שָׁגַע
𐤔𐤂𐤏
shâgaʻ
H7696 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To behave in a manner characterized by loss of rational control, to act as if mentally disturbed, frenzied, or insane. The term can denote actions judged as irrational, senseless, or indicative of madness, including both actual mental disturbance and feigned madness for strategic reasons (such as dissimulation or deception). The semantic range extends to raving, acting wildly, or engaging in behavior outside of societal norms for composure and thought.
Semantic Range
to behave as one who is mentally disturbed, to rave, to act wildly or irrationally, to feign madness, to display signs of insanity or irrational frenzy
Root / Etymology
From the root שׁ־ג־ע (שׁגע), possibly related to the idea of straying from accepted behavior or rationality. The root itself encapsulates the meanings of madness or frenzy, and the verb form denotes to act as one affected by such conditions. The lexical meaning of the verb thus extends from the core root idea to actual or simulated expressions of madness.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In its occurrences in the Hebrew Bible, שָׁגַע is used to describe both genuine and feigned madness. For example, David 'pretended to be mad' (וַיִּשְׁתּוֹלֵל, from a parallel root) before King Achish of Gath (1 Samuel 21:14–15), with the Philistine ruler using language derived from שָׁגַע to express concern over having a madman in his presence. The term's primary domain is behavioral rather than clinical, describing observable actions rather than diagnosing inner psychological states. It is distinct from other roots such as הלל ('to boast, praise, or be foolish/mad' in some forms), which can also refer to irrational behavior but with a broader or metaphorical scope. English translations usually render the term as 'to be mad,' 'to rave,' or 'to act like a madman,' but the biblical sense covers a spectrum from actual insanity to cunningly simulated madness, particularly for survival or escape in adversarial contexts. The word is infrequent, and its nuance lies heavily in social perception of behavior rather than technical definitions of mental illness.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root; to rave through insanity; (be, play the) mad (man).
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
שגע (š-g-ʿ) — to be mad, act insanely, rave
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H7697 | שִׁגָּעוֹן | in the madness |
Word Forms
5 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7696-03 |
מְשֻׁגָּ֑ע | meshuga | HVPsmsa |
mad | maddened one | 3 |
H7696-05 |
מִשְׁתַּגֵּ֔עַ | mishetagea | HVtrmsa |
who is mad | acting as one gone mad | 1 |
H7696-04 |
מְשֻׁגָּעִים֙ | meshugaim | HVPsmpa |
madmen | maddened ones | 1 |
H7696-01 |
הַ/מְשֻׁגָּ֥ע | hameshuga | HTd/VPsmsa |
the madman | the maddened one | 1 |
H7696-02 |
לְ/הִשְׁתַּגֵּ֖עַ | lehishetagea | HR/Vtc |
to-play-the-madman | to act madly | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
7 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7696-03 |
Deuteronomy 28:34 | מְשֻׁגָּ֑ע | meshuga | HVPsmsa |
mad | maddened one |
H7696-05 |
1 Samuel 21:15 | מִשְׁתַּגֵּ֔עַ | mishetagea | HVtrmsa |
who is mad | acting as one gone mad |
H7696-04 |
1 Samuel 21:16 | מְשֻׁגָּעִים֙ | meshugaim | HVPsmpa |
madmen | maddened ones |
H7696-02 |
1 Samuel 21:16 | לְ/הִשְׁתַּגֵּ֖עַ | lehishetagea | HR/Vtc |
to-play-the-madman | to act madly |
H7696-01 |
2 Kings 9:11 | הַ/מְשֻׁגָּ֥ע | hameshuga | HTd/VPsmsa |
the madman | the maddened one |
H7696-03 |
Jeremiah 29:26 | מְשֻׁגָּ֖ע | meshuga | HVPsmsa |
mad | maddened one |
H7696-03 |
Hosea 9:7 | מְשֻׁגָּע֙ | meshuga | HVPsmsa |
insane | maddened one |