Whom the gods would destroy, they first make mad" is not necessarily true
Written on 11 April 2025.
"Whom the gods would destroy, they first make mad" is not necessarily true
The well-known phrase "Whom the gods would destroy, they first make mad" has echoed through centuries of literature, philosophy, and popular culture. From Sophocles and Plato to Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and Agatha Christie, this line or its variations have often been used to illustrate the tragic fate of those led astray by pride, ambition, or delusion. Although widely cited as an ancient proverb, it is not a biblical truth—and it is not necessarily true in practice.
The phrase is often quoted in the Latin form: Quos Deus vult perdere, prius dementat, meaning "Those whom God wishes to destroy, He first deprives of reason." This fatalistic sentiment implies that once a person loses reason—whether through pride, folly, or divine will—their destruction is certain. But Scripture gives us a far more nuanced picture, and one striking counterexample is King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.
In the Book of Daniel, chapter 4 (KJV), King Nebuchadnezzar is struck with madness by God as a direct consequence of his pride. After boasting about his mighty accomplishments, he is driven away from men and lives like a beast for seven years. He eats grass as oxen, his hair grows like eagle's feathers, and his nails like bird claws. This period of madness is not his destruction—but rather, his humbling.
> Daniel 4:34 says, "And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High..."
Following this profound humbling, Nebuchadnezzar's reason returns, and he praises and glorifies the God of heaven:
> Daniel 4:37: "Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment: and those that walk in pride he is able to abase."
These are not the words of a man destroyed, but of a man who has been brought to repentance and reverence. Some Bible teachers even see this as evidence that Nebuchadnezzar was eternally saved. Though the Book of Daniel does not explicitly declare his salvation, his personal testimony, written in the first person in chapter 4, stands out as an extraordinary declaration of God's sovereignty and mercy.
Unlike the fatalism of the proverb, Scripture shows that madness, when permitted by God, can serve as a means of correction, not merely a precursor to doom. God abased Nebuchadnezzar to teach him that "the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men" (Daniel 4:17). When he humbled himself and acknowledged God's rule, his kingdom and sanity were restored.
This demonstrates that divine judgment—even in the form of mental affliction—does not have to end in destruction. It can, instead, lead to salvation and restoration. The proverb, while poetic and memorable, lacks the redemptive element that Scripture emphasizes: God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6).
Therefore, the saying "Whom the gods would destroy, they first make mad" should be taken with caution. In the biblical worldview, madness is not always a sign of divine wrath leading to eternal ruin. Sometimes, it is a divinely orchestrated interruption—an act of mercy that leads a soul to look up to heaven and be saved.