This is a study of Jesus explaining eunuchs. He explained three different kinds of men who cannot perform in sex, or choose not to do so.

1. JESUS WAS EXPLAINING EUNUCHS
EDITED BY GLENN PEASE
MATT. 19:12 12“Forthere are eunuchs who were
born that way from their mother’s womb; and there
are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men; and
there are also eunuchs who made themselves eunuchs
for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. He who is able
to accept this, let him accept it.”
BIBLEHUB RESOURCES
Varieties In Receptiveness
Matthew 19:11
R. Tuck
All men cannot receive this saying. It is not quite clearto what the term "this
saying" refers. It may be the rule laid down by our Lord in ver. 9. It may be
the exclamationof the disciples in ver. 10. It may be that our Lord refers
generallyto marriage, and intends to say that the question of entering into the
marriage state is one which eachman must settle for himself, according to
natural capacity, material circumstances,and cultured disposition. It is one
thing to give goodand wise counsels;it is quite another thing to receive them
and. act upon them. It is easyto say, "It is goodto marry;" but it is not
everybody who canreceive the saying.

2. I. RECEPTIVENESSDEPENDSON NATURAL DISPOSITION. There is, in
this, a marked distinction betweenmen and women. As a rule, by nature,
women are receptive, and not critical;men are critical, and not receptive.
Sometimes we find the womanly receptiveness in man; but it is a sign of a
weak disposition. Strong men only receive on compulsion. Receptivenessmay
hinder rather than help education; and it prevents activity. He who is satisfied
to receive makes little effort to attain. True educationdeals with natural
receptivity, and is anxious about its effective limitation. It makes teaching
easy, but too easy. He who canonly receive becomes only a crammed
storehouse.
II. RECEPTIVENESS DEPENDSON MORAL DISCIPLINE. While the
receptiveness whichwe have as an element of our natural dispositionmay
prove a perilous weakness, the receptiveness whichwe gain by self-discipline
becomes aneffective power in our life. It is a qualifying receptiveness.It is
related to the will. It is held in control. The man who is not subject to
influence, who cannotbe persuaded, who is as a hard field path into which no
seedcan sink, is a manifestly undisciplined man, self-centred, self-satisfied- a
man who can learn nothing, and grow no better. - R.T.
Biblical Illustrator
Is it lawful for a man to put awayhis wife for every cause.
Matthew 19:1-12
The marriage tie
Dr. Thomas.
I. ITS PRESCRIBED LIMITATION. Enforcedby
(1)numerical proportion of the sexes;
(2)evils of polygamy;

3. (3)teaching of the Bible.
II. ITS TENDERINTIMACY,
III. ITS CONDITIONALDISSOLUBILITY:
(1)tolerationof Moses;
(2)justifiable grounds of divorce.
IV. ITS OPTIONALFORMATION.
(Dr. Thomas.)
The doctrine of Christ concerning marriage
J. P. Lange, D. D., Hedinger.
(1)Its binding characteras instituted by God;
(2)its decayin the progress of history;
(3)its prepared restorationunder the law;
(4)its transformation by the gospel.
(J. P. Lange, D. D.)Husband and wife should be not only one flesh, but also
one heart and mind.
(Hedinger.)
Marriage and celibacy
Bp. Jeremy Taylor.
Marriage is the mother of the world, and preserves kingdoms, and fills cities
and churches, and heaven itself. Celibate, like the fly in the heart of an apple,
dwells in a perpetual sweetness, but sits alone, and is confined and dies in
singularity; but marriage, like the useful bee, builds a house and gathers

4. sweetness from every flower, and labours and unites into societies and
republics, and sends out colonies, andfeeds the world with delicacies,and
obeys their king and keeps order, and exercises many virtues, and promotes
the interests of mankind, and is that state of goodthings to which God has
designedthe present constitution of the world. Single life makes man, in one
instance, to be like angels;but marriage, in very many things, makes the
chaste pair to be like Christ. This is (as St. Paul says)a great mystery; but it is
the symbolicaland sacramentalrepresentationofthe greatestmysteries ofour
religion. Christ descendedfrom His Father's bosom, and contractedHis
Divinity with flesh and blood, and married our nature, and we became a
church, the spouse of the Bridegroom, which He cleansedwith His blood, and
gave her His Holy Spirit for a dowry, and heaven for a jointure; begetting
children unto God by the gospel.
(Bp. Jeremy Taylor.)
Marriage
A. . Barnes, D. D.
This union should not be entered into lightly, or rashly. It involves all the
happiness of this life, and much of that to come. The union demands
congenialityof feeling and disposition; of rank in life; of temper; similarity of
acquirements; of age;of talent; intimate acquaintance. It should also be a
union on religious feelings and opinions: because religionis more important
than anything else;because it will give more happiness in the married life
than anything else;because where one only is pious, there is danger that
religion will be obscuredand blighted; because no prospectis so painful as
that of eternal separation;because it is heathenish to partake the gifts of God
in a family and offer no thanksgiving, and inexpressibly wickedto live as if
there were no God, etc.; because deathis near, and nothing will soothe the
pangs of parting but the hope of meeting in the resurrectionof the just.
(A. . Barnes, D. D.)

5. Advantages of marriage
Bp. Taylor.
If you are for pleasure, marry; if you prize rosy health, marry. A goodwife is
heaven's best gift to man: his angelof mercy; minister of graces innumerable;
his gemof many virtues; his casketofjewels;her voice, his sweetestmusic;
her smiles, his brightest day; her kiss, the guardian of his innocence;her
arms, the pale of his safety, the balm of his health, the balsam of his life; her
industry, his surest wealth;her economy, his safeststeward;her lips, his
faithful counsellors;her bosom, the softestpillow of his cares;and her
prayers, the ablestadvocates ofheaven's blessing on his head.
(Bp. Taylor.)
The scriptural view of divorce
A Cressey, in American Homiletic Review.
I hold that there is only one cause forwhich a man canlawfully be
DIVORCED FROM HIS WIFE, ACCORDING TO THE SCRIPTURES;
THAT IS, ADULTERY.
I. LET US TURN TO THE SCRIPTURES IN PROOF OF THIS VIEW.
"What God hath joined togetherlet not man put asunder." God thought it not
goodfor man to be alone: so He made him an helpmeet. Had it been better for
a man to have more than one wife, Godwould doubtless have made two. But
in our Saviour's time women had multiplied; but He did not change the
original law. The relation of man and wife is nearerthan that of parent and
offspring. "Forthis cause shalla man leave father and mother," etc. Where is
the nation or man who shall assume authority to put apart these thus joined
togethersave for the one cause? "And I say unto you, whoso shallput away
his wife," etc. St. Paul says, "The woman which hath an husband is bound by
the law to her husband so long as he liveth."
II. THE VIEWS OF SOME OF THE LEADING WRITERS IN THE
CHRISTIAN CHURCH. Dr. A. Clarke, in his Commentary, has the

6. following: "It does not appearthat there is any other case in which Jesus
Christ admits of divorce" (Matthew 5:32). On Matthew 19:9, "The decisionof
our Lord must be very unpleasant to these men; the reasonwhy they wished
to put awaytheir wives was, that they might take others whom they liked
better; but our Lord here declares that they could not be remarried while the
divorced person was alive; and that those who did marry during the life of the
divorced person were adulterers." "In this discourse our Lord shows that
marriage, exceptin one case, is indissoluble, and should be so.
1. By Divine institution (ver. 4).
2. By express commandment (ver. 5).
3. Becausethe married couple become one and the same person(ver. 6).
4. By the example of the first pair (ver. 8). And
5. Becauseofthe evil consequenton separation(ver. 9).Watson's "Theo.
Institutes," vol. 2., p. 543, has the following: "The foundation of the marriage
union is the will of God that the human race should increase andmultiply, but
only through a chaste and restricted conjunction of one man and one woman,
united by their free vows in a bond made by the Divine law indissoluble,
exceptby death or by adultery." Dr. Wayland, in his "Elements of Moral
Science,"says:"In the act of marriage, two persons, under the most solemn
circumstances, are thus united, and they enter into a mutual contract thus to
live in respectto eachother. This relation, having been establishedby God,
the contractthus enteredinto has all the solemnity of an oath. Hence, he who
violates it, is guilty of a twofold crime: first, the violation of the law of
chastity, and second, of the law of veracity — veracity pledged under the most
solemn circumstances.
1. The contract is for life, and is dissoluble for one cause only: the cause of
adultery." Referring to the text, he says:"We are here taught that marriage,
being an institution of God, is subject to His laws alone, and not to the laws of
man. Hence, the civil law is binding upon the conscience only, in so far as it
corresponds to the law of God." Matthew Henry's testimony is, "Christ allows
of divorce in cases ofadultery; he disallows it in all others." Olshausensays:

7. "This union is to be consideredindissoluble, one which man cannot, and only
God can dissolve, and in which the Omniscient does really disseveronly in
casesofadultery." Such are the opinions of some of the most learned and
pious Biblical scholars.
III. NOW LET US TURN TO THE QUESTION ALREADY ANTICIPATED:
WHAT MAN OR NATION DARE ASSUME AUTHORITY TO PUT
ASUNDER THOSE WHOM GOD HATH JOINED TOGETHER?The
answerI callyour attention to is this: 1st, the Jews, and2nd, our own nation.
1. The Jews. I quote from Dr. Adam Clarke's Commentary, Matthew 19:3.
"At this time there were two famous divinity and philosophicalschools among
the Jews, thatof Shammai, and that of Hillel. On the question of divorce, the
schoolof Shammai maintained that a man could not legallyput awayhis wife,
exceptfor adultery. The schoolofHillel taught that a man might put awayhis
wife for a multitude of other causes:and when she did not find grace in his
sight, that is, when he saw any other womanthat pleasedhim better." Rabbi
Akiba said: "If any man saw a woman handsomer than his own wife, he might
put his wife away; because it is saidin the law, 'If she find not favour in his
eyes'" (Deuteronomy24:1). " Josephus, the celebratedJewishhistorian, in his
Life, tells us, with the utmost coolness andindifference, About this time I put
awaymy wife, who had borne me three children:, not being pleasedwith her
manners." These casesare enoughto show to what a scandalous andcriminal
excess this matter was carriedamong the Jews.
2. Then we inquire, How is it with us in America? I find that divorces are wry
common, some for one cause and some for another. So that the question, "Is it
lawful for a man to put awayhis wife for every cause?"is far from being
foreign, but really is applicable to us, and a question of the greatest
importance. For, for almostany little thing that springs up betweenman and
wife. a divorce is applied for, and is obtained. From the Standard, a Baptist
paper, I took the following: "Those whose attentionis not directed to the
subject of divorce, will be surprised at the number of applications in the
courts of our large cities and centres of population to have the bonds of
marriage dissolved. In Indianapolis, in 1866, there were 822 marriages, and
210 applications for divorce, which is more than one to four of the whole

