Eunuch

"The English form of the Greek word which means bed-keeper . In the strict and proper sense they were the persons who had charge of the bed-chambers in palaces and larger houses. But as the jealous and dissolute temperament of the East required this charge to be in the hands of persons who had been deprived of their virility, the word eunuch came naturally to denote persons in that condition. But as some of these rose to be confidential advisers of their royal master or mistresses, the word was occasionally employed to denote persons in such a position, without indicating anything of their proper manhood." -Abbott.

Eunuch

In the courts of oriental monarchs, the charge of the female and interior apartments is committed to eunuchs. Hence the word came to signify merely a court officer. Such were Potiphar, Joseph's master, Genesis 39:17, and the treasurer of Queen Candace, Acts 8:27. Our Savior speaks of some who "have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake;" that is, who have voluntarily abstained from marriage, in order more effectually to labor for the kingdom of God, Matthew 19:12; and the apostle Paul commends the same abstinence in certain exceptional cases in time of persecution, 1 1 Corinthians 7:26,27. See GAZA.

ETHIOPIAN EUNUCH

e-thi-o'-pi-an u'-nuk eunouchos:

A man who occupied a leading position as treasurer at the court of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, and who was converted and baptized by Philip the deacon (Acts 8:27-39). Being a eunuch, he was not in the full Jewish communion (compare Deuteronomy 23:1), but had gone up to Jerusalem to worship, probably as a proselyte at the gate. During his return journey he spent the time in studying Isaiah, the text which he used being that of the Septuagint (compare Professor Margoliouth, article "Ethiopian Eunuch" in HDB). On meeting with Philip the deacon, who was on his way to Gaza, he besought of him to shed light upon the difficulties of the Scripture he was reading, and through this was converted. The place of his baptism, according to Jerome and Eusebius, was Bethsura: by some modern authorities, eg. G A. Smith, it has been located at or near Gaza. The verse containing the confession of the eunuch, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God," is omitted either in whole or in part by some texts, but Hilgenfeld, Knowling, etc., regard it as quite in keeping with the context. Tischendorf, Westcott and Hort, Revised Version (British and American) text, etc., uphold the omission. The verse occurs in the body of the King James Version, but is given only as a footnote in the Revised Version (British and American) and the American Standard Revised Version. The diligence with which the eunuch pursued his reading, the earnestness with which he inquired of Philip, and the promptness with which he asked for baptism-all testify to the lofty nature of his character.

C. M. Kerr

EUNUCH

u'-nuk (caric; spadon; eunouchos):

Primarily and literally, a eunuch is an emasculated man (Deuteronomy 23:1). The Hebrew word caric seems, however, to have acquired a figurative meaning, which is reflected in English Versions of the Bible where "officer" and "chamberlain" are found as renderings (compare Genesis 37:36; Genesis 39:1, where caric is applied to married men; Esther 4:4). The barbarous practice of self-mutilation and the mutilation of others in this way was prevalent throughout the Orient. The religious disabilities under which men thus deformed labored under the Mosaic law had the effect of making the practice abominable to the Jews as a people (Deuteronomy 23:1 Leviticus 22:23-25). The law excluded eunuchs from public worship, partly because self-mutilation was often performed in honor of a heathen god, and partly because a maimed creature of any sort was deemed unfit for the service of Yahweh (Leviticus 21:16; Leviticus 22:24). That ban, however, was later removed (Isaiah 56:4, 5). On the other hand, the kings of Israel and Judah followed their royal neighbors in employing eunuchs (1) as guardians of the harem (2 Kings 9:32 Jeremiah 41:16), and (2) in military and other official posts (1 Samuel 8:15 margin; 1 Kings 22:9 margin; 2 Kings 8:6 margin; 2 Kings 23:11 the King James Version margin; 2 Kings 24:12, 13 margin; 2 Kings 25:19 margin; 1 Chronicles 28:1 margin; 2 Chronicles 18:8 margin; Jeremiah 29:2; Jeremiah 34:19; Jeremiah 38:7; compare Genesis 37:36; Genesis 40:2, 7 Acts 8:27). Josephus informs us that eunuchs were a normal feature of the courts of the Herods (Ant., XV, vii, 4; XVI, viii, 1). From the single reference to the practice in the Gospels (Matthew 19:12), we infer that the existence and purpose of eunuchs as a class were known to the Jews of Jesus' time. There is no question with Jesus as to the law of Nature: the married life is the norm of man's condition, and the union thereby effected transcends every other natural bond, even that of filial affection (Matthew 19:5, 6).

But He would have His hearers recognize that there are exceptional cases where the rule does not hold. In speaking of the three classes of eunuchs (Matthew 19:12), He made a distinction which was evidently well known to those whom He addressed, as was the metaphorical use of the word in application to the third class well understood by them (compare Lightfoot, Horae Hebrew et Talmud; Schottgen, Horae Hebrew, in the place cited.).

How Origen misunderstood and abused the teaching of this passage is well known (Euseb., HE, VI, 8), and his own pathetic comment on the passage shows that later he regretted having taken it thus literally and acted on it. His is not the only example of such a perverted interpretation (see Talmud, Shabbath 152a, and compare Midrash on Ecclesiastes 10:7). The Council of Nicea, therefore, felt called on to deal with the danger as did the 2nd Council of Aries and the Apos Canons (circa 21). (Compare Bingham's Ant, IV, 9.)

