Eunuch Court Official

סָרִיס45 n.m. eunuch (NH id., 𝔗 סָרִיסָא, Syriac ܣܳܪܝܣܳܐ (all c. vb. denom. = emasculate), Old Aramaic סרסא Lzb331 Cook86; Arabic سَرِسٌ, سَرِيسٌ (vb. سَرِسَ be impotent), Kam Frey (not Lane); prob. foreign word; according to JenZA vii. 174 = Assyrian ša rêši, he who is the head, chief, cf. BrockLex 239 b DlHWB 694 (ša-riš?), ZimZMG liii. 1899, 116; eunuch being specialized meaning; in any case Arabic is Aramaic loan-word);—abs. ס׳ 1 K 22:9 + 7 times; cstr. סְרִיס Gn 37:36 + 3 times; pl. סָרִיסִים 2 K 9:32 + 17 times; cstr. סְרִיסֵי Gn 40:7 סָֽרִיסֵי Est 2:21 +; sf. סָרִיסָיו Gn 40:2 + 4 times, סָרִיסֶ֫יהָ Est 4:4; eunuch, of Pharaoh Gn 37:36; 40:2, 7 (all E), married 39:1 (RJE); of Isr. kings 1 S 8:15 (predict.), 1 K 22:9 = 2 Ch 18:8; 2 K 8:6; 9:32 (all of N. Isr.); 1 Ch 28:1 (in David’s time), 2 K 23:11; 24:12, 15 cf. Je 29:2, also 34:19; 38:7; 41:16 (all in Judah; so likewise) 2 K 25:19 (military officer) = Je 52:25; of Bab. kings 2 K 20:18 = Is 39:7 (predict.); ascribed to Nebuch. in Dn, רַב סָרִיסָיו Dn 1:3, שַׂר הַסָּרִיסִים v 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 18; to king of Persia in Est, 1:10, 12, 15 + 9 times Est; promises made to eunuchs Is 56:3, 4. (Term never used in law codes; on contrary cf. exclusion of פְּצוּעַ דַּכָּא, and כְּרוּת שָׁפְכָה Dt 23:2 [v. Drad loc.], also מְרוֹחַ אָ֑שֶׁךְ Lv 21:20.)—רַב־סָרִיס is title of high military officer 2 K 18:17 (Assyrian), Je 39:3, 13 (Bab.).—Vid. further, Thes SmithDB Art. ‘Eunuch,’ Di Gn 39:1 Dr Dt 23:1.

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+

II. רַב49 n.m. chief (Assyrian-Bab. influence, cf. rab DlHWB 609b; Biblical Aramaic רַב);—cstr. ר׳ Je 39:9 +; pl. cstr. רַבֵּי 39:13; 41:1 (but v. infr.);—especially רַב־ טַבָּחִים chief of guardsmen (v. טַבָּח), only as title of Bab. officer Je 39:9, 10 + 15 times Je, 7 times ‖ 2 K 25 (cf. שַׂר הַטּ׳ in Gn [JE]); also †רַב הַחֹבֵל Jon 1:6 chief of the sailors, i.e. captain; †in gen. כָּל־רַב בֵּיתוֹ Est 1:8, †רַב־סָרִיסָיו Dn 1:3 (v. סָרִיס), and so רַבֵּי מֶלֶךְ בָּבֶל Je 39:13, רַבֵּי הַמֶּלֶךְ 41:1 (late gloss; om. 𝔊 and ‖ 2 K 25:25, so Hi Gf Gie). †The foll. titles of Assyrian-Bab. officers are prob. loan-words in Heb.: רַב־מָ֑ג Je 39:3, 13 usually chief soothsayer (v. מָ֑ג), but = rab-mugi [? chief of princes] Pinches Hast. DB. Rab-mag; רַב־סָרִיס (cf. Old Aramaic [Nineveh] רב סרס Lzb366), 2 K 18:17 (Assyrian; not in ‖ Is 36:2), Je 39:3, 13 (Bab.), usually chief eunuch, but = rabû-ša-rêši, chief of the heads (the principal men) Wkl Unters. z. altor. Gesch., 1889, Excurs. v, p. 138 (actually found as rubû-ša-ri-ešu PinchesAcad. June 25, 1892, 618), PinchesHast. DB. Rab-saris; רַב־שָׁקֵה (van d. H. רַבְשָׁקֵה) chief of the officers (?) (so prob. Assyrian rab- ŠAḲ; šaḳû = high one; COT 2 K 18:17 KBii. 23 DlHWB 685a TieleBab.-Assyrian Gesch. 497. 513 PinchesHast. DB. iv. 191), 2 K 18:17, 19, 26, 27, 28, 37; 19:4, 8 = Is 36:2, 4, 11, 12, 13, 22; 37:4, 8.

εὐνουχ-ίζω, castrate, τινα NT+5th c.BC+“V A” 6.42; φάρμακον Refs 2nd c.AD+:—passive, Refs 2nd c.AD+