8. number of marriages. In Chicago, the same year, there were 4,182 marriages,
and 330 applications for divorce, being nearly one to every thirteen marriages.
In both these cases the number seeking divorce is alarming. But the
unenviable and disgracefuldistance in which Indianapolis leads Chicago in
this warfare on marriage, is to be attributed to the peculiarly lax legislationof
Indiana, which, for years, has been notorious on the subject of divorce." "The
various courts of Chicago grantedbills of divorce in 1865 to the number of
274;in 1566, the number was 209;in 1867, 311;making the whole number of
divorces granted in three years, 794. Is not this appalling? But since 1868,
Chicago has registeredas high as 730 applications in a single year,
representing families containing about 3,500 souls, and the most of which are
poor women." The Christian Statesmansays that the number of divorces in
eight years, in four States, viz., Vermont, Massachusetts, Ohio, and
Connecticut, have been 5,831. And in the year 1877, in Maine, there were 500
divorces. Brethren and fellow-citizens, I believe that our lawmakers are to
blame for allowing such laws to exist as they do, and not bringing the law of
divorce in these United States to the Scriptural standard. Look at our statutes
of Minnesota, and see the loosenessofthis matter. In the GeneralStatutes of
Minnesota, page 407, sec.6, we find the following: "A divorce from the bonds
of matrimony may be adjudged and decreedby the district court on suit
brought in the county where parties, or either of them, reside, for either of the
following causes:1st, adultery; 2nd, impotency; 3rd, cruel and inhuman
treatment; 4th, when either party, subsequent to the marriage, has been
sentencedto imprisonment in the State Prison; 5th, wilful desertionof one
party by the other for the term of three years next preceding the filing of the
complaint; 6th, habitual drunkenness for the space ofone year, immediately
preceding the filing of the complaint." Here, then, are six causes in our State
statutes for which a man or woman may put away wife or husband. The first
is according to Scripture; the others are unscriptural. What latitude is here
given for divorces!I remark, further, that the peace of the churches is
endangeredby this ungodly practice of divorce. All Christian people and all
true philanthropists must awake to their duty. Politicians have made these
laws, and by them public sentiment has been educated.
(A Cressey, in American Homiletic Review.)

9. Jewishdivorce customs
Van Lennep.
Divorce is still very common among the EasternJews. In 1856 there were
sixteen casesamong the small Jewishpopulation of Jerusalem. In fact, a Jew
may divorce his wife at any time, or from any cause, he being himself the sole
judge; the only hindrance is that, to prevent divorces in a mere sudden fit of
spleen, the hill of divorce must have the concurrence ofthree rabbis, and be
written on ruled vellum, containing neither more nor less than twelve lines;
and it must be given in the presence of ten witnesses. (Allen, "Modern
Judaism.")The usual causes ofdivorce (in Asia Minor)are a bad temper or
extravagance in the wife, and the cruel treatment or neglectof the husband.
(Van Lennep.)
The Rulee of Reformation
Thomas Pierce.
"From the beginning it was not so." Which rule, if we apply unto "the scope
of this text, as it stands in relation unto the context, we shall have more to say
for it than for most constitutions, Divine or human. For that of marriage is
almost as old as Nature. There was no soonerone man, but God divided him
into two; and then no soonerwere there two, but he united them into one. This
is that sacredinstitution which was made with mankind in a state of
innocence;the very ground and foundation of all, both sacredand civil,
government. It was by sending back the Phariseesto the most venerable
antiquity, that our Lord here assertedthe law of wedlock againstthe old
custom of their divorce. Whilst they had made themselves drunk with their
muddy streams, He directed them to the fountain, to drink themselves into
sobriety. They insisted altogetheron the Mosaicaldispensation;but He
endeavouredto reform them by the most primitive institution. They allegeda
custom; but He a law. They a permission, and that from Moses;but He a

10. precept, and that from God. They did reckonfrom afar off; but not, as He,
from the beginning.
(Thomas Pierce.)
COMMENTARIES
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
(12) There are some eunuchs.—The words are singularly startling in their
form, and bearupon them an unmistakable stamp of being a true report of
teaching which, in its depth and originality, went beyond the graspof those
who heard and reported it. What they teachis, that only those who are in
some sense “eunuchs,” who are, i.e., without the impulses that lead men to
marriage, either naturally, or by the mutilation which then, as now, was
common in the East, or who have conqueredthose impulses by the powerof
self-consecrationto a higher life, can safelyabstain from marriage. The
celibacyof self-indulgence, or even of selfish prudence, tends but too fatally to
impurity of heart or life. The man who thus makes himself as the eunuch,
must do it “forthe kingdom of heaven’s sake,”not, as too many have
understood the words to mean, in order to win heavenfor himself (that aim is
not excluded, but it must not be the only or chief motive), but for the sake of
all that the kingdom of heaven implies, in order to enlarge its range, and more
effectually to bring the souls of men to receive it. Those who heard the words
could hardly fail, as they thought over them, to look on their Master’s life as
having been the greatperfect example of what He thus taught as to the higher
form of holiness. The motives which St. Paul states as determining his own
choice of the celibate life (1Corinthians 7:7), or the counselwhich he gave to
others (1Corinthians 7:32-34), are identical with this teaching in their
principle. They have influenced men in all ages ofthe Church, leading them to
sacrifice the life of home, with all its blessings, fortheir work as pastors or
evangelists. The Church of Rome and the founders of monastic orders were

11. not wrong in their ideal of the highest form of life. Their mistake lay in
enforcing that ideal as a rule on those who had not the powerto realise it. The
boldness (as it seems to us) of our Lord’s language seems intended to teach
men that the work must be done as effectively as if, like Origen, they had
obeyed the implied commandment in its letter. If the impulses still remain; if
life is made miserable by the struggle with them; if they taint the soul by not
being allowedto flow in their legitimate channel, the man is, ipso facto,
disqualified for the loftier ideal. He has not made himself a eunuch for the
kingdom of heaven’s sake, andhe is therefore among those who “cannot
receive the saying” that it “is not goodto marry.” On such grounds the
conduct of those who have married after pledging themselves, as priests of the
Church of Rome, to vows of celibacyis amply justified. The vows were such as
ought never to have been imposed, and men ought never to have taken, and
therefore, like the tetrarch’s oath (Matthew 14:7-9), when they were distinctly
found to clashwith the higher law of Nature, and to narrow what God had left
free, their obligatory power ceased. The case ofthe monk who enters
deliberately into an order of which celibacyis a condition, may seemat first to
stand on a different footing; but here, also, though celibacymay legitimately
be made a condition of continuing to belong to an order, the vow of a lifelong
celibacymust be held to have been such as men had no right either to impose
or take, and therefore as binding only so long as a man chooses to continue a
member of the societywhich requires it.
BensonCommentary
Matthew 19:12. For there are some eunuchs, &c. — Our Lord here shows that
the fore-mentioned gift of continence is given to three sorts of persons:1st, To
some by natural constitution, without their choice. 2d, To some by the violence
of men, againsttheir choice:and, 3d, To others by grace, with their choice;
who steadily withstand their natural inclinations, that they may waitupon
God without distraction, and may glorify him in a single life, judging it to be a
state more free from worldly cares, andmore friendly to devotion, than that
of marriage. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it — He that has this
gift, in any of these ways, whetherby natural constitution and disposition; or

12. by the injury of human force used upon him, rendering him incapable of the
matrimonial union; or by an ardent desire of promoting the interests of
religion, animating him to subdue his natural appetite, and enabling him to
live in voluntary chastity, unencumbered with secularconcerns;such a person
will not sin though, he leads a single life. The words, however, let him receive
it, must not be referred to the clauses immediately preceding them, as if our
Lord had meant to say, He that is able to become a eunuch by any of the ways
I have mentioned, let him become one;for the secondway, namely, through
violence offered to men’s bodies, is absolutelyunlawful: but they must be
referred to Matthew 19:11, as is plain from the words themselves;and the
meaning of them is, He that canreceive the saying there mentioned, and live
chastelywithout marriage, may receive it; and, as many commentators
understand the words, ought to receive it. “Theywho have the gift of
continency,” says Henry, “and are not under any necessityof marrying, do
best if they continue single, 1 Corinthians 7:1; for they that are unmarried
have opportunity, if they have but a heart, to care more for the things of the
Lord, how they may please the Lord, 1 Corinthians 7:32; 1 Corinthians 7:34,
being less encumbered with the cares ofthis life, and having greatervacancy
of thoughts, and time to mind better things.” The word eunuchs, from the
Greek ευνουχοι, eunouchoi, means having the care of the bed, or bed-
chamber, (from ευνην εχειν,) this being the principal employment of eunuchs
in the easterncountries, that is, of such as our Lord says were made eunuchs
by men, merely for the purpose of attending in the apartments of queens and
princesses.
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary
19:3-12 The Phariseeswere desirous ofdrawing something from Jesus which
they might represent as contrary to the law of Moses.Cases aboutmarriage
have been numerous, and sometimes perplexed; made so, not by the law of
God, but by the lusts and follies of men; and often people fix what they will
do, before they ask for advice. Jesus replied by asking whether they had not
read the accountof the creation, and the first example of marriage; thus
pointing out that every departure therefrom was wrong. That condition is best
for us, and to be chosenand kept to accordingly, which is best for our souls,
and tends most to prepare us for, and preserve us to, the kingdom of heaven.

13. When the gospelis really embraced, it makes men kind relatives and faithful
friends; it teaches them to bear the burdens, and to bear with the infirmities
of those with whom they are connected, to considertheir peace and happiness
more than their own. As to ungodly persons, it is proper that they should be
restrained by laws, from breaking the peace ofsociety. And we learn that the
married state should be entered upon with greatseriousnessand earnest
prayer.
Barnes'Notes on the Bible
For there are some eunuchs ... - Jesus proceeds to state that there were some
who were able to receive that saying and to remain in an unmarried state.
Some were so born; some were made such by the cruelty of men; and there
were some who voluntarily abstainedfrom marriage for the kingdom of
heaven's sake - that is, that they might devote themselves entirely to the
proper business of religion. Perhaps he refers here to the Essenes, a sectofthe
Jews (see the notes at Matthew 3:7), who held that marriage was unsuitable to
their condition; who had no children of their own, but perpetuated their sect
by adopting the poor children of others. Eunuchs were employed chiefly in
attending on the females or in the harem. They rose often to distinction, and
held important offices in the state. Hence, the word is sometimes used with
reference to such an officerof state, Acts 8:27.
Jamieson-Fausset-BrownBible Commentary
12. For there are some eunuchs which were so born from their mother's
womb—persons constitutionallyeither incapable of or indisposed to marriage.
and there are some eunuchs which were made eunuchs of men—persons
rendered incapable by others.
and there be eunuchs which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom
of heaven's sake—persons who, to do God's work better, deliberately choose
this state. Such was Paul(1Co 7:7).
He that is able to receive it, let him receive it—"He who feels this to be his
proper vocation, let him embrace it"; which, of course, is as much as to say—
"he only." Thus, all are left free in this matter.

