19 Bible Verses about Madness

"For thus hath the LORD God of Israel spoken unto me, 'Take this wine cup of indignation from my hand, that thou mayest cause all the people, to whom I send thee, for to drink of it: that when they have drunken thereof, they may be mad, and out of their wits, when the sword cometh that I will send among them.'

And the LORD shall smite thee with madness, blindness and dazing of heart.

The sword shall come upon the Chaldeans, sayeth the LORD; upon them that dwell in Babylon; upon their princes; and upon their wise men. The sword upon their soothsayers: as for those, they shall become fools. The sword upon their worthies: so that they shall stand in fear. The sword upon their horsemen and chariots, and upon all the common people that dwell under them: so that they all shall become like women. The sword upon their treasure: so that it shall be stolen away.read more.
The sword upon their waters: so that they shall be dried up. For the land worshippeth images, and delighteth in strange wonderful things.

"Babylon hath been in the LORD's hand a golden cup, that maketh all lands drunken. Of her wine have all people drunken, therefore are they out of their wits.

All these things touched the king Nebuchadnezzar. So after twelve months, the king walked up and down in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon, and said, "This is the great city of Babylon, which I myself, with my power and strength, have made a king's court, for the honour of my majesty."read more.
While these words were yet in the king's mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, "O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee be it spoken, 'Thy kingdom is departed from thee. Thou shalt be cast out of men's company: thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, so that thou shalt eat grass like as an ox, till seven years be come and gone over thee: even until thou knowest, that the highest hath power upon the kingdoms of men, and that he may give them, unto whom it pleaseth him.'" The very same hour was this matter fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar: so that he was cast out of men's company, and ate grass like an ox; His body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were as great as Eagle's feathers, and his nails like bird's claws. When this time was past, I, Nebuchadnezzar, lift up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding was restored unto me again. Then gave I thanks to the highest. I magnified and praised him that liveth for evermore, whose power endureth alway, and his kingdom from one generation to another: in comparison of whom, all they that dwell upon the earth are to be reputed as nothing. He handleth according to his will, among the powers of heaven and among the inhabiters of the earth - and there is none that may resist his hand, or say, 'What doest thou?' At the same time was mine understanding given me again, and I was restored to the honour of my kingdom, to my dignity, and to my own shape again. My great estates and princes sought unto me, and I was set in my kingdom again, so that I had yet greater worship. Then did I, Nebuchadnezzar, love, magnify and praise the King of heaven: for all his works are true, and his ways right. As for those that go on proudly, he is able to bring them down.

In that day, sayeth the LORD, I will make all horses abashed, and those that ride upon them to be out of their wits. I will open mine eyes upon the house of Judah, and smite all the horses of the people with blindness.

Like as one shooteth deadly arrows and darts out of a privy place, even so doth a dissembler with his neighbour.

but was rebuked of his iniquity. The tame and dumb beast, speaking with man's voice forbade the foolishness of the prophet.

And there was a dissension among the Jews for these sayings, and many of them said, "He hath the devil, and is mad: why hear ye him?" Others said, "These are not the words of him that hath the devil: Can the devil open the eyes of the blind?"

And Elisha the prophet called unto one of the children of the prophets, and said to him, "Gird up thy loins and take this box of oil in thine hand and get thee to Ramoth in Gilead. And when thou comest thither, thou shalt there see Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi and go to him, and make him arise up from among his brethren and carry him to a secret chamber. And take the box of oil and pour it on his head and say, 'Thus sayeth the LORD: I have anointed thee to be king over Israel.' And then open the door and flee, and tarry not."read more.
And the servant of the prophet got him to Ramoth in Gilead, and when he came, the captains of the Host were sitting together. And he said, "I have an errand to thee, Sir captain." And Jehu said, "Unto which of all of us?" And he said, "To thee O captain." And he arose and went into the house. And the other poured the oil on his head and said to him, "Thus sayeth the LORD God of Israel, 'I have anointed thee to be king over Israel the people of the LORD, that thou slay the household of Ahab thy master. For I,' sayeth the LORD, 'will avenge the blood of my servants the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of the LORD, of the hand of Jezebel - for the whole house of Ahab shall be destroyed; and I will destroy unto Ahab what pisseth against the wall, and so much as the prisoned or that which is forsaken in Israel, and will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah. And as for Jezebel, the dogs shall eat her in the field of Jezreel, and none shall bury her.'" And he opened the door and fled. And when Jehu was come out to the servants of his lord, they said to him, "Is all peace? Wherefore came this mad fellow unto thee?" And he said to them, "Ye know the person and his communication."

Thus sayeth the LORD of Hosts the God of Israel: Because thou hast sealed letters under thy name unto all the people that is at Jerusalem, and to Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, yea and sent them to all the priests: wherein thou writest thus unto him: 'The LORD hath ordained thee to be priest instead of Jehoiada the priest, that thou shouldest be the chief in the house of the LORD above all prophets, and preachers, and that thou mightest put them in prison, or in the stocks. How happeneth it then, that thou hast not reproved Jeremiah of Anathoth, which never leaveth of his prophesying?read more.
And beside all this, he hath sent us word unto Babylon, and told us plainly, that our captivity shall long endure: that we should build us houses to dwell therein, and to plant us gardens, that we might enjoy the fruit thereof.'

Be ye sure, O Israel: the time of visitation is come, the days of recompensing are at hand. As for the prophet, ye hold him for a fool; and him that is rich in the spirit, for a mad man: so great is your wickedness and malice. Ephraim hath made himself a watchman of my God, a prophet that is become a snare to do hurt in every street, and abomination in the house of his God.

But when the Pharisees heard that, they said, "This fellow driveth the devils no other wise out, but by the help of Beelzebub the chief of the devils."

And they came unto house, and the people assembled together again, so greatly that they had not leisure so much as to eat bread. And when they that longed unto him heard of it, they went out to hold him. For they said, "He is too fervent." And the scribes, which came from Jerusalem, said, "He hath Beelzebub, and by the power of the chief devil, casteth out devils."

But some of them said, "He casteth out devils by the power of Beelzebub, the chief of the devils."

As he thus answered for himself: Festus said with a loud voice, "Paul, thou art besides thyself. Much learning hath made thee mad." And Paul said, "I am not mad, most dear Festus: but speak the words of truth and soberness.

For if we be too fervent, to God are we too fervent: if we keep measure, for your cause keep we measure.

{Of David, when he changed his speech before Abimelech; which drove him away, and he departed} I will always give thanks unto the LORD; his praise shall ever be in my mouth.

And David arose and fled the same day from the presence of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath. And the servants of Achish said of him, "Is not this David the king of the land? Did they not sing unto this fellow in dances saying, 'Saul hath slain his thousand, and David his ten thousand'?" And David put those words into his heart and was sore afraid of Achish the king of Gath.read more.
And he changed his countenance before them, and raved in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard. Then said Achish unto his servant, "Lo, ye saw that this man was beside himself; wherefore then have ye brought him to me? Lack I madmen, that ye have brought this fellow to play the madman in my presence? He shall not come into my house."