Reference: Eunuch
American
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, Ge 39:17, and the treasurer of Queen Candace, Ac 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, Mt 19:12; and the apostle Paul commends the same abstinence in certain exceptional cases in time of persecution, 1Co 7:26-27. See GAZA.
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And she will speak to him according to these words, saying, The Hebrew servant which thou broughtest to us, came in to me to mock me.
For there are eunuchs, who were born so from the mother's belly: and there are eunuchs, who were made eunuchs by men: and there are eunuchs, who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of the heavens. He being able to receive, let him receive.
And having risen, he went: and, behold, an Ethiopian man, an eunuch of great power of Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who was over all her treasure, who had come going to worship in Jerusalem,
I think therefore this to be good for the present necessity, that it is good for a man to be thus. Hast thou been bound to a wife? seek not a release. Hast thou been loosed from a wife seek thou not a wife.
Easton
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 (2Ki 9:32; Es 2:3). The law of Moses excluded them from the congregation (De 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 Mt 19:12.
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He wounded by crushing, and having the privy member cut off, shall not come in to the gathering of Jehovah.
And he will lift up his face to the window, and say, Who with me? who? and there will look towards him two, three eunuchs.
And the king shall appoint overseers in all the provinces of his kingdom, and they shall gather together all the maidens, virgins, good of appearance, to Shushan the fortress, to the house of the women, to the hand of Hegai, the king's eunuch, watching the women; giving their purifications:
For there are eunuchs, who were born so from the mother's belly: and there are eunuchs, who were made eunuchs by men: and there are eunuchs, who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of the heavens. He being able to receive, let him receive.
Fausets
("bedkeeper".) Generally used of those emasculated in order to satisfy the jealousy of masters who committed to them the charge of wives, concubines, and the female apartments. Sometimes implying the high office of "chamberlain," without such emasculation (1Ch 28:1). Even the kings of Israel and Judah had eunuchs, probably foreigners (2Ki 9:32; Jer 38:7). Ethiopians were then, as Nubians now, often so employed. The chief of Pharaoh's cupbearers, and the chief of his cooks, were eunuchs; Potiphar was an "eunuch" (so Hebrew of "officer") of Pharaoh's (Ge 37:36,36). So the Assyrian Rabsaris, or chief eunuch (2Ki 18:17).
So in the Persian court there were eunuchs as "keepers of the women," through whom the king gave commands to the women, and kept men at a distance (Es 1:10,12,15-16; 2:3,8,14). Daniel and his companions were, possibly, mutilated so as to become eunuchs to the Babylonian king (2Ki 20:17-18; Da 1:3-7). In Mt 19:12 our Lord uses the term figuratively for those who are naturally, or who artificially, or by self restraint, have become divested of sexual passion (1Co 7:26,32-34). Our Lord permits, but does not command or recommend, celibacy as superior in sanctity to wedlock; "he that is able to receive it, let him receive it."
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And the Midianites sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, an eunuch of Pharaoh chief of the cooks.
And the Midianites sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, an eunuch of Pharaoh chief of the cooks.
And he will lift up his face to the window, and say, Who with me? who? and there will look towards him two, three eunuchs.
And the king of Assur will send Tartan, Rab-Saris, and Rabshakeh from Lachish to king Hezekiah, with weighty strength to Jeruslaem; and they will go up and come to Jerusalem: and they will go up and come and stand by the aqueduct of the highest pool in the highway of the field of the fuller.
Behold, the days coming, and there was lifted up all which was in thy house, and what thy fathers treasured up, even to this day, to Babel: not a word shall be left, said Jehovah. And from thy sons which shall go forth from thee, which thou shalt beget, shall be taken; and they were eunuchs in the temple of the king of Babel.
And David will convoke together all the chiefs of Israel, the chiefs of the tribes and the chiefs of the divisions serving the king, and the chiefs of the thousands and the chiefs of the hundreds, and the chiefs of all the possessions and the cattle to the king and to his sons, with the eunuchs, and the strong ones, and to every one strong of power to Jerusalem.
In the seventh day, as the heart of the king being good with wine, he said to Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, and Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas, the seven eunuchs serving the face of king Ahasuerus,
And the queen Vashti will refuse to come in at the word of the king which was by the hand of the eunuchs: and the king will be angry greatly, and his wrath burnt in him.