14. Matthew Poole's Commentary
Ver. 11,12. Our Saviour, knowing the sinful custom and practice of the Jewish
nation now for many years, and giving some allowance forthat, and his
disciples’infirmities; so he doth not answerthem severely, as what they said
might deserve, but reproves them gently. What he saith amounts to thus
much: You do not considerwhat you say.
All men, without sinning againstGod, cannot abstain from marriage. An
ability to live chastelywithout the use of marriage is a peculiar gift of God,
and your saying hath no place in persons to whom God hath not given that
gift, for it is better to marry than to burn. There are some whom God by
nature hath made unfit for marriage. There are others whom men (wickedly)
make unfit for it, that they may gratify their own jealousy. (Thus several
courtiers were made eunuchs, and so entrusted with the care of princes’ wives
and concubines). And there are some who have made themselves eunuchs, not
castrating themselves, (that is wickedness), but abstaining from marriage, and
yet living chastely, (having mortified their lusts, and brought under their
body), that they might be less encumbered with the cares ofthe world, and be
more free for the work of the ministry, or be able more to give up themselves
to a holy life and spiritual conversation. ButGod, who by his ordinance of
marriage designedto people and continue the world, hath given to persons
different tempers and constitutions;so as possibly the most of men and
women cannotwithout making use of marriage govern their lusts. As to these,
marriage is not a matter of choice and deliberation, and they may and ought
to use it as an appointment of God, for the ends for which he hath instituted it.
If there be any who can receive this saying, who can without marriage bridle
his lust, and so live in a solute and single state as not to sin againstGod by any
extravagance oflusts, and impure desires and affections, and desire, and shall
do so, that he may be more spiritual, and serve God with less distraction, and
be a more fit instrument to promote the kingdom of God in the world, let him
do it.
Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

15. For there are some eunuchs,.... Our Lord here distinguishes the various sorts
of persons, that canand do live in a single state with content: some by nature,
and others by violence offeredto them, are rendered incapable of entering
into a marriage state;and others, through the gift of God, and under the
influence of his grace, abstainfrom marriage cheerfully and contentedly, in
order to be more useful in the interest of religion; but the number of either of
these is but few, in comparison of such who choose a conjugalstate, and with
whom it is right to enter into it, notwithstanding all the difficulties that may
attend it. Some men are eunuchs, and of these there are different sorts;there
are some,
which were so born from their mother's womb; meaning, not such who,
through a natural temper and inclination of mind, could easily abstainfrom
marriage, and chose to live single;but such who had such defects in nature
that they were impotent, unfit for, and unable to perform the duties of a
marriage state; who, as some are born without hands or feet, these were born
without proper and perfect organs of generation;and such an one was, by the
Jews, frequently called, , "aneunuch of the sun (n)": that is, as their doctors
(o) explain it, one that from his mother's womb never saw the sun but as an
eunuch; that is, one that is born so; and that such an one is here intended,
ought not to be doubted. The signs of such an eunuch, are given by the Jewish
(p) writers, which may be consultedby those, that have ability and leisure.
This sort is sometimes (q) called"an eunuch by the hands of heaven", or God,
in distinction from those who are so by the hands, or means of men, and are
next mentioned:
and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: as among the
Romans formerly, and which Domitian the emperor forbid by a law (r); and
more especiallyin the easterncountries, and to this day among the Turks, that
they may the more safelybe entrusted with the custody of their women; and
this sort the Jews call, "an eunuch of men", or , "by the hands of men". The
distinction betweenan "eunuch of the sun", and an "eunuch of men", is so
frequent with the Jews (s), and so well knownto them, that a question need
not be made of our Lord's referring to it:

16. and there be eunuchs which have made themselves eunuchs; not in a literal
sense, in which the words are not to be taken, as they were by Origen; who
though otherwise too much pursued the allegoricalwayof interpreting
Scripture, here took it literally, and castratedhimself (t); as did also a sortof
heretics, calledValesians (u), from one Valens an Arabian; and which practice
is recommended by Philo the Jew (w), and by Heathen philosophers (x), for
the sake ofchastity. But here it means such, who having the gift of continency
without mutilating their bodies, or indulging any unnatural lusts, canlive
chastelywithout the use of women, and choose celibacy:
for the kingdom of heaven's sake;not in order, by their chaste and single life,
to merit and obtain the kingdom of glory; but that they might be more at
leisure, being free from the incumbrances of a marriage state, to attend the
worship and service of God, the ordinances of the Gospelchurch state, to
minister in, and preachthe Gospelof Christ, and be a means of spreading it in
the world, and of enlarging his kingdom and interest.
He that is able to receive it, let him receive it: whoeveris able to receive
cordially, and embrace heartily, the above saying concerning the expediency
and goodnessofa single life, and having the gift of continency, can live
according to it; let him take it, and hold it fast, and actup to it; he may have
less of worldly trouble, and be more useful for God in the Gospelof Christ,
and to the interestof religion; but this should be a voluntary thing: no man
should be forcedinto it; and he that goes into it, ought to considerwell
whether he is able to contain, or not.
(n) T. Bab. Yebamot, fol. 75. 1. 79. 2. & 80. 1. Maimon. Hilch. Ishot, c. 2. sect.
14. (o) Maimon & Bartenora in Misn. Yebamot, c. 8. sect. 4. (p) Bartenora,
ibid. & Maimon. Hilch. Ishot, ut supra. (q) T. Bab. Yebamot, fol. 80. 2.((r)
Philostrat. vit. Apollon. l. 6. c. 17. (s) Misn. Yebamot, c. 8. sect. 4. Zabim, c. 2.
sect. 1. T. Hieros. Yebamot, fol. 9. 4. Maimon. Hilch. Ishot, c. 2. sect. 26. & 4.
18. Mechosre Caphara, c. 3. sect. 6. Mishcabumoshab, c. l. sect. 5. (t) Euseb.
Ecel. Hist. l. 6. c. 8. (u) Augustin de Haeres. c. 37. & Danaeus in ib. (w) Lib.
quod deterius, p. 186. (x) Sexti Pythag. Sent. p. 8.
Geneva Study Bible

17. For there are some {l} eunuchs, which were so born from their mother's
womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and
there be eunuchs, which have {m} made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom
of heaven's sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it.
(l) A man can become a eunuch in one of two ways:the first is by castrationor
emasculation, and the other by natural causes,suchas a rupture.
(m) Who abstain from marriage, and live as celibates through the gift of God.
EXEGETICAL(ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)
Expositor's Greek Testament
Matthew 19:12 is an explanatory commentary on δέδοται.—εὐνοῦχος:keeper
of the bedchamber in an Oriental barem (from εὐνή, ed, and ἔχω), a jealous
office, which could be entrusted only to such as were incapable of abusing
their trust; hence one who has been emasculated. Jesusdistinguishes three
sorts, two physical and one ethical: (1) those born with a defect (ἐγεννήθησαν
οὕτως);(2) those made such by art (εὐνουχίσθησανὑπὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων); (3)
those who make themselves eunuchs (εὐνούχισανἑαυτοὺς).—διὰτὴνβ. τ. ο.,
for the Kingdom of Heaven’s sake. This explains the motive and the nature of
ethical eunuchism. Here, as in Matthew 15:17, Jesus touches ona delicate
subject to teachHis disciples a very important lesson, viz., that the claims of
the Kingdom of God are paramount; that when necessaryeventhe powerful
impulses leading to marriage must be resistedout of regard to them.—ὁ
δυνάμενος χωρεῖν χωρείτω:by this final word Jesus recognises the severity of
the demand as going beyond the capacity of all but a selectnumber. We may
take it also as an appeal to the spiritual intelligence of His followers = see that
ye do not misconceive my meaning. Is not monasticism, basedon vows of life-
long celibacy, a vastbaleful misconception, turning a military requirement to
subordinate personalto imperial interests, as occasiondemands, into an
elaborate asceticsystem?
Cambridge Bible for Schools andColleges
12. eunuchs = “unmarried.”

18. 12. for the kingdom of heaven’s sake]In old days some men abstainedfrom
marriage in order to devote themselves to the study of the law, in later times
men have done so for the furtherance of Christianity.
Bengel's Gnomen
Matthew 19:12. Εἰσὶ, κ.τ.λ., there are, etc.)There are three kinds of eunuchs:
the first and secondof which are treated indirectly, the third directly, in this
passage. Forthe two former are either produced thus by nature, or made thus
by the hand of man: to the latter it is given from above, although they may
have been endowedwith a body capable of marriage. And these (the latter)
can receive the saying concerning blessedeunuchism: whereas, ofthose (the
former), it canonly be saidthat they cannot receive the law concerning
marriage; although they too may accidentally(per accidens)obtain blessed
eunuchism.—ὑπὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων, by men) by whose art they are castrated,
that they may actas chamberlains, singers, etc., orthat they may, on some
other ground, be prevented from contracting marriage, of which they had
been previously capable. Forthese, also, are included in a perfect
enumeration.—εὐνούχισανἑαυτοὺς,have made themselves eunuchs) which
they alone can do, to whom it is given. It is not in man’s power thus to make
another an eunuch; see 1 Corinthians 7:7.—ἑαυτοὺς, themselves)sc. by a
voluntary abstinence from marriage; sometimes having even relinquished a
wife for the name of Christ (see Matthew 19:29), and adding exercises
calculatedto preserve chastity, and subdue the fires of nature.—διὰ, κ.τ.λ., for
the kingdom of heaven’s sake)Notbecause they can only be savedby
remaining unmarried, but that they may be able to devote themselves more
entirely to the contemplationand propagationof Divine Truth; see 1
Corinthians 7:32; 1 Corinthians 9:12.—χωρείτω, lethim receive)A precept
not addressedto all, but only to those who are able to receive it. Not even all
the Apostles seemto have been able to receive it; see 1 Corinthians 9:5.
Pulpit Commentary
Verse 12. - Our Lord proceeds to note three classes ofmen to whom it is given
to abstain from marriage. There are some eunuchs, which were so born. The

