the chief eunuch

In Bible versions:

the chief eunuch: NET
a chief officer: NET
Rabsaris: AVS NRSV TEV
chief officer: NIV
Rab-saris: NASB

a chief official (NASB margin)

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chief of the eunuchs

Hebrew

Strongs #07249: oyro-br Rab-Cariyc

1) chief eunuch
1a) Rab-saris, chief eunuch, a high ranking Babylonian official

7249 Rab-Cariyc rab-saw-reece'

from 7227 and a foreign word for a eunuch; chief chamberlain;
Rab-Saris, a Babylonian official:-Rab-saris.
see HEBREW for 07227

Rabsaris [EBD]

chief of the Heads, one of the three officers whom Sennacherib sent from Lachish with a threatening message to Jerusalem (2 Kings 18:17; Jer. 39:3, 13).

Rabsaris [NAVE]

RABSARIS
1. An Assyrian officer. Sent by Seacherib against Jerusalem, 2 Kin. 18:17.
2. An Assyrian prince in time of Nebuchadnezzar, or, possibly, a second name given to Nebushasban, Jer. 39:3, 13.

RABSARIS [SMITH]

(chief of the eunuchs).

1. An officer of the king of Assyria sent up with Tartan and Rabshakeh against Jerusalem in the time of Hezekiah. (2 Kings 18:17) (B.C. 713.)
2. One of the princes of Nebuchadnezzar, who was present at the capture of Jerusalem, B.C. 588. (Jeremiah 39:3,13) Rabsaris is probably rather the name of an office than of an individual.

RAB-SARIS [ISBE]

RAB-SARIS - rab'-sa-ris (rabh-caric): As with Rab-mag, which is not regarded as a name, but a title, so this is to be regarded as a descriptive title for the person whose name precedes it (see RAB-MAG). The first part, rabh, signifies "great" or "chief," the second, caric, is the title for eunuch or chamberlain. The translation then would be chief eunuch or the chief of the eunuchs (or chamberlains).

The oriental custom was for the king to surround himself with a number of eunuchs, who performed varied kinds of services, both menial and dignified. They usually had charge of his harem; sometimes they occupied court positions. Frequently they superintended the education of the youth. The term itself was sometimes used to designate persons in places of trust who were not emasculated. The above title describes the highest or chief in rank of these eunuchs.

See EUNUCH.

The full title is used 3 times, once in connection with the titles of other important officers who were sent by the king of Assyria with a large army to demand the surrender of Jerusalem. The passage would be translated properly, `And the king of Assyria sent the Tartan and the Rab-saris (the chief eunuch) and the Rabshakeh from Lachish to king Hezekiah' (2 Ki 18:17). Again, it refers to a Babylonian whose real name was Sarsechim, who with the other Babylonian princes sat in the middle gate during the capture of Jerusalem. This event is described as having occurred in the 11th year of Zedekiah, king of Judah (Jer 39:3). The third use is in connection with the name Nebushazban, who, with the other chief officers of the king of Babylon, sent and took Jeremiah out of the court of the guard and committed him to Gedaliah, who was to take him home to dwell with his own people (Jer 39:13).

Thus, it is seen that based upon this accepted theory the three titles would be in their connections as follows: (1) simply "the chief eunuch," (2) Sarsechim, the Rab-saris (or chief eunuch), and (3) Nebushazban, the Rab-saris (or chief eunuch).

See also ASSYRIA, sec. X.

Walter G. Clippinger