It is significant that Jesus expresses no condemnation of this horrible practice. It was in keeping with His far-reaching plan of instilling principles rather than dealing in denunciations (John 3:17; John 8:11). It was by His positive teaching concerning purity that we are shown the lines along which we must move to reach the goal. There is a more excellent way of achieving mastery of the sexual passion. It is possible for men to attain as complete control of this strong instinct as if they were physically sexless, and the resultant victory is of infinitely more value than the negative, unmoral condition produced by self-emasculation. These "make themselves eunuchs" with a high and holy purpose, "for the kingdom of heaven's sake"; and the interests created by that purpose are so absorbing that neither time nor opportunity is afforded to the "fleshly lusts, which war against the soul" (1 Peter 2:11). They voluntarily forego marriage even, undertake virtual "eunuchism" because they are completely immersed in and engrossed by "the kingdom of heaven" (compare John 17:4 1 Corinthians 7:29, 33; 9:5 and see Bengel, Gnomon Novi Test. in the place cited and Clement of Alexandria., Strom., iii.1).

See MARRIAGE.

LITERATURE.

Driver," Deuteronomy," ICC, Deuteronomy 23:1; Commentary on Matthew, in the place cited. by Morison and Broadus; Neander, Ch. Hist, II, 493; Wendt, The Teaching of Jesus, 72; The Expositor, IV, vii (1893), 294; Encyclopedia Brit, article "Eunuch."

George B. Eager

Literally bed-keeper or chamberlain, and not necessarily in all cases one who was mutilated, although the practice of employing such mutilated persons in Oriental courts was common (2 Kings 9:32; Esther 2:3). The law of Moses excluded them from the congregation (Deuteronomy 23:1). They were common also among the Greeks and Romans. It is said that even to-day there are some in Rome who are employed in singing soprano in the Sistine Chapel. Three classes of eunuchs are mentioned in Matthew 19:12.

1. (n.) A male of the human species castrated; commonly, one of a class of such persons, in Oriental countries, having charge of the women's apartments. Some of them, in former times, gained high official rank.

2. (v. t.) Alt. of Eunuchate.

5631. saris -- eunuch
... saris or saris. 5632 >>. eunuch. Transliteration: saris or saris Phonetic Spelling:
(saw-reece') Short Definition: officials. ... chamberlain, eunuch, officer. ...
/hebrew/5631.htm - 6k

3752. Karkas -- a eunuch of Ahasuerus
... a eunuch of Ahasuerus. Transliteration: Karkas Phonetic Spelling: (kar-kas') Short
Definition: Carkas. ... Of Persian origin; Karkas, a eunuch of Xerxes: ...
/hebrew/3752.htm - 5k

8657. Teresh -- a eunuch of Ahasuerus
... << 8656, 8657. Teresh. 8658 >>. a eunuch of Ahasuerus. Transliteration: Teresh
Phonetic Spelling: (teh'-resh) Short Definition: Teresh. ...
/hebrew/8657.htm - 5k

5. Abagtha -- a eunuch of Ahasuerus
... << 4, 5. Abagtha. 6 >>. a eunuch of Ahasuerus. Transliteration: Abagtha Phonetic
Spelling: (ab-ag-thaw') Short Definition: Abagtha. Word ...
/hebrew/5.htm - 5k

904. Bigthan -- a eunuch of Ahasuerus
... << 903, 904. Bigthan or Bigthana. 905 >>. a eunuch of Ahasuerus. Transliteration:
Bigthan or Bigthana Phonetic Spelling: (big-thawn') Short Definition: Bigthan. ...
/hebrew/904.htm - 6k

903. Bigtha -- a eunuch of Ahasuerus
... << 902, 903. Bigtha. 904 >>. a eunuch of Ahasuerus. Transliteration: Bigtha
Phonetic Spelling: (big-thaw') Short Definition: Bigtha. ...
/hebrew/903.htm - 5k

2726. Charbona -- eunuch of Ahasuerus
... Charbona or Charbonah. 2727 >>. eunuch of Ahasuerus. Transliteration: Charbona or
Charbonah Phonetic Spelling: (khar-bo-naw') Short Definition: Harbona. ...
/hebrew/2726.htm - 6k

7249. Rab-saris -- perhaps "chief eunuch," an official of the ...
... perhaps "chief eunuch," an official of the Assyr. ... From rab and a foreign word for
a eunuch; chief chamberlain; Rab-Saris, a Babylonian official -- Rab-saris. ...
/hebrew/7249.htm - 6k

828. Ashpenaz -- a Bab. eunuch
... a Bab. eunuch. Transliteration: Ashpenaz Phonetic Spelling: (ash-pen-az') Short
Definition: Ashpenaz. ... eunuch NASB Word Usage Ashpenaz (1). Ashpenaz. ...
/hebrew/828.htm - 5k

968. Bizzetha -- a eunuch of Ahasuerus
... << 967, 968. Bizzetha. 969 >>. a eunuch of Ahasuerus. Transliteration: Bizzetha
Phonetic Spelling: (biz-thaw') Short Definition: Biztha. ...
/hebrew/968.htm - 5k