- εὐνοῦχος
- εὐνοῦχος, ου, ὁ (s. prec. entry; Hdt., Aristoph. et al.; Vett. Val. 18, 19; 86, 34; BGU 725, 14; 29; LXX, Test12Patr; AscIs 3:11; Philo; Jos., Bell. 1, 488, Ant. 17, 44; Ath. 34, 1)① a castrated male person, eunuch. Mt 19:12b. Eunuchs served, esp. in the orient, as keepers of a harem (Esth 2:14) and not infreq. rose to high positions in the state (Hdt. 8, 105; AscIs 3:11 τῶν εὐνούχων καὶ τῶν συμβούλων τοῦ βασιλέως): the εὐ. δυνάστης of Queen Candace Ac 8:27, 34, 36, 38f.—S. on Κανδάκη.—Diod S 11, 69, 1 Mithridates is physically a εὐνοῦχος and holds the position of κατακοιμιστής (=the chamberlain; note the etymology of εὐ.: εὐνή ‘bed’ + ἔχω) τοῦ βασιλέως (Xerxes). In 17, 5, 3 Βαγώας as χιλίαρχος bears the title of a high official at the Persian court (18, 48, 4f). Since he is also described as εὐνοῦχος, the word must be understood literally. Similarly in Ac 8:27ff, the man baptized by Philip performs the function of δυνάστης Κανδάκης βασιλίσσης. Here also ‘eunuch’ refers primarily to his physical state, but Luke’s interest in showing the broad outreach of the Gospel, esp. through the arrival of an important personage from a distant locality, prob. comes into play (for OT perspectives contrast Dt 23:1 Mt and Is 56:3). FSpencer, The Ethiopian Eunuch and His Bible—A Social-Science-Analysis: BTB 22, ’92, 155–65.② a human male who, without a physical operation, is by nature incapable of begetting children, impotent male (Wsd 3:14) εὐ. ἐκ κοιλίας μητρός Mt 19:12a.③ a human male who abstains fr. marriage, without being impotent, a celibate Mt 19:12c (cp. Ath. 34, 1).—s. εὐνουχίζω.—JBlinzler, ZNW 48, ’57, 254–70; Pauly-Wiss. Suppl. III/2, 1772f; B. 141. New Docs 3, 41. Schmidt, Syn. IV 35–37. DELG s.v. ἐυνή. M-M. EDNT. TW.
Ελληνικά-Αγγλικά παλαιοχριστιανική Λογοτεχνία. 2015.