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εὐνοῦχος

eunoûchos

G2135 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

A man who has been castrated, especially one employed to oversee the women's quarters or harem; by extension, a court official or functionary, regardless of physical condition. In some contexts, the term may also refer more broadly to an official in royal service, not necessarily castrated.

Semantic Range

castrated male; official in charge of a ruler's harem or private chambers; high-ranking royal officer or trusted court official (sometimes regardless of castration); chamberlain; (by later, extended usage) any royal servant with privileged access to a sovereign or important person

Root / Etymology

Compound of εὐνὴ (bed, couch) and ἔχω (to have, to hold), thus originally implying 'one who keeps/guards the bed' (i.e., bedroom guardian), though association with castration became predominant. The semantic development is from 'guardian of the bedchamber' to 'castrated male' and further to 'court officer,' even when physical castration was not a requirement.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical and Hellenistic Greek, εὐνοῦχος initially referred to a court official, particularly a keeper or guardian of the royal bedchamber, often entrusted with access to rulers and their families. Due to the common practice in many 'Eastern' (especially Persian and later Hellenistic) courts of appointing physically castrated men as such guardians, the term became largely synonymous with 'castrated male.' In the broader Greco-Roman world, however, εὐνοῦχος could also denote a high-ranking court servant or official without implying physical castration. In the Septuagint and New Testament (notably in Acts 8:27-39), the term is used of an Ethiopian court official, and the text does not specify whether physical castration is implied. Later English translations often render εὐνοῦχος as 'eunuch,' which carries the primary sense of physical castration, but this may narrow the intended sense in some ancient usages, where the term can signify a dignitary or trusted servant rather than necessarily a castrate. The range of real-world references and underlying assumptions regarding physical status may vary across time and text.

Translation Consistency

primary "eunuch" 5 occurrences

εὐνοῦχος is most directly and commonly rendered in English as “eunuch,” which captures the primary historical meaning (a castrated male serving as chamberlain) while also being the standard Biblical-era term that readers recognize. Using “eunuch” provides a single consistent headword; context can indicate when the broader sense (royal/court official) is intended.

Alternatives (3 occurrences):
"bed-chamber guardians" (3x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from (a bed) and ἔχω; a castrated person (such being employed in Oriental bed-chambers); by extension an impotent or unmarried man; by implication, a chamberlain (state-officer):--eunuch.

Root Family

εὐνοῦχος (eunouchos) — bed, to hold, to guard; bed-guardian; castrated male; court official

Root εὐν- bed, to hold, to guard

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G2135-02 εὐνοῦχος eunouchos N NOM M SG eunuch bedchamber guardian eunuch 5
G2135-01 εὐνοῦχοι eunouchoi N NOM M PL eunuchs bed-chamber guardians bed-chamber guardians 3

Occurrences in Scripture

8 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G2135-01 Matthew 19:12 εὐνοῦχοι eunouchoi N NOM M PL eunuchs bed-chamber guardians bed-chamber guardians
G2135-01 Matthew 19:12 εὐνοῦχοι eunouchoi-2 N NOM M PL eunuchs bed-chamber guardians bed-chamber guardians
G2135-01 Matthew 19:12 εὐνοῦχοι eunouchoi-3 N NOM M PL eunuchs bed-chamber guardians bed-chamber guardians
G2135-02 Acts 8:27 εὐνοῦχος eunouchos N NOM M SG eunuch bedchamber guardian eunuch
G2135-02 Acts 8:34 εὐνοῦχος eunouchos N NOM M SG eunuch bedchamber guardian eunuch
G2135-02 Acts 8:36 εὐνοῦχος eunouchos N NOM M SG eunuch bedchamber guardian eunuch
G2135-02 Acts 8:38 εὐνοῦχος eunouchos N NOM M SG eunuch bedchamber guardian eunuch
G2135-02 Acts 8:39 εὐνοῦχος eunouchos N NOM M SG eunuch bedchamber guardian eunuch
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