4583 selēniázomai (from 4582 /selḗnē, "moon") – properly, moon-struck, acting like a lunatic – literally, "someone controlled by the moon" rather than reason.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from seléné
Definition
to be moonstruck, spec. be epileptic (supposedly influenced by the moon)
NASB Translation
epileptics (1), lunatic (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 4583: σεληνιάζομαι

σεληνιάζομαι; (σελήνη); (literally, to be moon-struck (cf. lunatic); see Wetstein on Matthew 4:24; Suicer, Thesaurus ii. 945f; BB. DD., under the word ); to be epileptic (epilepsy being supposed to return and increase with the increase of the moon): Matthew 4:24; Matthew 17:15. (Manetho carm. 4, 81 and 217; (Lucian, others); ecclesiastical writings.)

Topical Lexicon

Meaning and Cultural Background

The verb conveys the idea of being subject to fits that were once attributed to the influence of the moon. In the first-century world, such symptoms—sudden falls, convulsions, self-harm—were commonly explained in terms of cosmic or spiritual forces. Matthew’s Gospel adopts the familiar term while showing that the ultimate issue is neither celestial nor merely medical but one that comes under the sovereign authority of Jesus Christ.

Occurrences in Scripture

1. Matthew 4:24 records that people brought to Jesus “those having seizures … and He healed them.” The expression is listed separately from “the demon-possessed,” yet the passage as a whole stresses the comprehensive range of maladies over which Jesus exercises immediate power.
2. Matthew 17:15 presents a desperate father pleading, “Lord, have mercy on my son … He has seizures and is suffering terribly.” The narrative proceeds to reveal that a demon was the underlying cause (Matthew 17:18), and the boy was delivered when Jesus rebuked the spirit.

Association with Demonic Oppression

Although the word itself does not demand a demonic cause, Matthew 17 unmistakably links the condition to unclean spiritual agency. This connection highlights two complementary truths: some physical disorders may have purely natural origins, yet Scripture allows for cases in which a spiritual element is present. The Evangelist does not divide the world into secular and sacred spheres; rather, he presents a unified reality governed by the authoritative word of Christ.

Christ’s Authority Displayed

Both occurrences function christologically. In Matthew 4, the healings authenticate the inauguration of the Kingdom announced in verses 17 and 23. In Matthew 17, the failure of the disciples juxtaposed with Jesus’ effortless command underscores His unique position as Son of God and the believer’s need for dependent faith (Matthew 17:20-21).

Pastoral and Theological Implications

• Compassion: The Gospel writers highlight the sufferers’ anguish, reminding the Church to extend mercy to those afflicted by convulsive or neurological disorders.
• Discernment: Not every seizure today is demonic; nevertheless, the possibility of spiritual oppression calls for prayerful discernment alongside appropriate medical care.
• Faith and Prayer: Jesus attributes the disciples’ inability to a deficiency of faith and prayer, urging contemporary believers to cultivate a life of dependence on God when confronting stubborn afflictions.

Historical Interpretations

Early Christian writers such as Origen and Chrysostom read Matthew 17 as displaying Christ’s dominion over both body and spirit. Medieval commentators often distinguished between “natural epilepsy” and “demonic epilepsy,” a distinction that influenced pastoral practice. The Reformation retained this recognition of dual causality while emphasizing that all healing—ordinary or miraculous—flows from divine providence.

Application for Ministry Today

1. Integrate Intercession and Medicine: Encourage those suffering from seizure disorders to receive competent medical treatment while also securing intercessory prayer, following the pattern of James 5:14-16.
2. Maintain Expectation of Deliverance: Because Jesus remains “the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8), the Church may still witness both physical healings and deliverances from oppressive spirits.
3. Provide Ongoing Care: Even after prayer, individuals may require counseling, medication, and community support. Holistic ministry mirrors the Savior who cared for the whole person.

Seizing disorders in the Gospels thus serve as a window into the comprehensive salvation Christ brings—healing body, soul, and spirit—while calling His followers to compassionate, discerning, and faith-filled ministry.

Forms and Transliterations

σεληνιαζεται σεληνιάζεται σεληνιαζομενους σεληνιαζομένους σελίδας σελισία seleniazetai seleniázetai selēniazetai selēniázetai seleniazomenous seleniazoménous selēniazomenous selēniazoménous

Englishman's Concordance

Matthew 4:24 V-PPM/P-AMP
GRK: δαιμονιζομένους καὶ σεληνιαζομένους καὶ παραλυτικούς
NAS: demoniacs, epileptics, paralytics;
KJV: and those which were lunatick, and
INT: possessed by demons and epileptics and paralytics

Matthew 17:15 V-PIM/P-3S
GRK: υἱόν ὅτι σεληνιάζεται καὶ κακῶς
NAS: on my son, for he is a lunatic and is very
KJV: son: for he is lunatick, and sore
INT: son for he is epileptic and miserably

Strong's Greek 4583
2 Occurrences

σεληνιάζεται — 1 Occ.
σεληνιαζομένους — 1 Occ.