19. first class consistsofthose who are physically unable to contractmatrimony,
or, having the power, lack the inclination. They are compulsorily continent,
and are not voluntary abstainers. Neither is the secondclass:those which
were made eunuchs of men. Such were common enough in the harems and
courts of Orientals. The cruel and infamous treatment which such persons
underwent was practisedagainsttheir will, and consequentlytheir continence
had no sort of merit. The third is the only class whichof choice and for high
reasons lived a celibate life: which have made themselves eunuchs for the
kingdom of heaven's sake. This is not to be understoodof excision;for this
would be a contraventionof the order of nature and the goodwork of
creation. Origen, who took the passage literally, and with his own hands
mutilated himself, was justly condemned by the verdict of the Church. The
verb is to be understood in a metaphoricalsense of the mortification of the
natural desires and impulses at the costof much pain and trouble, the spirit
conquering the flesh by the specialgrace of God. The motive of such self-
denial is high and pure. It is practised "forthe kingdom of heaven's sake,"
that is, to be free from distraction and the cares and dangers involved in a
married life. St. Paul carries forward the Lord's teaching when he writes (1
Corinthians 7:32, 33), "He that is unmarried is carefulfor the things of the
Lord, how he may please the Lord; but he that is married is careful for the
things of the world, how he may please his wife" (comp. Isaiah56:3, 4). The
celibate life, deliberately embraced for religion's sake, is here approved by
Christ, not to the disparagementof matrimony, but as a counselwhich some
are enabled to follow to their soul's greatbenefit. It may be added that the
counselapplies also to married persons who sacrifice conjugalendearments
for spiritual reasons -"have wives as though they had none" (1 Corinthians
7:29). Let him receive it. This is not an injunction, but a permission; it is no
universal rule, prescribed to all or to the many; it is a specialgrace allowedto
the few, and by few attained. "Eachman," says St. Paul, "hath his own gift
from God, one after this manner, and another after that" (1 Corinthians 7:7,
26). Some think the Essenesare here referred to; but it is not likely that our
Lord would endorse the practices of a sectwhich in some of its tenets was by
no means commendable. Rather he is laying down a limitation that, while self-
sacrifice and self-dedicationto God are acceptable and fraught with peculiar
blessings, none should attempt to win heaven in this way, unless they are

20. speciallyprepared for such a life by the grace ofGod mastering the human
will and controlling every earthly desire. The pre-eminent value set on
celibacyby the early Church was learned from this and similar passages;but
Christ institutes no comparisonbetweenthe single and married states;and it
would have been wiser to imitate his reserve in estimating the spiritual merits
of the two conditions.
END OF BIBLEHUB RESOURCES
Jesus RecognizedThree Kinds Of Eunuchs - Matthew 19:11-12
Eunuchs so born from their mother’s womb. These eunuchs, according to
Jesus, were born that way. ...
Eunuchs made so by men via physical castration. ...
Eunuchs who made a personal choice to be eunuchs, by abstaining from
marriage, for the sake ofthe kingdom of heaven, what some refer to as
metaphysicaleunuchs. ...
What is a eunuch in the Bible?
Question:"What is a eunuch in the Bible? What does the Bible say about
eunuchs?"

21. Answer: The eunuchs of the Bible were usually castratedmales or those
incapable of reproduction due to a birth defect. A eunuch could also be
someone who performed work typical of eunuchs, although he remained
perfectly capable of having sex—i.e., “eunuch” in some cases was simply a
title. The purpose of intentional castrationwas to induce impotence and
remove sexuality. It was a common practice in ancient times for rulers to
castrate some oftheir servants and/or advisers in order to subdue and pacify
them. It was especiallycommonto castrate menwho tended the royal harem.
Queen Esther’s eunuchs are mentioned in Esther 4:4.
In Matthew 19:12, Jesus mentions eunuchs in the context of whether it is good
to marry. He says, “There are eunuchs who were born that way, and there are
eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by others—andthere are those who
choose to live like eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one
who can acceptthis should acceptit.” Jesus identifies three types of “eunuchs”
here: natural eunuchs (“born that way”), forcedeunuchs (“made eunuchs by
others”), and voluntary eunuchs (“those who choose”).
Natural eunuchs include those who are born with a physical defect, but they
also comprise those who are born with no real desire for marriage or sex.
Forcedeunuchs are those who have been castratedfor whatever reason.
Voluntary eunuchs are those who, in order to better serve the Lord in some
capacity, choose to forego marriage. Godcalls some people to remain single
(and therefore celibate). Paul speaks ofthose who serve the Lord in their
unmarried state in 1 Corinthians 7:7—9.
Some gay groups argue that Jesus was referring to homosexuals when He
mentioned eunuchs who were “born that way.” However, the Bible never uses
the words homosexualand eunuch interchangeably. Furthermore, eunuchs
are never referred to in Scripture as being in sin, while homosexuality is

22. universally condemned in both the Old and New Testaments.
https://www.gotquestions.org/eunuch-eunuchs.html
Who was the Ethiopian eunuch?
Question:"Who was the Ethiopian eunuch?"
Answer: The Ethiopian eunuch mentioned in the Bible was a high court
official of Candace, the queen of Ethiopia. He was in Israel to worship the
Lord at the temple, which means he was probably a Jewishproselyte. On his
trip home to Ethiopia, he had a life-changing encounterwith Philip the
evangelist(Acts 8:26–40).
A eunuch is a man who has been castratedforthe purpose of trusted
servitude in a royal household(see Esther 1:10; 4:4; and Daniel 1:9). A king
would often castrate his servants to ensure they would not be tempted to
engage in sexualactivity with others in the palace (specifically, the royal
harem) or to prevent their plotting an overthrow (eunuchs were incapable of
setting up a dynasty of their own). Eunuchs have been employed in many
civilizations, including the Ancient Middle East, Ancient Greece andRome,
China, Korea, and Thailand. Jesus mentions them in Matthew 19:12.
The story of the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8 is a marvelous depiction of God’s
role in evangelism. The story starts with Philip, one of the sevenoriginal
deacons, who had just preachedthe gospelin Samaria (Acts 8:4–8). Philip was

23. visited by an angel who told him to go south to a road that ran from
Jerusalemto Gaza, in the desert (Acts 8:26). Philip didn’t ask why he was
being sent to the middle of nowhere;he just went (verse 27). On the road, in a
chariot, was the Ethiopian eunuch, who was just returning from Jerusalem.
The eunuch was sitting in his chariotreading the book of Isaiah. The Spirit of
the Lord told Philip to go over and join the chariot, and when Philip drew
close he overheard the eunuch reading from Isaiah out loud. Philip askedthe
Ethiopian whether or not he understood what he was reading. The eunuch
replied, “How canI, unless someone guides me?” He then invited Philip to
come sit with him in the chariot (verse 31). The passagethe Ethiopian eunuch
was reading was this: “He was led like a sheepto the slaughter, / and as a
lamb before its sheareris silent, / so he did not open his mouth. / In his
humiliation he was deprived of justice. / Who canspeak of his descendants? /
For his life was takenfrom the earth” (Acts 8:32–33;cf. Isaiah 53:7–8). The
eunuch was wondering whom the prophet was talking about, “himself or
someone else?”(Acts 8:34). Philip used this opportunity to explain the
passage:this was a prophecy about Jesus Christ, who meeklygave His life to
save the world. As Philip explained the gospel, the Ethiopian eunuch believed.
When they came to some waterby the side of the road, the eunuch askedto be
baptized (Acts 8:36).
Philip agreedto baptize him, and the Ethiopian eunuch “gave orders to stop
the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and
Philip baptized him” (Acts 8:38). As soonas the Ethiopian eunuch came up
out of the water, “the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the
eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing” (verse 39).
Tradition says that the eunuch carriedthe gospelback home to Ethiopia and
founded the church there. Philip found himself at Azotus, and he carried on
preaching the gospelon his wayto Caesarea(Acts 8:40).
There are many elements of God’s providence and intervention in the story of
the Ethiopian eunuch. The accountreveals the importance of these three

24. things: the Word of God, the Holy Spirit’s leading, and a human evangelist. In
order for a personto acceptthe truth, he must first hear the truth preached
(Romans 10:14). It is God’s desire that the truth be preached everywhere
(Acts 1:8). The Spirit of the Lord had been preparing the eunuch’s heart to
receive the gospel. As the eunuch read Isaiah, he beganto ask questions, and
at just the right moment the Lord brought Philip across his path. The field
was “ripe for harvest” (John 4:35), and Philip was God’s laborer in the field.
This was no coincidence. It was God’s plan from the very beginning, and
Philip was obedient to that plan. https://www.gotquestions.org/Ethiopian-
eunuch.html
The Mystery of the Ethiopian Eunuch
March 23, 2017
by PetersonToscano
I imagine you’ve heard a sermon about the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8. It’s
still regularly preachedin Evangelicalchurches I attended. Still, from the
dozens of Acts 8 sermons I consumed, I couldn’t tell you the first thing about
this famous eunuch.
What is a eunuch anyway? Eunuchs in the Bible were typically castrated
before puberty, sometimes with their consent, but usually not. They retained
high voices. Theydidn’t developbody hair or facialhair like men. They
lookedand sounded different from the men and women around them.
They were also mostly single and childless. Neverhaving children myself, I
feel drawn to these solitaryeunuchs. In a world where everyone seemedto be
part of a family unit of some sort, they stoodout as loners.
As an actor, I decidedto explore the story of the Ethiopian Eunuch in Acts
chapter 8.

25. The author of Acts made sure we knew a lot about this eunuch, even though
we never learn the person’s name. In fact, besides Jesus himself, no other
characterin the Christian Bible is so fully described.
Now there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of the Candace, that is,
the queen of the Ethiopians, in charge of her entire treasury, who had come to
Jerusalemto worship, and was returning home. Seatedin his chariot, he was
reading the prophet Isaiah. (Acts 8:27b-28)
The Ethiopian Eunuch is:
• a foreigner
• an African
• a eunuch (castratedmale)
• a rich person
• a member of a royal court
• a literate person(most people in those days did not read including most
of Jesus'disciples)
• a person of faith
I have often stood, imagining the Temple in Jerusalemwith the crush of
people, the many courtyards and fountains, the buzz of activity. It was a
highly gendered space. Menand young men to one side, and women and
children on the other. There was an area designatedfor foreigners and for
gentiles. Everyone in their place.
I stoodimagining the different designatedareas. I saw all the families and
wondered, “As a eunuch, where do I go?" and “How do I feel being in this
space where family is so central?” It felt familiar.
In the text we find the eunuch on a return trip home to Ethiopia. This Black,
surgicallyaltered, gendervariant, rich civil servant, reads aloud from a scroll
of the Prophet Isaiah.

26. I attended white Evangelicalchurches much of my life. Whenever a minister
preachedthis passagehe pointed to Jesus or to the Apostle Phillip, never to
the eunuch. Pastors told me this passagewas aboutJesus, who suffered and
died for our sins. They took a Hebrew Bible passageandembedded Jesus in it,
saying, “This a prophecy about Jesus.” Theyalso told us that like Phillip, we
too should go around and share the GoodNews of Jesus. Oh, and don’t forget
to bring them with you to church.
But what if we look at Acts 8 and Isaiah 53 from the perspective of the
eunuch? Imagine you are a child takenfrom home and parents, taken to
another country. Men held you down. They operatedon you as you lay frozen
with fear. You felt the searing pain of castrationand suffered a long recovery.
You grew up but never experiencedpuberty. As boys matured, you did not
change in the same ways. You began your work in the royal court. You longed
to be in a family again, and even to have your own children. But you were
busy and unable.
Non-eunuchs in the court respectedand mockedyou, sometimes at the same
time. They envied your elevatedstatus in the palace and jeeredyou for being
less than a man. You felt rejectedand alone. You were sick often and grew
fragile because youlackedtestosterone. Your bones grew brittle. Your heart
grew bitter.
Then at a temple stall, you purchase a passageofscripture, one about a man
of sorrow acquainted with grief. You’re curious about this person, "Is the
prophet speaking ofhimself or of someone else?”
You read the words, and it is like you’re looking in a mirror.
He was like a sheepbeing led to be killed.
He was quiet, as a lamb is quiet while its woolis being cut;
he never openedhis mouth.
He was shamed and was treatedunfairly.

