Eunuch

(from the Greek eunē — marriage bed, and echein — to have charge of, keep — hence “chamberlain,” “keeper of the bed”) (Isa. 56:3; 2 Kings 9:32; Matt. 19:12; Acts 8:34–39). Although castration was expressly forbidden by the Law of Moses, and castrated persons were not even permitted to appear in the Tabernacle (Deut. 23:1), the kings of Judah nevertheless considered it permissible to make use of the services of eunuchs procured from other countries. According to the testimony of Herodotus, it was customary in the East to castrate captives — a very ancient custom, the introduction of which is attributed to Semiramis.

Eastern despotism required that persons deprived of all human attachments should serve at royal and noble courts. This explains the high position of eunuchs at eastern courts. Eastern kings kept them as guards in their harems (Esth. 2:3), and also as courtiers, military commanders, and the like. At the Persian and Turkish courts the chief offices, both in antiquity and to some extent still today, are entrusted to eunuchs (Acts 8:27). On ancient monuments eunuchs can be recognized by the absence of a beard and by their swollen faces.

As for the Lord’s words, “there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven’s sake” (Matt. 19:12), what is meant here is not bodily castration, which in itself not only cannot lead to the kingdom but rather removes one further from it, but spiritual castration — that is, the voluntary, moral mortification of the flesh and its passions by strength of will.