HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H5631
סָרִיס
sa.ris — eunuch
official, eunuch
42 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →BIBLE DICTIONARY + WORD STUDY
Eunuch
Original Hebrew / Aramaic / Greek connected to this term
How to read this: there is rarely one magic “true meaning” hidden behind an English word. A lexicon records a word’s semantic range. The intended meaning is narrowed by grammar, sentence, author, historical usage and context.
GREEK · G2135
εὐνοῦχος
eunouchos — eunuch
εὐνοῦχος, -ου, ὁ (i.e. ὁ τὴν εὐνὴν(bed) ἔχων), [in LXX for סָרִיס (perhaps not of necessity an actual eunuch; DB, see word), Gen.39:1, al., Wis.3:14, Sir.20:4 30:20 ;] an emasculated man, a eunuch: Mat.19:12; one such holding, as was common, high office, as of chamberlain, at court, Act.8:27, 34-39; metaphorically, of one naturally incapacitated for or voluntarily abstaining from wedlock, Mat.19:12.† (AS)
6 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H5663
עֶ֫בֶד מֶ֫לֶךְ
e.ved me.lekh — Ebed-melech
A man living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at Jer.38.7 § Ebed-melech = "servant of the king" an Ethiopian eunuch in the service of king Zedekiah, through whose interference Jeremiah was released from prison
6 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H2047
הֲתָךְ
ha.takh — Hathach
A man living at the time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at Est.4.5 § Hatach = "verily" a eunuch in the court of Ahasuerus
4 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H1896
הֵגֵא
he.ge — Hegai
A man living at the time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at Est.2.3 § Hegai or Hege = "eunuch" one of the eunuchs of the court of Ahasuerus
3 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H7249
רַב־סָרִיס
rav-sa.ris — Rab-saris
A man living at the time of Divided Monarchy, only mentioned at 2Ki.18.17 1) chief eunuch 2) Rab-saris, chief eunuch, a high ranking Babylonian official
3 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H2726
חַרְבוֹנָא
char.vo.na — Harbona
A man living at the time of Exile and Return, only mentioned at Est.1.10 § Harbona or Harbonah = "ass-driver" the 3rd of the seven chamberlains or eunuchs who served Ahasuerus
2 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H8657
תֶּ֫רֶשׁ
te.resh — Teresh
A man living at the time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at Est.2.21 § Teresh = "strictness" one of the 2 eunuchs who plotted to kill king Ahasuerus of Persia but whose plot was discovered by Mordecai
2 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H904
בִּגְתָן
big.tan — Bigthan
A man living at the time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at Est.2.21; also called Bigthana at Est.6.2; § Bigthan = "in their wine-press" a eunuch in king Ahasuerus' (Xerxes) court
2 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →GREEK · G2134
εὐνουχίζω
eunouchizō — to become a eunuch
εὐνουχίζω (εὐνοῦχος), to make a eunuch of, castrate: pass., Mat.19:12; metaphorically, εὐ. έαυτόν, ib.† (AS)
1 tagged verse occurrence · see every occurrence →HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H2242
זֵתַר
ze.tar — Zethar
A man living at the time of Exile and Return, only mentioned at Est.1.10 § Zethar = "star" one of the seven eunuchs of Ahasuerus
1 tagged verse occurrence · see every occurrence →HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H3752
כַּרְכַּס
kar.kas — Carkas
A man living at the time of Exile and Return, only mentioned at Est.1.10 § Carcas = "severe" the 7th of the 7 eunuchs of king Ahasuerus
1 tagged verse occurrence · see every occurrence →HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H4104
מְהוּמָן
me.hu.man — Mehuman
A man living at the time of Exile and Return, only mentioned at Est.1.10 § Mehuman = "faithful" one of the 7 eunuchs of Ahasuerus
1 tagged verse occurrence · see every occurrence →HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H5
אֲבַגְתָא
a.vag.ta — Abagtha
A man living at the time of Exile and Return, only mentioned at Est.1.10 § Abagtha = "God-given" one of the seven eunuchs in the Persian court of Ahasuerus
1 tagged verse occurrence · see every occurrence →HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H8190
שַׁעַשְׁגַּז
sha.ash.gaz — Shaashgaz
A man living at the time of Exile and Return, only mentioned at Est.2.14 § Shaashgaz = "servant of the beautiful" the eunuch in the palace of Xerxes who was in charge of the women in the 2nd house
1 tagged verse occurrence · see every occurrence →HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H828
אַשְׁפְּנַז
ash.pe.naz — Ashpenaz
A man living at the time of Exile and Return, only mentioned at Dan.1.3 § Ashpenaz = "I will make prominent the sprinkled" chief eunuch of Nebuchadnezzar
1 tagged verse occurrence · see every occurrence →HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H8310
שַׂרְסְכִים
sar.se.khim — Samgar, Nebu-sar-sekim
A man living at the time of Divided Monarchy, only mentioned at Jer.39.3 § Sarsechim = "prince of the eunuchs" a ruler or general of Nebuchadnezzar at the taking of Jerusalem
1 tagged verse occurrence · see every occurrence →HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H903
בִּגְתָא
big.ta — Bigtha
A man living at the time of Exile and Return, only mentioned at Est.1.10 § Bigtha = "in the wine-press" a eunuch in king Ahasuerus' (Xerxes) court
1 tagged verse occurrence · see every occurrence →HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H968
בִּזְּתָא
biz.ta — Biztha
A man living at the time of Exile and Return, only mentioned at Est.1.10 § Biztha = "booty" one of Ahasuerus' (Xerxes') eunuchs
1 tagged verse occurrence · see every occurrence →GREEK · G6553
ἀρχιευνοῦχος
archieunouchos — chief eunuch
chief eunuch
0 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →GREEK · G9133
σπάδων
spadōn — a castrato
an eunuch , Lat. spado, (Plutarch) (ML)
0 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →Historical dictionary entry
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 (Deut. 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 Matt. 19:12.
Scripture references
Source: Easton’s Bible Dictionary (1897). Historical dictionary wording reflects the scholarship and language of its era.