According to the edict what to do against the queen Vashti, for that she did not the word of the king Ahasuerus by the hand of the eunuchs? And Memucan will say before the king, Not against the king alone did Vashti the queen do evil, but against all the chiefs and against all the peoples that are in all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus.
And the king shall appoint overseers in all the provinces of his kingdom, and they shall gather together all the maidens, virgins, good of appearance, to Shushan the fortress, to the house of the women, to the hand of Hegai, the king's eunuch, watching the women; giving their purifications:
And it will be in hearing the word of the king and his edict, and in the gathering together of the many maidens to Shushan the fortress, to the hand of Hegai, and Esther will be taken to the house of the king to the hand of Hegai watching the women.
In the evening she came, and in the morning she turned back to the second house of the women, to the hand of Shaashgaz, the king's eunuch watching the concubines: she will no more come to the king except the king delighted in her, and she was called by name.
And the king's servant, the Cushite, a man, an eunuch, will hear, and he in the house of the king, that they gave Jeremiah to the pit; and the king sitting in the gate of Benjamin.
And the king will say to Ashpenaz the leader of his eunuchs to bring from the sons of Israel and from the seed royal, and from the nobles; Children whom not any blemish in them, and good of aspect, and understanding in all wisdom, and knowing knowledge, and understanding intelligence, and to whom power in them to stand in the king's temple, and to teach them the writing and tongue of the chaldees read more. And the king will allot to them the word of a day in its day from the king's dainties and from the wine of his drinking: and to nourish them three years, and from the end of three years they shall stand before the king. And there will be among them from the sons of Judah, Daniel, Hansniah, Mishael, and Azariah And the chief of the eunuchs will set names to them: to David, Belteshazzar; and to Hananiah, Shadrach; and to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abed-Nego.
For there are eunuchs, who were born so from the mother's belly: and there are eunuchs, who were made eunuchs by men: and there are eunuchs, who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of the heavens. He being able to receive, let him receive.
I think therefore this to be good for the present necessity, that it is good for a man to be thus.
But I will you to be free from care. The unmarried cares for things of the Lord, how he shall please the Lord: And he married cares for the things of the world, how he shall please the wife. read more. The wife and virgin have been divided. The unmarried cares for the things of the Lord, that she might be holy also in body and spirit: and she married cares for the things of the world, how she shall please her husband.
Hastings
In the proper sense of the word a eunuch is an emasculated human being (De 23:1), but it is not absolutely certain that the Heb. s
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And the Midianites sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, an eunuch of Pharaoh chief of the cooks.
And the Midianites sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, an eunuch of Pharaoh chief of the cooks.
And Joseph was brought down to Egypt: and Potiphar will buy him, Pharaoh's eunuch, chief of the cooks, an Egyptian man, from the hand of the Ishmaelites who brought him down there.
And Pharaoh will be angry against his two eunuchs, against the chief of the cup-bearers, and against the chief of the bakers.
And Pharaoh will be angry against his two eunuchs, against the chief of the cup-bearers, and against the chief of the bakers.
And he will ask Pharaoh's eunuchs which were with him in guard of the house of his lord, saying, Why are your faces evil this day?
And he will ask Pharaoh's eunuchs which were with him in guard of the house of his lord, saying, Why are your faces evil this day?
Or curved, or withered, or stained in his eye, or scurvy, or scabby, or a bruised testicle:
And the bruised, and the smitten, and the torn, and the cut, ye shall not bring to Jehovah, and ye shall not do in your land.
He wounded by crushing, and having the privy member cut off, shall not come in to the gathering of Jehovah.
He wounded by crushing, and having the privy member cut off, shall not come in to the gathering of Jehovah.
And of your seeds and of your vineyards he will take the tenth and give to his eunuchs and to his servants.
And he will lift up his face to the window, and say, Who with me? who? and there will look towards him two, three eunuchs.
And from thy sons which shall go forth from thee, which thou shalt beget, shall be taken; and they were eunuchs in the temple of the king of Babel.
