sense it is an epithet for a wicked man; (1) but in the original Greek, this word is never applied to those said to have been possessed, while in this sense, according to Farmer, the word dapovov occurs in the Gospels fifty-two times; daíuwv, three; and daiμovicopa, thirteen; therefore, it seems evident, that all these passages would have been better translated, if they had been rendered by the word demon, or demoniacs. With this little explanation, I shall now endeavour to shew, in as short space as possible, what we are to understand by demoniacs, or the being possessed by demons, premising as an apology for the cursory manner of treating so very interesting a subject, that it has been amply (1) Απεκρίθη αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς, Οὐκ ἐγὼ ὑμᾶς τοὺς δωδεκα ἐξελεξάμην, καὶ ἐξ ὑμῶν εἰς διάβολος ἐστιν. John, chap. vi. verse 70. and learnedly discussed by Mede, Sykes, Lardner, Mead, Farmer, &c. It appears from many circumstances, that the expression of being possessed by demons, (1) is by no means to be taken in a literal, but on the contrary, in a figurative sense; so that the true condition of the demoniacs was lunacy. That there may be no difficulty in understanding that no supernatural or miraculous agency is inferred, it will be well to bear in mind, what Lightfoot states, (*) that "the Jews attributed some of the more grievous diseases to evil spirits, especially those wherein either the body was distorted, or the mind disturbed," to which latter case, the qualification of being possessed, solely referred; thus including mania and epilepsy. (1) Saipovičoμat, à Demonio vexor. We must also bear in mind, that it is not only in the Sacred Writings, and amongst the Jews, that this figurative language is employed, for the Greeks, whose language was then generally spoken, as well by Jews as other persons, used, and had long used, in their ordinary writings, the word demon, and they esteemed “rage and phrensy as the usual attendants of inspiration and possession, expressing by the same word, the being mad, and having a demon. The higher degrees of rage and distraction, are expressed by a term borrowed from evil demons :-nay, possession by demons, or by evil demons, is often used by them to express madness, whether this disorder proceeded from demons or not:"-thus Herodotus says, 66 · Ημῖν δὲ καταγελᾶτε ὢ Σκύθαι, ὅτι Βακχεύομεν, καὶ ἠμέος ὁ θεὸς λαμβάνει νῦν ὄντος ὁ δαίμων και τὸν ὑμέτερον βασιλέα λελάβηκε, καὶ Βακχεύει, καὶ ὑπὸ τὸ θεέ μαίνεται. (). The verb daiμoviàw signifies according to Suidas ὑπὸ δαίμονος κατεχεσθαι, και μάινεσθαι, to be possessed by a demon, and to be mad; and in like manner many other authors interpret it; which become powerful arguments in favour of the view I here advocate, when we bear in mind, that this portion of the Holy Scriptures was written originally in Greek; for surely there is no reason to suppose, that, at the same period, opposite meanings should be attached to the same word, or that our Saviour and the Evangelists, would use words in any other sense than their common acceptation; indeed there is internal evidence to this effect, (1) "You Scythians censure us on account of our Bacchanalian rites, when we yield to the impulse of the Deity. This same Deity has taken possession of your sovereign; he is now obedient in his service, and under the influence of his power." Herod, lib. 4. as "the Sacred writers have not particularly explained the sense in which they use the word demon. Now is it not a natural inference from hence, that they use this word as they do all others, in its common and ordinary signification? If they had assigned a new and peculiar meaning, would not they have given us notice of their doing it?" (1) "The pious and profoundly learned," Mede, in his sixth discourse devoted to the consideration of this subject, says, that "he makes no question, but that, now and then, the same befals other men, whereof I have experience myself, to wit, to marvel how these demoniacs should so abound in and about that nation, which was the people of God; (whereas in other nations. and their writings, we hear of no such (1) Farmer. |