Lunatics. Latin luna, the moon. Insane persons were supposed to be affected by the changes of the moon. This word is used twice in the New Testament—Matthew 4:24; Matthew 17:15; but rendered epileptic in the R. V. The word refers to some disease affecting both the body and the mind, which might or might not be a sign of possession. By the description of Mark 9:17-26 it is inferred that this disease was epilepsy.