Meaning of EUNUCH

(gr.: "guardian of the beds").
The proper meaning is that of chamberlain. In the East, the men who performed this function had been castrated, and this is the reason why the term denotes a castrate (Isa. 56:3; Mt. 19:12).

According to Josephus, castration was not practiced by the Jews, neither on men nor on animals (Ant. 5:8, 40), and the law was opposed, in its spirit, to such a practice in Israel (Deut. 23: 1; Lev. 22:24).

In fact, it was a barbarous custom that was practiced in the East in the treatment of captives (Herodotus 3:49; 6:32), not only of those who were still young, but also, it seems, at the time of the puberty.

The term eunuch in Hebrew is sometimes translated as “official” (Gen. 37:36; 40:2, 7, etc.), which is a euphemism. It may also be that the designation eunuch was used to denote a position usually held by a mutilated man.

On the other hand, the fact remains that there were married eunuchs, such as, for example, Potiphar (Gen. 39:1, 7).
Eunuchs frequently acquired high positions and great authority.

As an example we have the chief of Pharaoh's guard, and the cupbearer and the baker. Eunuchs exercised certain functions in the court of Babylon (Dan. 1:3); They served in the presence of the king of Persia, they were guardians of the palace gates (Est. 1:10; 2:21); a eunuch was the overseer of the royal harem (Est. 2:3, 14); another was in the service of the queen (Est. 4:5).

In the court of Ahab and in that of Jehoram his son there were also eunuchs; Jezebel had eunuchs serving him (1 Kings 22:9; 2 Kings 8:6; 9:32). Although eunuchs were legally excluded from Jehovah's congregation (Deut. 23:1), they also existed in Judah, as well as in David's court (1 Chron. 28:1).

In the latter days of the monarchy, there were also eunuchs in the debased court of Josiah's successors (2 Kings 24:15; 25:19, and Jer. 29:2).

All or most of the eunuchs in Judah were foreigners (Jer. 38:7).

Herod the Great's cupbearer was a eunuch, as was the official who served him meals and his chamberlain.

There was a eunuch in the service of Mariamne, the favorite wife of Herod the Great (Ant. 15:7, 4; 16:8, 1).

Candace, the queen of Ethiopia, had a eunuch as treasurer. After his conversion, he was admitted to baptism (Acts 8:27, 37; cp. Is. 56:3).