27. He died without children to continue his family.
His life on earth has ended.
You feel the weight of these words. You continue reading and come to chapter
56. You discoveran extraordinary promise from God to both foreigners and
eunuchs. A promise to you.
Let not the foreignerwho has joined himself to the Lord say,
“The Lord will surely separate me from His people.”
Nor let the eunuch say, “Behold, I am a dry tree.”
For thus says the Lord,
“To the eunuchs who keepMy sabbaths,
And choose whatpleases Me,
And hold fast My covenant,
To them I will give in My house and within My walls a memorial,
And a name better than that of sons and daughters;
I will give them an everlasting name which will not be cut off. (Isaiah56:3-5)
No wonder you go home rejoicing.
There is a lot we don’t know about this eunuch—the very first baptized
believer in the early church. I wonder what happens when someone who looks
like the Ethiopian eunuch walks into churches and onto Evangelicalcampuses
today. Do they too go home rejoicing?
Was Danielmade a eunuch in Babylon?

28. Question:"Was Danielmade a eunuch in Babylon?"
Answer: The Bible does not saywhether Daniel was made a eunuch. However,
Daniel servedas a slave in Babylon during a time in which many slaves were
castratedand made eunuchs. Therefore, some have suggestedDanielwas
castratedas well. There is no biblical evidence either way, which leaves this
issue uncertain.
There are certain indicators from Scripture to support the view Daniel was
made a eunuch. First, he was never married. Second, as mentioned, he was a
slave in a time and place where castrationofslaves was common. Third, 2
Kings 20:18 indicates that some of Hezekiah’s descendants wouldone day be
takenfrom Israel to serve in the palace of the king of Babylon as eunuchs:
“And some of your descendants, yourown flesh and blood that will be born to
you, will be taken away, and they will become eunuchs in the palace ofthe
king of Babylon.” Daniel 1:3 indicates Danieland his friends were under the
authority of the “chief eunuch” (ESV), a man named Ashpenaz. This same
verse indicates that these young men were specificallytakenin order to serve
the king in his palace.
Why would a king have his slaves castrated?Castrationwas oftenperformed
to ensure a king’s advisers did not have children or romantic interests that
might tempt them towards betrayal. This procedure was intended to make the
subject asexual, disinterestedin sex, lacking sexualurges, and unable to
produce children.

29. Of course, it is possible Danielwas not castratedand made a eunuch. First,
the reference in 2 Kings 20:18 does not mention Daniel and may not have
applied to him. Second, there is no verse that specificallystates Danielwas
castrated. Third, just because Danielwas single did not necessitate him being
made a eunuch. In Matthew 19:12 Jesus says, “Forsome are eunuchs because
they were born that way; others were made that way by men; and others have
renounced marriage because ofthe kingdom of heaven. The one who can
acceptthis should acceptit.” God calls some people to remain single for the
purpose of serving Him more fully.
While we may wish the Bible was cleareron this issue, it remains uncertain
whether or not Danielwas a eunuch. In either case, Daniel’s life stands as a
positive example for other followers ofGod. He remained faithful to the Lord
in a pagan culture, served his leaders and nation well, and impacted the lives
of many through his faith and through the revelation of many prophecies that
have yet to be fulfilled.
https://www.gotquestions.org/Daniel-eunuch.html
Answer: The word eunuch is only mentioned, by name, seventimes in the
KJV Bible. It is found twice in the Old Testament(Isaiah 56:3, Jeremiah
52:25)and five times in the New Testament(Acts 8:27, 34, 36, 38, 39).
Why are eunuchs calledthat?
Etymology of the word eunuch, from the Oxford EnglishDictionary :
"adaptationof the Latin eunūch-us, adopted from Greek εὐνοῦχος, fromεὐνή

30. bed + -οχ- ablaut-stem of ἔχειν to keep;the literal sense is thus a bedchamber
guard or attendant."
What is the biblical definition of an eunuch?
Holman Bible Holman Christian Standard Bible The Holman Christian
Standard Bible is a modern English Bible translation from Holman Bible
Publishers. The New Testamentwas published in 1999, followedby the full
Bible in March 2004. en.wikipedia.org Dictionary. Eunuch. A male deprived
of the testes orexternal genitals . Such were excluded from serving as priests (
Leviticus Book of Leviticus The Book ofLeviticus is the third book of the
Torahand of the Old Testament;scholars generallyagree thatit developed
over a long period of time, reaching its present form during the Persian
Period between538-332 BCE. en.wikipedia.org 21:20 ) and from membership
in the congregationofIsrael ( DeuteronomyBook of DeuteronomyThe Book
of Deuteronomy is the fifth book of the JewishTorah, where it is called
Devarim, "the words." Chapters 1-30 of the book consistof three sermons or
speechesdeliveredto the Israelites by Moses onthe plains of Moab, shortly
before they enter the PromisedLand. The first sermon recounts the forty
years of wilderness wanderings which had led to that moment, and ends with
an exhortation to observe the law, l... en.wikipedia.org 23:1 ). Eunuchs were
regardedas especiallytrustworthy in the Ancient NearEastand thus were
frequently employed in royal service.
Who were the eunuchs?

31. The eunuchs were either guards and servants in harems or chamberlains to
kings. These were the original positions for the eunuchs, but many succeeded
in climbing in socialstatus, and could reachpositions like bodyguards,
confidential advisers, ministers, even generals and admirals.
Is an eunuch a male or female?
Biologicallyand practically speaking eunuch are males. The term eunuch
refers to a male whose testiclesare removed. Eunuchs are normal individuals
born with male sex organs. Due to some arising reasons eithera medical or
psychologicalora practicalone, they get their testicles removedand then
come to be calledas eunuchs.
What Is a Eunuch?
The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary defines eunuch as “a castratedman”
and “a person or thing with some kind of incapacity.”[1]The word castrated
means that a man’s testicles were removedor crushed so that they could not
function. Consequently, castratedmales lose their sexual drive and cannot
procreate. Suchmen were commonly used to guard a king’s harem in ancient
times (see the book of Esther). Acts 8:27 is the only time the New Testament
mentions an individual who is a eunuch. He is an “Ethiopian eunuch, court
official of Candace, queenof the Ethiopians.”
Eunuchs In the Bible — CreatedBy God
The most significant passage in the Bible about eunuchs occurs in Matthew
19. Verses 10-12 capture an important statementmade by Christ.

32. The disciples said to Him, “If the relationship of the man with his wife is like
this, it is better not to marry.” But He saidto them, “ Not all men can accept
this statement, but only those to whom it has been given. For there are
eunuchs who were born that way from their mother’s womb; and there are
eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men; and there are also eunuchs who
made themselves eunuchs for the sake ofthe kingdom of heaven. He who is
able to acceptthis, let him acceptit.” Matthew 19:10-12 (NASB)
Here Jesus states there are three types of eunuchs. The first type of eunuch is
a man who is a eunuch at birth. That is, he does not have any testicles atbirth.
Medicalauthorities refer to this as cryptorchidism. Technically,
cryptorchidism can refer to a man who is missing one or both testicles.
Since some men are born without testicles, these menwere made eunuchs by
God. Forin Exodus 4:11-12 God declares that He makes the mute, deaf and
the blind.
The LORD said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes him
mute or deaf, or seeing or blind? Is it not I, the LORD? Now then go, and I,
even I, will be with your mouth, and teachyou what you are to say.” Exodus
4:11-12 (NASB)
He determines our physical condition. God permits many things to occurin a
believer’s life but it is always for our good(Romans 8:28). He also allows
physical variations to occurto draw men and women to Himself. In John 9:1-
3 we are told that God allowed a man to be born blind in order to give God
glory. God was then glorified when Jesus healedHim. God was also glorified
when Jesus raisedLazarus from the dead (John 11:40-45;12:9, 17). We have
discoveredthat sometimes men are born as eunuchs because Goddecided that
they would be eunuchs. Only Godknows the purpose (Isaiah55:8-9).
Eunuchs In the Bible — Made By Men
The secondtype of eunuch is a man who was castrated(see previous section).
Either his testicles were cutoff or crushed so that they ceasedto function. This
is the type of eunuch we usually think about. Historically men were made
eunuchs in the ancient world by castration. The testicles were removedor

33. crushed; sometimes the entire penis and scrotum were removed. These men
were made eunuchs by men.
Does this mean that vasectomiesare unbiblical since the Bible gives us
warnings in Leviticus 21:17–21;22:22–24 thatmen who have had crushed
testicles couldnot serve as a priest in Israel? The warning does not appear to
apply to the inability to procreate but to a man whose testicleshad been
intentionally crushed. Also, Deuteronomy23:1 prohibits a castratedman from
entering the Lord’s house. But most likely this was due to the pagan practice
of castrationfor religious purposes in the Canaanite religion.[2, 3]
Eunuchs In the Bible — Made By Oneself
The third type of eunuch is a man who decided to not marry in order to be
fully committed in service to God. This context helps us understand this
statementbecause Jesus was justaskedby the disciples, “If the relationship of
the man with his wife is like this, it is better not to marry.” That is, some men
may choose to not marry “for the sake ofthe kingdom of heaven.” Paul the
apostle states that he lived without a wife in order to serve the Lord. Notice
his comment in 1 Corinthians 7:7-8.
Yet I wish that all men were evenas I myself am. However, eachman has his
own gift from God, one in this manner, and another in that. But I sayto the
unmarried and to widows that it is goodfor them if they remain even as I. 1
Corinthians 7:7-8 (NASB)
In these two verses Paul reveals that he was not married. Since these two
verses follow verses 5-6, which discuss the need for regularsexual activity, we
must understand that some men do not need regular sexualactivity. The
ability to be happy without being married is a gift from God. Thus the third
type of eunuch is a man who has genitals but does not need to be married. He
does not have a sexualdrive.
Conclusion:
In 1 Corinthians 7:32-35 Paul teaches us that we do not have to be physical
eunuchs. We can choose to be highly devoted to the Lord Jesus and serve
Him. It is a personaldecisionbetweenan individual and the Lord.

34. But I want you to be free from concern. One who is unmarried is concerned
about the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord. . . . This I sayfor
your own benefit; not to put a restraint upon you, but to promote what is
appropriate and to secure undistracted devotion to the Lord. 1 Corinthians
7:32, 35 (NASB)
One can be completely devoted to the Lord while married. Paul’s point is that
if one is not married, one can give more time to the Lord.
References:
1. Shorter Oxford English Dictionary. Oxford University Press. 2007, vol. 1, p.
873.
2. J. A. Thompson. Deuteronomy. Tyndale Old TestamentCommentaries.
Inter-Varsity Press. 1974.p. 239.
3. PeterCraigie. The New International Commentary on the Old Testament.
Eerdmans Publishing. 1976. p. 297.
https://www.neverthirsty.org/bible-qa/qa-archives/question/eunuchs/
Image: bhjoffe.wordpress.com
Eunuchs in the Bible
Deuteronomy 23:1.
Esther 2:15. And Esther won the favor of everyone who saw her.
Esther 4:4. She sentclothes for him to put on insteadof his sackcloth, but he
would not acceptthem.

35. Hebrews 13:4.
Acts 10:35.
Isaiah56:7.
Matthew 19:12.
Acts 10:34-35.
Daniel 1:18-20.
Isaiah56:3-5. And let no eunuch complain, “I am only a dry tree.” 4 For this
is...
Jeremiah39:15-18.
Matthew 19:9-12.
Acts 8:26-29.
What is meant by those who are ‘born eunuch’ in the Bible
Apologetics
Feb '14
What is meant by eunuch in SacredScripture?. Are there ancient writings,
Catholic or Jewish, which provide information of who exactly were eunuchs?
Question1:
Specifically, who were those that were born eunuch? I considerwhat Jesus
said:

36. Matthew 19:12
For there are eunuchs who were born that way, and there are eunuchs who
have been made eunuchs by others—andthere are those who choose to live
like eunuchs for the sake ofthe kingdom of heaven. The one who canaccept
this should acceptit.”
Three types are mentioned by Jesus:
those who were born eunuch (are these males with non functioning
testicles/penis who are infertile?). The interests groups are arguing that
eunuchs included homosexuals, hermaphrodites and people who consider
themselves transgender. This seems to me to be a bias reading, as eunuchs as
per the biblical readings seemto be persons who could not function
sexually/born castrated.
those who have been made eunuch by others. This is clear, they were castrated
males that were castratedto be servants.
those who choose to live like eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven.
These are the priests and religious.
Question2:
Regarding those who choose to live like eunuchs I was reading this week
Canon 1 of the Council of Nicea and wonderedif priests or men who wanted
to be priests were castrating themselves to assure their vows of chastity. They
could justify this action with certain Bible verses unless the Magisterium of
the Church declared it immoral; which it did at the Council of Nicea.
Mark 9:47
And if your eye causesyou to stumble, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter
the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into
hell,
Matthew 5:29

37. If your right eye causes youto stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is
better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be
thrown into hell.
If males were castrating themselves to assure they maintained their vows of
chastity; that would contradict what is written in Deuteronomy 23:1.
Deuteronomy: 23:1
1"No one who is emasculatedorhas his male organcut off shall enter the
assemblyof the LORD. 2"No one of illegitimate birth shall enter the assembly
of the LORD; none of his descendants, evento the tenth generation, shall
enter the assemblyof the LORD.…
Canon 1
If any one in sicknesshas been subjectedby physicians to a surgicaloperation,
or if he has been castratedby barbarians, let him remain among the clergy;
but, if any one in sound health has castratedhimself, it behooves that such an
one, if [already] enrolled among the clergy, should cease[from his ministry],
and that from henceforthno such personshould be promoted. But, as it is
evident that this is said of those who wilfully do the thing and presume to
castrate themselves, so if any have been made eunuchs by barbarians, or by
their masters, and should otherwise be found worthy, such men the Canon
admits to the clergy.
I just wonder if that was what was going on and the Magisteriumhad to
address the issue.
POTIPHAR:A FOURTHKIND OF EUNUCH?
What about Potiphar? Was he a fourth kind of eunuch?

38. What about the Ethiopian eunuch?
There were at leastfour designations ofthe word "eunuch" in the Bible.
Jesus listedthree in Matthew 19:12.
(ASV) "For there are eunuchs, that were so born from their mother's womb:
and there are eunuchs, that were made eunuchs by men: and there are
eunuchs, that made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He
that is able to receive it, let him receive it."
The following translation is really what I would call a "paraphrase" forit is
not a literal translation. Jesus uses "eunuch" 3 times but this translation
doesn't indicate that He did. However, it does explain who eachof the three
"eunuchs" are that Jesus referredto and is therefore helpful to us in this way.
(CEV) "Some people are unable to marry because ofbirth defects or because
of what someone has done to their bodies. Others stay single for the sake of
the kingdom of heaven. Anyone who can acceptthis teaching should do so."
(1) There is the physically impaired eunuch from birth.
(2) There is the other "physically impaired" eunuch who has had an operation
"by men".
(3) Then there is the spiritual or metaphoricaleunuch who has mentally
determined not to marry for the kingdom of God sake.

39. Paul identifies himself as #3 in 1 Corinthians 7. [It is goodfor them if they
abide even as I. But if they cannotcontain, let them marry: for it is better to
marry than to burn. (1 Cor. 7:8,9)]. As Jesus says, "This is for anyone who is
able to acceptit" (ERV). Paul calls on the Corinthian brethren to follow his
example during the "presentdistress" (1 Corinthians 7:26) if they are able to
"contain."
Origen, i.e., OrigenAdamantius, was a scholarand theologianof early
Christian interest in Alexandria, and one of the writers regarding the early
Church. According to Eusebius, he interpreted Jesus'statementof "eunuch
for the Kingdom of God" as being made so by physical operation. However,
this only made him the eunuch of #2: "made so by men." If Origen had hoped
to remove sexualtemptation from himself, he might have been disappointed.
"Mosteunuchs who are castratedbefore puberty are not sexual"
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eunuch)which suggests that"some are". Boston
Corbett, the soldier who shot John Wilkes Booth, is said to have castrated
himself because ofMatthew 19. Neither Jesus nor Paul told anyone to castrate
themselves.
Number 4: "Potiphar type" of "eunuch"
Now, here's the fourth kind of "eunuch": Potiphar. Potiphar was an eunuch
i(KJV: "officer")ofthe royal court of Egypt. This word is used severaltimes
in the Old Testamentfor literal castratedindividuals and/or as a designation
of royal office.
"And Josephwas brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an officerof
Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him of the hands of the
Ishmeelites, which had brought him down thither" (Genesis 39:1). Potiphar as

40. an eunuch would not have been castratedphysically nor a single male because
he had a wife (Genesis 39:7).
Becauseofa possible double meaning here (“royal [uncastrated]official” or
“castratedofficial”), many Bible interpreters have been hesitant about
identifying eunuchs in the OT narrative, especiallyamong the Israelites and
even among later Jews who were takencaptive and deported. Daniel is an
example who is listed among those "eunuchs":"Now at the end of the days
that the king had said he should bring them in, then the prince of the eunuchs
brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar" (Daniel1:18).
To show the problem among translators, compare The New English Bible
(1970), which translates saris/sarisim(see endnote 1) as “eunuch(s)” in every
instance, to the Contemporary English Version (1995), which avoids using
"eunuch(s)" entirely, preferring general terms like "officer(s)" and
"official(s)." Was the Ethiopian eunuch simply an "uncastratedofficer" ofthe
Queen's court?
"He that is wounded in the stones, orhath his privy member cut off, shall not
enter into the congregation[OT ekklesiaG1577/H6951, 'church'] of the
LORD" (Deuteronomy 23:1, KJV + ABP).
Finally, it is argued that since the Law (Deuteronomy 23:1) "stigmatized"
the castratedmale by banning them from taking part in Israel’s worshipping
community, such physical eunuchs would have left ancient Israel. This
argument is mute, however, when it is very evident that Israeldid not obey
God in every respectand like Jezebelwould have copiedthe other nations in
using eunuchs in the courts, especiallyin the harem. Josephus reports that
Herod was well furnished with such eunuchs. I refer the readerto the article
"eunuch" in the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia.

41. However, it is God that opened his arms to Jewisheunuchs in Isaiah 56:3–5:
"Neitherlet the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree. For thus saith the LORD
unto the eunuchs that keepmy sabbaths, and choose the things that please me,
and take hold of my covenant; Even unto them will I give in mine house and
within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I
will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off."
Esther's Hegaiin the Old Testament
"Now when the turn of Esther, the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai,
who had takenher for his daughter, was come to go in unto the king, she
required nothing but what Hegaithe king's chamberlain (H5631, KJV;
G2135, LXX), the keeperof the women, appointed" (Esther2:15a). "Eunuchs
feature heavily in the story of Esther. Hegai, who was in charge of the harem,
helped Esthergain the attention of King Ahasuerus. Hathach was Esther's
personalservant and the lifeline betweenher and her cousinMordecai(Esther
4:5). Bigthana and Tereshwere close enoughto Ahasuerus to threaten his life
(Esther 6:2), and Harbonah was quick with a suggestionfor the dispatch of
Haman (Esther 7:9)." ii
THE ETHIOPIAN OF ACTS 8
Was the eunuch iii of Acts 8 just an officeror was he a castratedeunuch?
I found only two translations that I have access to, that did not use "eunuch":

42. (BBE): "And he went and there was a man of Ethiopia, a servant of great
authority under Candace, queenof the Ethiopians, and controller of all her
property, who had come up to Jerusalemfor worship;"
(CEV) "So Philip left. An important Ethiopian official happened to be going
along that road in his chariot."
It is interesting that Luke, the writer, uses “eunuch” and “official” describing
the Ethiopian in the same verse (8:27). If “eunuch” simply means “official”
here, then Luke would be redundant. BecauseLuke used both terms in the
same sentence, it seems that the Ethiopian is sexually mutilated. It is also true
that in ancient times it was common for male servants of a queen to be
physical eunuchs. It would show how devout the eunuch was to travel
submissively to Jerusalemas commanded in the Law.
It is unimportant whether the eunuch was a "realeunuch." All are invited to
obey the gospel(Mark 16:15,16).Whetherhe was born a Jew or was a
convertedGentile seems to me to be insignificant. The officialwas "God
fearing" and was so dedicatedas to make the long pilgrimage to Jerusalemto
worship. To what extent he would have been permitted inside the Temple (as
a converted Gentile or a "eunuch"), it is uncertain in current archeological
material. He was influential enoughto have a copy of the Scriptures while in
journey.
GW
Gaylon West

43. In Matthew 19:12, is being born as a eunuch a support for homosexuality?
by Matt Slick
"Forthere are eunuchs who were born that wayfrom their mother’s womb;
and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men; and there are also
eunuchs who made themselves eunuchs for the sake ofthe kingdom of heaven.
He who is able to acceptthis, let him acceptit," (Matthew 19:12).
This verse cannot be used to support the idea of people being born as
homosexuals because of how the term eunuch is used in its three instances, as
well as its overall context. First of all, Jesus is speaking aboutmarriage and
divorce, Matthew 19:3-10, not about homosexuality. Remember, marriage
was a socialexpectationin the Jewishculture. Therefore, we must look at this
in the context of biblical marriage which would necessitate a denial of
homosexuality.
Consideralso that the word "eunuch" is used three times in the verse, which
suggeststhree kinds of men who are given to not marry. The first two usages
were already familiar to the disciples. Jesus mentions those who are eunuchs
from birth; that is, they were either incapable of marriage (i.e., physical
deformity which prohibited having children) or have no desire to marry. The
secondis speaking ofphysical castration. Sucheunuchs were often used in
guarding harems. The third is the new category:those who choose to be
single "for the kingdom of God." In both cases there is not even a suggestion
that people are born with homosexual orientation. If anything, the implication
is to not be involved in marriage and sexualactivity - which would negate
homosexuality as an option.
Furthermore, considerwhat Paul says elsewhere.

44. "The wife does not have authority over her ownbody, but the husband does;
and likewise also the husband does not have authority over his own body, but
the wife does. 5 Stop depriving one another, exceptby agreementfor a time
that you may devote yourselves to prayer, and come togetheragainlest Satan
tempt you because ofyour lack of self-control. 6 But this I say by way of
concession, notof command. 7 Yet I wish that all men were even as I myself
am. However, eachman has his own gift from God, one in this manner, and
another in that, 8 But I say to the unmarried and to widows that it is goodfor
them if they remain even as I. 9 But if they do not have self-control, let them
marry; for it is better to marry than to burn. 10 But to the married I give
instructions, not I, but the Lord, that the wife should not leave her husband 11
(but if she does leave, let her remain unmarried, or else be reconciledto her
husband), and that the husband should not send his wife away." (1 Cor. 7:4-
11).
The context is also about marriage. In verse 6 Paul was speaking ofmarried
couples and prayer. In verse 8 he speaks ofunmarried widows. Verses 9-10
are againabout marriage. Notice verse seven. Paulspeaks ofhis "gift from
God," the gift of his celibacyso that he might serve the Lord. This parallels
what Jesus saidin Matt. 19:12 about being a eunuch "for the kingdom of
God." Furthermore, Paul is saying that being single and serving God, and
being married and serving God, are gifts. If someone is dedicatedto God in
his singlenessoreven as eunuch from birth, then it is a gift from God for the
service of God and cannotrefer to "homosexualorientation."
About The Author
Matt Slick is the Presidentand Founder of the Christian Apologetics and
ResearchMinistry.

45. Jesus on Eunuchs
Matthew 19 is the only place where Jesus clearlydeals with the issue of
singleness. The contextis a discussionwith some Phariseeswho are trying to
catchhim out by asking if divorce should be allowed. When Jesus gives the
blunt conclusionthat to divorce and remarry is adultery the disciples are
shocked.
“The disciples said to him “If such is the case ofa man with his wife, it is
better not to marry.” But he said to them, “Noteveryone can receive this
saying, but only those to whom it is given. Forthere are eunuchs who have
been from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by men,
and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake ofthe
kingdom of heaven. Let the one who is able to receive this receive it.”
(Matthew 19:10-12, ESV).
The disciples response seems to be from genuine shock but may also have been
an attempt to make Jesus see how extreme a view he was proposing in the
hope he would back down. V.11 shows, however, that the disciples were
speaking beyond their knowledge. Jesus ignores their shock and decides to
add a secondshocking teaching to it.
Jesus states that“Noteveryone canreceive this saying, but only those to
whom it is given” (v.11). There is some debate among commentators on
whether Jesus’reference to “this saying” means the disciples’statement or his
own teaching on divorce (v.3-9). However, the only logicalreading is that
Jesus is referring to the disciples shockedstatement.[1]
Holding the Idea
“Receive”is the keywordin his response. The Greek chōreō denotes making
room for something or actually holding something physical. It is the same
word translated as “holding” in John 2:6, “…eachholding twenty or thirty
gallons” and used 2 Cor. 7:2 where Paul tells the Corinthians to “make room
in your hearts”. Here it is used figuratively, when Jesus speaksofthose who
can “receive”the disciples’statementhe is speaking ofthose who can hold it
in their minds, those who can comprehend it. Such a use is found in other

46. ancient literature such as Greek historian Plutarch who speaks ofpeople who
“could not carry [chōreō]the large thoughts of Cato”[2]. This bears out in our
experience;people who are or want to be married often say they can’t
comprehend the thought of not wanting to marry. It is an idea they cannot
hold. In contrastJesus says there are some who have been given the ability to
hold it.
The presence ofeunuchs (men who were physically unable to produce
offspring) of the first two varieties Jesus mentions would have been familiar to
his original audience. Logic seems to suggestthatJesus’point about an
ability to hold the conceptof singleness is specificallylinked to the third type
of eunuch he mentions, a new and shocking categoryin the first century
Jewishcontext.
Jesus is envisioning people who choose to remain single and celibate “for the
sake ofthe kingdom of heaven”. Given the Old Testamentcontextwhere
having offspring was such a keypart of being seenas in God’s Kingdom and
blessedby him this is utterly shocking but as we’ve already seenwith the
coming of Jesus everything changedand singles could now receive all God’s
blessings through him. The explanation “forthe sake ofthe kingdom of
heaven” suggeststhat this singleness is very purposeful. Jesus’point is that
people will forgo marriage in order to give themselves for the kingdom, not in
order that they might gain the kingdom through their choice.
Three points are worth making before we leave this passage.Firstis the
significance ofJesus’use of eunuchs, a group who were not well respectedat
the time. In ancient Israelite societyand the societies oftheir neighbours
eunuchs were often used as servants in royal households. They were chosen
because they were free of the distractions of a family and so could be utterly
devoted to their master. Jesus envisagedthe same in those who make
themselves eunuchs for the kingdom. Being single allows an individual to
devote more time and energy to the Kingdom. ‘Eunuch’ also speaks notjust of
singleness but of a lack of sexualrelationship. Jesus’choice ofterm underlines
the importance of sexualpurity for the single, to remain single will mean
celibacy. Finally, as we have seenin our explorations of the Old Testament,
the eunuch was a figure of redemption and restoration. Jesus’words here,

47. which seemto see eunuchs in such a positive light, are a suggestionthat the
words of Isaiah56 are soonto become a reality. The situation of eunuchs is to
be changedforever.
The secondpoint to recognise inthis passageis the significance ofJesus saying
only some can hold the conceptof singleness and that that is only those to
whom God has granted it. Jesus words in Matthew 19 are probably the
clearestBiblicalteaching that God gives people a ‘gift of singleness’including
the ability to live it out. As we turn to considerPaul’s teaching we will find
much agreementbetweenthe two but will also see that Paul’s focus and
thought process is a little different. So the keything we must realise from
Matthew 19 is that Jesus taughtthat God would give some people the ability
to comprehend and acceptfor themselves the idea of remaining single for the
sake ofhis kingdom.
Finally, it is very easyto overlook the last sentence Jesus says inthis
discussion;“Let the one who is able to receive this receive it.” Jesus speaksin
the imperative, this is a command. Jesus challengesthose who can hold this
concept, who feel they can really graspit and be peaceful about it to do so and
take it for themselves. This is an important point for the culture present in so
many of our churches; Jesus didn’t just acceptthat some would choose to stay
single for the kingdom, he didn’t even just approve that some would chose to
stay single for the kingdom, he commanded those to whom Godhad granted
the ability to make this choice to do so. When we, consciouslyor
unconsciously, push those who are happy to be single for God to marry or to
feel bad for not doing so we are pushing people awayfrom obeying a
command of Jesus. “Letthe one who is able to receive this receive it” and let
those around them encourage andsupport them in it.
https://ayoungtheologian.wordpress.com/tag/eunuchs/
The Meaning of Sexual Objectification

48. Tuesday, June 26, 2018
Jesus and Eunuchs
One of the most fascinating quotes attributed to Jesus Christ is Matthew
19:12 rendered thus in the original Koine Greek:
εἰσὶν γὰρ εὐνοῦχοι οἵτινες ἐκ κοιλίας μητρὸς ἐγεννήθησανοὕτως, καὶ εἰσὶν
εὐνοῦχοι οἵτινες εὐνουχίσθησανὑπὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων, καὶ εἰσὶν εὐνοῦχοι οἵτινες
εὐνούχισανἑαυτοὺς διὰ τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν. ὁ δυνάμενος χωρεῖν,
χωρείτω.
The direct English translation is:
There are indeed eunuchs [who] from the womb of their mother were born
thus, and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men, and there are
eunuchs who made eunuchs of themselves the sake ofthe Kingdom of the
Heavens. The [one] being able to receive [it], let him receive [it].
One of Christianity's great mysteries is: who exactly were the eunuchs who
had made eunuchs of themselves for the sake ofthe Kingdom of the Heavens?
Some English translations have gone so far as to change the meaning of
"eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs" to people who have chosennot
to marry, or who have electedto practice celibacy, for the "Kingdom of
Heaven's sake" (also changing the plural "Heavens" to the singular
"Heaven"). RomanCatholics are especiallybig on celibacy, and, the Revised
Standard Version Catholic Edition states, in a footnote to the above passage:
Jesus means that a life of continence is to be chosenonly by those who are
calledto it for the sake ofthe kingdom of God.
ForRoman Catholics, it is very important for priests, nuns, etc. to abstain
from sexual acts and never to marry, in spite of 1 Timothy 3:

49. A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife...One that ruleth
well his own house, having his children in subjectionwith all gravity;(For if a
man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church
of God?).
Some people may argue that, in light of the contextof the conversationthat
precededJesus'declarationabout eunuchs,
"And I say unto you, Whosoevershallput awayhis wife, except it be for
fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso
marrieth her which is put awaydoth commit adultery."
His disciples sayunto him, "If the case ofthe man be so with his wife, it is not
goodto marry."
that Jesus was using the word "eunuch" as an euphemism for "choosing not
to marry", or for "living a life of celibacy", rather than cutting off one's balls,
for the sake ofthe Kingdom of God. If in saying "eunuchs who made eunuchs
of themselves" Jesus hadreally meant people who chose notto marry, or who
chose a "life of continence", then Jesus probably would not have used the
word "eunuch", which not only has a wholly different meaning, but which
also may induce castrationanxiety among men who hear about it. Moreover,
the sentiment "if the case ofthe man be so with his wife, it is good not to
marry" seems consistentwith modern MGTOW. The disciples aren't saying
that "it is not goodto marry" for "the sake ofthe Kingdom of the Heavens",
but rather to avoid the risks associatedwith marriage.
In rabbinical literature,
The Rabbis distinguished two kinds of eunuchs: (1) "seris adam," a eunuch
made by man; (2) "seris ḥamma," a eunuch made by the sun; that is to say,
one born incapable of reproduction, so that the sun never shone on him as on
a man. According to the Shulḥan 'Aruk, "seris ḥamma" means "castratedin
consequence offever."...Aseris adamis not allowedto enter into the assembly
of the Lord (Yeb. 70a), as it is written (Deut. xxiii. 2 [A.V. 1]): "He who is
wounded in the stones . . . shall not enter into the congregationofthe Lord";

50. that is to say, shall not marry an Israelitish wife. Removalof or defectin
either or both of the testicles disqualifies for admissionto the assemblyof the
Lord.
A eunuch of either kind is not to be judged as a rebellious son (see Deut. xxi.
18) because he is not consideredas a man (Yeb. 80b). As every Israelite is
commanded to perpetuate his race, it is a sin liable to severe punishment to
cause one to become a eunuch (Shab. 111a)...
The seris hamma and seris adam match the first two types of eunuchs
describedby Jesus. Clearlyneither celibacy, nor making oneselfa eunuch
"for the sake of the Kingdom of the Heavens", derived from Judaism. Per
Deuteronomy 23:
He that is wounded in the stones, orhath his privy member cut off, shall not
enter into the congregationofthe Lord.
By the time of Isaiah, Jewishattitudes towards eunuchs seemto have
softened:
...neither let the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree.Forthus saith the Lord
unto the eunuchs that keepmy sabbaths, and choose the things that please me,
and take hold of my covenant; Even unto them will I give in mine house and
within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I
will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off.
Christian churches did come to welcome both castratedand uncircumcised
men. Eunuchs, the castrati, performed in Christian choirs from ancient times
until the beginning of the 20th century.
In the ancient Middle East, in ancient Greece, andin the ancient Roman
Empire, eunuchs were fairly common, and, in some jurisdictions, held
influential government positions (for example, Pothinus, a eunuch who served

51. as regent for PharoahPtolemy XII of Egypt). In Antiquities of the Jews,
Josephus reports that Herod the Greathad
...certaineunuchs...andon accountof their beauty was very fond of them; and
the care of bringing him drink was entrusted to one of them; of bringing him
his supper, to another; and of putting him to bed, to the third, who also
managedthe principal affairs of the government;
Regarding the use of the word "eunuch" as a euphemism for a man who
"chooses a life of continence" orwho choosesnot to marry: many eunuchs
were not celibate at all, as illustrated in some of Martial's famous epigrams:
Pannychus, you wonder why your Caelia has so many eunuchs? Caelia wants
to be fucked, not to give birth.
The Roman historian Suetonius tells us that the emperor Nero
tried to turn the boy Sporus into a woman by castration, wedhim in the usual
manner, including bridal veil and dowry, took him off to the Palace attended
by a vast crowd, and proceededto treat him as his wife.
The lack of chastity among some eunuchs suggeststhatJesus was not using
the word "eunuch" as an euphemism for men who chose a "life of continence"
for the sake ofthe Kingdom of the Heavens. Rather, Jesus must have been
talking about actualeunuchs, who had made eunuchs of themselves for the
sake ofthe Kingdom of the Heavens, the Galli:
priests, often temple attendants or wandering mendicants, of the ancient
Asiatic deity, the GreatMother of the Gods, knownas Cybele, or Agdistis, in
Greek and Latin literature. The Galli were eunuchs attired in female garb,
with long hair fragrant with ointment. Togetherwith priestesses, they
celebratedthe Great Mother’s rites with wild music and dancing until their
frenzied excitement found its culmination in self-scourging, self-laceration, or
exhaustion. Self-emasculationby candidates for the priesthood sometimes
accompaniedthis delirium of worship.
Indeed,

52. The first Galli arrived in Rome when the Senate officially adopted Cybele as a
state goddess in 204 BC. ...The Galli castratedthemselves during an ecstatic
celebrationcalledthe Dies sanguinis, or "Dayof Blood", which took place on
March 24. At the same time they put on women's costume, mostly yellow in
color, and a sortof turban, togetherwith pendants and ear-rings. They also
wore their hair long, and bleached, and wore heavy make-up. They wandered
around with followers, begging forcharity, in return for which they were
prepared to tell fortunes. On the day of mourning for Attis they ran around
wildly and disheveled. They performed dances to the music of pipes and
tambourines, and, in an ecstasy, floggedthemselves until they bled.
In the Philippines, some Christians continue the ancient tradition of self-
flagellationduring Holy Week.
From the Hellenistic period, some Jews acquiredan enthusiasmfor things
Gentile, as describedin 1 Maccabees:
At that time there appeared in the land of Israela group of traitorous Jews
who had no regard for the Law and who had a bad influence on many of our
people. They said, "Let's come to terms with the Gentiles, for our refusal to
associate withthem has brought us nothing but trouble." This proposal
appealedto many people, and some of them became so enthusiastic about it
that they went to the king and receivedfrom him permission to follow Gentile
customs. They built in Jerusalema stadium like those in the Greek cities.
They had surgery performed to hide their circumcision, abandoned the holy
covenant, started associating withGentiles, and did all sorts of other evil
things.
The author of 1 Maccabeesobviouslydisapproves, but there was increasing
mixture and blending of cultures as empires expanded. The Decapolis was a

53. group of ten cities (including Beth-Sheanin Judea), largelyfounded by
Greeks during the Hellenistic period, and which flourished during the Roman
empire. Some of Jesus'followers came from the Decapolis.
Galilee, at the time of Jesus, was a heavily populated province with a great
deal of diversity. Jews ofJudea tended to look down upon the Galileans, their
language being an unpolished dialectof Syriac, with a mixture of other
languages. PredominantlyGentile cities in Galilee included Hippos-Sussita,
Sepphoris and Tiberias. Archaeologistshave discoveredGreek and Roman
temples and ancientAphrodite figures in Hippos-Sussita.
Herod the Great, in addition to greatlyexpanding the JewishTemple in
Jerusalem, had Pagantemples built throughout the region. Given that the
Romans had adopted Cybele as an official goddess, itis likely that some Galli
worshipped in Cybele's temples in Judea or surrounding provinces. In light of
their flamboyance, the Galli would have been very hard to miss.
Granted, ordinary celibacywas a feature of some ancient religions:
Celibacywas especiallycharacteristicofpriest-devotees ofthe GreatMother
cults. The well-organizedpriesthood of the religion of Isis, for example,
representeda serene sacerdotalism;sexual abstinence was an absolute
requirement of those who celebratedher holy mysteries. In many other
cults—e.g., Manichaeism, Gnosticism, and Hermeticism—an inner circle of
worshipers was required to observe strict continence. The philosophical and
religious ideals of celibacyin the Classicalworldstrongly influenced
subsequent practices ofcelibacyand monasticismin Christianity.
And, of course, among the Jews there were the Essenes, the majority of whom
lived on the westernshore of the DeadSea (removed from where Jesus
conducted most of his ministry, although small groups did live in Galilee and
Judea), and about whom Josephus tells us

54. Whereas these men shun the pleasures as vice, they considerself-controland
not succumbing to the passions virtue. And although there is among them a
disdain for marriage, adopting the children of outsiders while they are still
malleable enough for the lessons they regardthem as family and instill in
them their principles of character:without doing awaywith marriage or the
successionresulting from it, they nevertheless protectthemselves from the
wanton ways of women, having been persuaded that none of them preserves
her faithfulness to one man.
Regarding one of the orders of Essenes, Josephus writes
Though agreeing with the others about regimen and customs and legal
matters, it has separatedin its opinion about marriage. Forthey hold that
those who do not marry cut off the greatestpart of life, the succession, and
more: if all were to think the same way, the line would very quickly die out.
To be sure, testing the brides in a three-year interval, once they have been
purified three times as a testof their being able to bear children, they take
them in this manner; but they do not continue having intercourse with those
who are pregnant, demonstrating that the need for marrying is not because of
pleasure, but for children. Baths are takenby the women wrapping clothes
around themselves, just as by the men in a waist-covering. Suchare the
customs of this order.
The Essenesseemgenerallyto have eschewedthe pleasures of coitus, but at
leastone order allowedfor marriage for the sake ofreproduction. One
hypothesis, put forward by advocates ofchastity, is that Jesus meantEssenes
as the "eunuchs who made eunuchs of themselves the sake ofthe Kingdom of
the Heavens." Some have suggestedthat Jesus may have been an Essene
himself. However, the New Testamentmakes frequent reference to Jewish
Pharisees andSadducees, but makes no mention of the Essenes.
Regarding Jesus'words, we have two competing interpretations:

55. There are eunuchs who were born that way, eunuchs who were made eunuchs
by other men, and men who cut off their balls for the sake ofthe Kingdom of
the Heavens,
versus
There are eunuchs who were born that way, eunuchs who were made eunuchs
by other men, and men who choose a life of continence for the sake ofthe
Kingdom of the Heavens.
Jesus indisputably begins by describing two ordinary types of eunuchs
(starting with born eunuchs, and then proceeding to eunuchs who were made
eunuchs by other men). Such eunuchs might or might not have been religious.
Controversyensues over the rhetorical climax towards which Jesus was
building. Was he talking about actualeunuchs who had emasculated
themselves? Orwas he suddenly shifting gears andusing the word "eunuchs"
metaphorically for celibates? It may suit the theologicalpreferencesofsome
Christians to interpret the words of Jesus Christ, "eunuchs who made
eunuchs of themselves the sake ofthe Kingdom of the Heavens", to mean not
what he said, but rather to serve as a euphemism for celibates. This
interpretation fits the context poorly, and it is more likely that Jesus was
referring to actual eunuchs--most likely the Galli of the official cult of Cybele.
Eunuchs enjoyed a relatively high socialstatus in the ancient world. There
were eunuchs who servedHerod the Greatand other rulers. There were
eunuch priests. Eunuch slaves were more expensive than ordinary slaves.
Even angels were depicted as eunuchs. Simply practicing sexual abstinence
would not have given one the same status as an eunuch.
There have been great men, such as Nikola Tesla and Isaac Newton, who did
remain lifelong celibates. Theywere very focusedon their research, and did
not have time to entangle themselves with women. A quote attributed to Isaac
Newton:
I considermy greatestaccomplishmentto be lifelong celibacy.
Even greaterthan inventing calculus?

56. MostCatholic priests probably aren't as intense as Nicola Tesla orIsaac
Newton, and do take time to relax. Moreover, Teslaand Newtonwere
scientists, and priests have a much more socialrole. The socialrole may
render them vulnerable to temptations, as they interact with a wide variety of
people, of whom some might tend to excite certaindesires. Self-castration
might help to ease some ofthe temptations.
He that is able to receive it, let him receive it.
https://sexualobjectification.blogspot.com/2018/06/jesus-and-eunuchs.html
PRECEPTAUSTIN RESOURCES
SPURGEON
For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother’s womb:
and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be
eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven’s
sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it.
Some have but feeble desires concerning marriage, and they were so born.
They will find it goodto remain as they are. Others subdue the desires of
nature, for holy and laudable reasons,for the kingdom of heaven’s sake;but
this is not for all, nor for many. It is optional with individuals to marry or not:
if they marry, nature commends, but grace is silent; if they forbearfor
Christ’s sake, gracecommends, and nature does not forbid. Enforced celibacy
is the seed-bedof sins. “Marriage is honorable in all” Violations of purity are