μανίαν

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 μανίαν

   ma-NI-an

   madness
2. sentence🔊 Ταῦτα δὲ αὐτοῦ ἀπολογουμένου ὁ Φῆστος μεγάλῃ τῇ φωνῇ φησιν Μαίνῃ Παῦλε τὰ πολλά σε γράμματα εἰς μανίαν περιτρέπει

   TAU-ta de au-TOU a-po-lo-gou-ME-nou ho PHÊS-tos me-GA-lê tê phô-NÊ PHÊ-sin MAI-nê PAU-le ta pol-LA se GRAM-ma-ta eis ma-NI-an pe-ri-TRE-pei

   these things and of him defending {himself} the Festus with loud the voice he says you are raving Paul the many you letters into madness drives {you}

Exegesis

The following clause, ta polla se grammata eis manian peritrepei {τὰ πολλά σε γράμματα εἰς μανίαν περιτρέπει | tà pol-lá se grám-ma-ta eís ma-ní-an pe-ri-tré-pei}, presents a nominative neuter plural subject (“your many writings/learning”) with the second person object se {σε | se}, and the verb peritrepei {περιτρέπει | pe-ri-tré-pei} plus the prepositional phrase eis manian {εἰς μανίαν | eís ma-ní-an} expressing result or direction, “is turning you into madness.” The syntax tightly links Paul’s extensive study with the accusation of insanity. In English, the genitive absolute is rendered with a temporal clause (“as he was defending himself”), the dative of manner as “with a loud voice,” and the result phrase as “is driving you to madness/insanity,” preserving both the dramatic interruption and the causal link Festus perceives between Paul’s learning and alleged madness.

Root and etymology

mainomai🔊 μαίνομαιmu–alpha–iota–nu–omicron–mu–alpha–iota

“madness, frenzy”

• 🔊 μαίνομαιmainomaito be out of one’s mindJohn 10:20