Who are the men born as eunuchs in Matt. 19:11-12?
In Matt. 19:8-10"He said to them, 'Because of your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery.' The disciples said to him, 'If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry.'" Matt. 19:8-10 ESV., Jesus's disciples tell Jesus that it would have been better for a man who divorces his wife because of her adultery if he had not married. Jesus responds that some people are born eunuchs, some people are made eunuchs by men, and some people make themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 19:11-12"But he said unto them, All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given. 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" Matt. 19:11-12 ESV.). According to the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, either a man or a woman can be a eunuch, who are castrated individuals, since castrate means "1. to remove the testes of; emasculate; geld, 2. to remove the ovaries of." Some women in ancient times had their ovaries removed; usually it was because they belonged to a cult and they became eunuchs for religious purposes. It was rare because, as you can imagine, the mortality rate was extremely high. However, since the disciples are specifically talking about men in Matt. 19:8-10"He said to them, 'Because of your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery.' The disciples said to him, 'If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry.'" Matt. 19:8-10 ESV., we will infer that Jesus is referring to men in Matt. 19:11-12"But he said unto them, All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given. 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" Matt. 19:11-12 ESV. as well. Thus, we must ask ourselves:
The ancient Greek word used for eunuchs is εὐνοῦχος or eunouchos, and it means "a castrated person (such being employed in Oriental bed chambers); by extension an impotent or unmarried man; by implication a chamberlain (state officer): - eunuch," according to Strong's Concordance and "a castrated person, eunuch, employed to take charge of the women and act as chamberlain," according to A Greek-English Lexicon.1 Vine's Expository Dictionary further explains that a eunuch denotes an emasculate man and, in the third verse of Matt. 19:12"For there are eunuchs who have been so 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 of the kingdom of heaven. Let the one who is able to receive this receive it." Matt. 19:12 ESV., a eunuch denotes "one naturally incapacitated for, or voluntarily abstaining from, wedlock."2
During Jesus's time, kings employed eunuchs on their grounds to guard the kings' harems. The kings would trust the eunuchs for this job because the eunuchs would have little desire to engage in sexual activity with women.3 Of course, if a eunuch had engaged in any sexual activity with woman in the harem, she could not get pregnant. Some men also were castrated or castrated themselves for religious reasons, such as those who were in a religious cult and their castration was necessary to maintain their cult membership. However, what can we make of Jesus statement that some men are born as eunuchs?
A person may ask himself or herself, "How can someone be born a eunuch?" We know from dictionaries that a eunuch is someone who is castrated, either deliberately or by accident. The ancient Greek word used for eunuchs is εὐνοῦχος or eunouchos, and it means "a castrated person (such being employed in Oriental bed chambers); by extension an impotent or unmarried man; by implication a chamberlain (state officer): - eunuch," according to Strong's Concordance and "a castrated person, eunuch, employed to take charge of the women and act as chamberlain," according to A Greek-English Lexicon.1
In Vine's Expository Dictionary, a eunuch is further defined as an emasculate man and, in the third verse of Matt. 19:12"For there are eunuchs who have been so 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 of the kingdom of heaven. Let the one who is able to receive this receive it." Matt. 19:12 ESV., a eunuch denotes "one naturally incapacitated for, or voluntarily abstaining from, wedlock."2 Based on these definitions of a eunuch, we know that a eunuch was castrated, was unable to reproduce, and most likely did not marry. Jesus states in Matt. 19:12"For there are eunuchs who have been so 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 of the kingdom of heaven. Let the one who is able to receive this receive it." Matt. 19:12 ESV. that some men were born as eunuchs, some became eunuchs after birth by their fellow men, and some made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven. Jesus is explaining to His disciples that some men are eunuchs because they were castrated by their fellow men, and some men simply act as eunuchs because they abstain from intercourse and marriage so that they can concentrate on serving God. However, the first group of men that Jesus mentions, those who are born eunuchs, might confuse some people. Some Christians may wonder how some men can be born as eunuchs.
