Quick Definition
εὐνοῦχος, ου, ὁ n.m. a eunuch, keeper of the bed-chamber
Strong's Definition
from eune (a bed) and 2192; a castrated person (such being employed in Oriental bed-chambers); by extension an impotent or unmarried man; by implication, a chamberlain (state-officer)
KJV Usage: eunuch
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament
noun, m. | -ου | εὐνή + ἔχω
9.25 · People · Males
eunuch a castrated male person In the ancient Middle East eunuchs were frequently in charge of royal harems and sometimes rose to high positions of state. The reference to the eunuch in ACT 8:34 is best interpreted as ‘court official’ (see 37.85).
Since in many societies castration of human males is not known, any attempt to employ a descriptive explanation within the text might seem unnecessarily crude and even vulgar. A number of translators have therefore preferred to borrow a term for eunuch and then place the explanation of its meaning in a glossary or word list.
MAT 19:12 · MAT 19:12 · ACT 8:27 · ACT 8:34 · ACT 8:36 · ACT 8:38 · ACT 8:39
9.28 · People · Males
impotent male a human male who without being castrated is by nature incapable of sexual intercourse
9.29 · People · Males
celibate a male person who abstains from marriage without being necessarily impotent
37.85 · Control, Rule · Rule, Govern
court official, eunuch an official of an Oriental court who was entrusted with various important responsibilities and who was also a eunuch In a context such as ACT 8:34, the focus of meaning of εὐνοῦχος[d] seems to be upon the person’s official responsibilities and position rather than upon his physical condition. It may therefore be more in keeping with the context to employ an expression such as ‘official of the court’ or ‘important official.’ On the other hand, in view of a eunuch’s limited acceptance in Jewish religion, the mention of the physical condition would fit Luke’s theological purposes well.
1 It would be possible to treat εὐνοῦχος[a][b][c] (9.25, 28, 29) as identifying various physiological states resulting from the different processes or states referred to by the verb εὐνουχίζω (9.26 and 9.27), but since εὐνοῦχος is frequently used absolutely in various senses, these three meanings seem best classified under the subdomain of Males.
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament © United Bible Societies, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
εὐνοῦχος, -ov, 6, (fr. εὐνή a bed, and ἔχω), Sept. 0°70; fr. Hdt. down; prop. a bed-keeper, bed-quard, superintendent of the bedchamber, chamberlain, in the palace of oriental monarchs who support numerous wives; the | superintendent of the women’s apartment or harem, an office held by eunuchs; hence a. an emasculated man, a eunuch: Mt. xix. 12%. But eunuchs in oriental courts held other offices of greater or less importance, like the oversight of the treasury, held by the Ethiopian eunuch mentioned in Acts viii. 27, 34, 36, 35 sq.; cf. Gesenius, Thes. ii. p. 973; [B. D. 5. v. Eunuch}. b. one naturally incapacitated — either for marriage, Mt. xix. 12"; or for begetting children, Sap. iii. 14, cf. Grimm, exgt. Hdb. ad loc. c. one who voluntarily abstains from marriage: Mt. xix. 12°. Fischer, De vitiis lexx. N. T. ete. p. 485 sqq. treats of the word more fully.
Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary
εὐνοῦχος eunouchos 8x
pr. one who has charge of the bedchamber; hence, a eunuch, one emasculated, Mt. 19:12; as eunuchs in the East often rose to places of power and trust, hence, a minister of a court, Acts 8:27, 34, 36, 38f.*
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
εὐνοῦχος, -ου, ὁ
(i.e. ὁ τὴν εὐνὴν (bed) ἔχων), [in LXX for סָרִיס (perhaps not of necessity an actual eunuch; DB, s.v.), Ge 39:1, al., Wi 3:14, Si 20:4 30:20 ;]
an emasculated man, a eunuch: Mt 19:12; one such holding, as was common, high office, as of chamberlain, at court, Ac 8:27, 34, 36, 38, 39; metaph., of one naturally incapacitated for or voluntarily abstaining from wedlock, Mt 19:12.†
Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT
εὐνοῦχος. Vett. Val. p. 868: ὁ τοιοῦτος γέγονεν εὐνοῦχος ἱερεὺς θεᾶς ἐπίσημος : cf. also p. 1819. The word occurs in the address of the late BGU III. 725 (A.p. 615) eis τὸν εὐδοκιμί(ώτατον) ἄπα Ὅλ εὐνοῦχον. It survives in MGr.
Liddell-Scott-Jones — Greek-English Lexicon
εὐνοῦχος (eunouchos) — eunuch. εὐνοῦχος, ὁ, (εὐνή, ἔχω) castrated person, eunuch, employed to take charge of the women and act as chamberlain (whence the name, ὁ τὴν εὐνὴν ἔχων), [Refs 5th c.BC+]
2. of animals, [Refs 3rd c.BC+]
3. of dates, without stones, [Refs 4th c.BC+]
II. as adjective, watching the bed, sleepless, λαμπάδες εὐνούχοισιν ὄμμασιν [Refs 5th c.BC+]