And out of the city he took one eunuch, he who was appointed over the men of war, and five men seeing the face of the king, who were found in the city, and the scribe of the chief of the army mustering the people of the land, and sixty men from the people of the land being found in the city:
And out of the city he took one eunuch, he who was appointed over the men of war, and five men seeing the face of the king, who were found in the city, and the scribe of the chief of the army mustering the people of the land, and sixty men from the people of the land being found in the city:
And the queen Vashti will refuse to come in at the word of the king which was by the hand of the eunuchs: and the king will be angry greatly, and his wrath burnt in him.
And Esther's maidens will go in, and her eunuchs, and they will announce to her: and the queen will be greatly grieved; and she will send garments to clothe Mordecai and to put away his sackcloth from off him: and he received not
And from thy sons that shall come forth from thee which thou shalt beget, they shall take; and they were eunuchs in the temple of the king of Babel.
For thus said Jehovah to the eunuchs who shall watch my Sabbaths, and choose in what I delighted, and taking hold upon my covenant; And I gave to them in my house and in my walls a hand and a name good above sons and above daughters: an eternal name will I give to him which shall not be cut off.
(After the going forth of Jeconiah, the king and the mistress, and the eunuchs, the chiefs of Judah and Jerusalem, and the artificers, and the smiths, from Jerusalem;)
The chiefs of Judah, and the chiefs of Jerusalem, the eunuchs and the priests, and all the people of the land passing between the parts of the calf.
And the king's servant, the Cushite, a man, an eunuch, will hear, and he in the house of the king, that they gave Jeremiah to the pit; and the king sitting in the gate of Benjamin.
And Johanan son of Kareah will take, and all the captains of the armies which were with him, all the remnant whom he turned back from Ishmael son of Nethaniah from Mizpeh, after he struck Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the strong men of war, and the women and children, and the eunuchs which he turned back from the hill.
And from the city he took one eunuch who was appointed over the men of war; and seven men seeing the face of the king, who were found in the city; and the scribe of the chief of the army mustering the people of the land; and sixty men from the people of the land being found in the midst of the city.
And the king will say to Ashpenaz the leader of his eunuchs to bring from the sons of Israel and from the seed royal, and from the nobles;
For there are eunuchs, who were born so from the mother's belly: and there are eunuchs, who were made eunuchs by men: and there are eunuchs, who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of the heavens. He being able to receive, let him receive.
And having risen, he went: and, behold, an Ethiopian man, an eunuch of great power of Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who was over all her treasure, who had come going to worship in Jerusalem,
Morish
The Lord distinguished three classes of eunuchs: those that were thus born; those emasculated by men; and those who had made themselves such for the kingdom of heaven's sake. Mt 19:12. It is the second class that are otherwise mentioned in scripture. They often became men of influence in the eastern courts, and had care of the harems; and where there were several there was one called their 'prince.' Jer 29:2; Da 1:3-18; Ac 8:27. Ebed-melech who befriended Jeremiah was a eunuch in the house of Zedekiah. Jer 38:7-13. And they were eunuchs who threw Jezebel out of the lattice. 2Ki 9:32. This shows that Israel had followed the custom of the East in employing such persons.
One of the things prophesied against Israel was that their sons should be made eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon. 2Ki 20:18; Isa 39:7. The case of Daniel and his companions was an instance of the fulfilment of this, for they were committed to the care of 'the master of the eunuchs.' Though the word saris signifies 'eunuch' it is often in the A.V. translated 'chamberlain' and 'officer' because the eunuchs were employed in such positions of trust. The man of Ethiopia baptised by Philip was a eunuch of great authority under the queen. Ac 8:27.
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And he will lift up his face to the window, and say, Who with me? who? and there will look towards him two, three eunuchs.
And from thy sons which shall go forth from thee, which thou shalt beget, shall be taken; and they were eunuchs in the temple of the king of Babel.
And from thy sons that shall come forth from thee which thou shalt beget, they shall take; and they were eunuchs in the temple of the king of Babel.
(After the going forth of Jeconiah, the king and the mistress, and the eunuchs, the chiefs of Judah and Jerusalem, and the artificers, and the smiths, from Jerusalem;)
And the king's servant, the Cushite, a man, an eunuch, will hear, and he in the house of the king, that they gave Jeremiah to the pit; and the king sitting in the gate of Benjamin. And the king's servant went forth from the house of the king, and he will speak to the king, saying, read more. My lord the king, these men did evil all which they did to Jeremiah the prophet whom they cast into the pit; and he will die in his low place from the face of hunger, for no more bread in the city. And the king will command the king's servant the Cushite, saying, Take in thy hand from here thirty men, and bring up Jeremiah the prophet from the pit before he shall die. And the king's servant will take the men in his hand and go to the house of the king under the store-house, and he will take from thence old torn rags, and rags rubbed small, and he will cast them to Jeremiah into the pit with cords. And the king's servant the Cashite will say to Jeremiah, Put now the old rags torn and rubbed small, under the joints of thy hands from under the cords; and Jeremiah will do so. And they will draw up Jeremiah with the cords, and bring him up out of the pit: and Jeremiah dwelt in the enclosure of the prison.
And the king will say to Ashpenaz the leader of his eunuchs to bring from the sons of Israel and from the seed royal, and from the nobles; Children whom not any blemish in them, and good of aspect, and understanding in all wisdom, and knowing knowledge, and understanding intelligence, and to whom power in them to stand in the king's temple, and to teach them the writing and tongue of the chaldees read more. And the king will allot to them the word of a day in its day from the king's dainties and from the wine of his drinking: and to nourish them three years, and from the end of three years they shall stand before the king. And there will be among them from the sons of Judah, Daniel, Hansniah, Mishael, and Azariah And the chief of the eunuchs will set names to them: to David, Belteshazzar; and to Hananiah, Shadrach; and to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abed-Nego. And Daniel will set up upon his heart that he will not be defiled with the dainties of the king, and with the wine of his drinking: and he will seek from the chief of the eunuchs that he shall not defile himself. And God will give Daniel to mercy and compassion before the chiefs of the eunuchs. And the chief of the eunuchs will say to Daniel, I fear my lord the king, who allotted your food and your drink: for wherefore shall he see your faces gloomy above the children as of your age? and make my head guilty to the King And Daniel will say to Melzar, whom the chief of the eunuchs appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, Prove now thy servants, ten days; and they shall give to us from seed herbs, and we will eat, and water, and we will drink. And our aspects shall be seen before thee, and the aspect of the children eating the king's dainties: and according to what thou shalt see, do with thy servants. And he wilt hear to them for this word, and he will try them ten days. And from the end of ten days their aspect was seen good and fat of flesh above all the children eating of the king's dainties. And Melzar will be taking away their dainties, and the wine of their drinking, and he gave to them seed herbs. And these four children, God gave to them knowledge and understanding in all writing and wisdom: and Daniel understood in every vision and dreams. And from the end of the days when the king said to bring them in, and the chief of the eunuchs will bring them in before Nebuchadnezzar.
For there are eunuchs, who were born so from the mother's belly: and there are eunuchs, who were made eunuchs by men: and there are eunuchs, who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of the heavens. He being able to receive, let him receive.
And having risen, he went: and, behold, an Ethiopian man, an eunuch of great power of Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who was over all her treasure, who had come going to worship in Jerusalem,
And having risen, he went: and, behold, an Ethiopian man, an eunuch of great power of Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who was over all her treasure, who had come going to worship in Jerusalem,
Smith
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.
Watsons
EUNUCH. The word signifies, one who guards the bed. In the courts of eastern kings, the care of the beds and apartments belonging to princes and princesses, was generally committed to eunuchs; but they had the charge chiefly of the princesses, who lived secluded. The Hebrew saris signifies a real eunuch, whether naturally born such, or rendered such. But in Scripture this word often denotes an officer belonging to a prince, attending his court, and employed in the interior of his palace, as a name of office and dignity. In the Persian and Turkish courts, the principal employments are at this day possessed by real eunuchs. Our Saviour speaks of men who "made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven," Mt 19:12; that is, who, from a religious motive, renounced marriage or carnal pleasures.
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For there are eunuchs, who were born so from the mother's belly: and there are eunuchs, who were made eunuchs by men: and there are eunuchs, who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of the heavens. He being able to receive, let him receive.