Eunuchs are castrated men, and are, therefore, impotent. Some men are born without testicles (naturally castrated), and some men are born with testicles but they are naturally impotent. Both types of men may not have been readily accepted within society during Jesus's time,3 which is why Jesus states after his proclamation about eunuchs, "Let the one who is able to receive this receive it" in Matt. 19:12 ESV"For there are eunuchs who have been so 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 of the kingdom of heaven. Let the one who is able to receive this receive it." Matt. 19:12 ESV..
Although some eunuchs enjoyed a high political position, most eunuchs were scorned by society. Most eunuchs were effeminate, and they were viewed as social deviants because they were considered an anomaly within a male-dominated society that prized masculinity.4 Some scholars also believe that some eunuchs practiced homosexuality, such as the eunuchs from the cult of Cybele.5 Furthermore, an ancient Greek fable known as The Golden Ass exists in which eunuchs were the sexual aggressors.6 Thus, some eunuchs were known as "male homosexuals" by our modern definition, and Jesus was most likely aware of this, since He is all-knowing. Perhaps Jesus is referring to homosexuals when he stated that "there are eunuchs who have been so from birth" in Matt. 19:12"For there are eunuchs who have been so 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 of the kingdom of heaven. Let the one who is able to receive this receive it." Matt. 19:12 ESV..7
There is very little evidence that eunuchs were homosexuals since eunuchs, by their very nature, have little or no sex drive. In the ancient Greek fable, the Golden Ass, eunuchs are mentioned as sexual aggressors, but this story is simply a fable and there is no proof that it is historically accurate.4 Basically, Jesus infers in Matt. 19:12"For there are eunuchs who have been so 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 of the kingdom of heaven. Let the one who is able to receive this receive it." Matt. 19:12 ESV. that all types of eunuchs, those who are made within their mother's womb, those who are made by men, and those who are self-willed for the kingdom of heaven, may be included within the Christian family and are not excluded from heaven simply because of their condition. He does not infer that sexually-active homosexuals, who are capable of procreating with women if they choose to do so, fall within this category.
1"εὐνοῦχος." Strong, 1995/1996, Greek section p. 38, entry 2135 & "εὐνοῦχος." A Greek-English Lexicon, 1940 Return
2"Eunouchos." Vine, 1997, p. 374 Return
3Achtemeier, 1985/1996, p. 313 Return
4"In a patriarchal culture where honor was tied to male domination, the effeminate, impotent eunuch was viewed with shame and as a threatening social deviant" (Spencer, 2000, p. 434). Summer cites Philodemus, who states, ". . . and they cause confusion especially with a combination of opinions, and the peculiar properties of tympana, rhomboi, cymbals, and rhythms cause frenzied behavior and lead everything to Bacchic revelry, especially through such instruments combined with false notions, which <affect> mostly women and mostly effeminate men . . ." (Summer, 1996, p. 347-348). Return
5Partridge, 1960, p. 59 Return
6"They all sat down to table together, but the (eunuch) priests had eaten only a few mouthfuls of the first course before they jumped up, crowded around their guest's couch, pushed him down on his back, pulled off his clothes, and made such loathsome suggestions that I could stand it no longer. I tried to shout: "Help, help! Rape! Rape! Arrest these he-whores!' But all that came out was 'He-whore', He-whore,' (sic) in fine ringing tones that would have done credit to any ass alive" Apuleius (R. Graves, Trans.), 1951/1979, p. 191. Please note that although The Golden Ass was translated in Latin, it was originally written in ancient Greek, it was a Greek fable, and it may have even had a different name, as explained here and here. Return
7The scholar Nissinen states, "In original Greek, those who are 'in capable of marriage' are called 'eunuchs (eunouchoi). . . . Broadly speaking, "eunuch" can mean anybody who finds marital life impossible. . . . In an expanded sense, the word has been taken as referring to anyone who was physically debilitated, incapable of fathering children, or otherwise unfit and therefore excluded from society" (Nissinen, 1998, p. 120). Return
1"εὐνοῦχος." Strong, 1995/1996, