What is a Eunuch in the Bible?
What is their background/history in terms of scripture?
A Eunuch can literally mean “Keeper of the house or Chamberlin.” While
many believe that Eunuchs were the “castrated ones,” there is more to the
meaning than just those few words. There are really three different types, the
‘natural’ Eunuch, the ‘forced’ Eunuch and the ‘voluntary’ Eunuch, as described
in Matthew 19:12.
A Literal Translation
The Eunuch typically refers to the male gender
and can literally mean “Keeper of the house or Chamberlin.1” Many believe that Eunuchs were the
“castrated ones” meaning they had been deprived of the external genitals. This
was done in order to preserve the purity of the royal line and to remove the
Eunuch’s sexual desire. By doing this the Eunuch could serve the women of the house
properly without the need to resist the physical desire to be with a woman.2 The Greeks and Romans were
well known for keeping this tradition and even do so today in some cases.1 The term Eunuch
is used in several places in the Old Testament, (Esther 2:3; Deuteronomy 23:1;
2 Kings 9:32), to help us identify the role of a Eunuch in the ancient biblical
times. They were seen as very trustworthy members of the royal court and were
given great respect by those entrusted to their care.
The Old Testament Connection to Esther
The Eunuchs
Hegai and Hathach played significant roles in the story of Esther and King
Xerxes. In fact, without their help Esther would not have been able gain the
attention of the King and bring freedom to her people. Their stories can be
found in Esther chapter 2 and chapter 4. The Eunuch Hegai was placed in charge
of all of the women King Xerxes brought in to his home while looking for a new
queen. Esther found favor with Hegai immediately and provided her with special
treatment (Esther 2:8-9). Hathach was Esther’s life line to Mordecai (Esther’s
Uncle) and the person who reported
the plan for the destruction of the Jews that Haman (The Kings Royal Official) secretly
put together (Esther 3 & 4).
The Transition to the New Testament Connection
The New Testament shows us more of
a spiritual side to understanding the Eunuch and his role in the scriptures. In
Matthew chapter 19:12 Jesus says the following words to his disciples when they
ask Him about marriage and divorce:
“For there are eunuchs who were born that way, and
there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by others—and there are those who
choose to live like eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who
can accept this should accept it.”
Here we learn that there could be more
to the concept of a Eunuch than we see in the Old Testament. We are given three
different types of Eunuchs. First, we have those that “were born that way.”
These are those that have been born without the ability to reproduce or those
that are ‘naturally’ Eunuchs. Next, we have those “who have been made that ways
by others,” referring back to the common Old Testament Eunuch and the purity of
the royal line. Finally, we have those “who choose to live like eunuchs for the
sake of the kingdom of heaven,” or those who voluntarily choose living a
celibate life in order to focus more of their energy on furthering Gods
kingdom.3 All three types of Eunuchs have a place in scripture and
add value.
Biblical Examples of the three types of Eunuchs
The life of Paul, or even Jesus, is
a very good example of the ‘voluntary’ Eunuch. He chose to remain single his
entire life so that he could focus on furthering God’s Kingdom. The story of
the Ethiopian Eunuch is a great example of a ‘forced’ Eunuch (Acts 8). He
encountered Phillip on the road from Jerusalem and became a believer after
learning about true worship. Zachariah, while he did eventually have children,
could have been considered a ‘natural’ Eunuch in the beginning because he had
no children. He prayed for children and doubted when the Angel promised him a
child (Luke 1). In the end, Zachariah’s wife gave birth to the man that would
baptize Jesus himself and begin preparing the way for Christianity - John the
Baptist.
The Conclusion
Eunuchs have a small, and yet,
important place in the heart of the scriptures. Some of them saved lives
(Jeremiah 38:1-13), others were the first Gentiles to convert and follow Christ
(Acts 8:25-40), and others provided protection and shelter for God’s chosen
(Esther 2, 4).4 Part of
Isaiah’s vision in Isaiah 56 shows the eunuch no longer complaining of being “a
dry tree,” because God will reward the faithful eunuch with a lasting monument
and name in the temple which would be far better than sons or daughters (Isa.
56:45).3 While the actual
definition of Eunuch is seen in a different light from the Old Testament to the
New Testament, it is the literal translation that shows us its true definition
- “The Keeper of the House.” All through scripture Eunuchs of every type are
given positions to serve in their perspective ‘Houses’ or ‘Kingdom’ to the best
of their ability.
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1. Easton,
Matthew George. "Entry for Eunuch". "Easton's Bible
Dictionary". .
2. Arndt, 323,
324; AIs, 121; K. A. Kitchen, Ancient Orient and Old Testament (1966), 165,
166.
3. Brand,
Chad, Charles Draper, and Archie England. "Entry for Eunuch." Holman
Illustrated Bible Dictionary. Nashville, TN: Holman Bible, 2003. N. pag. Print.
4. http://www.compellingtruth.org/Bible-eunuch.html#ixzz3ZU2KSibc
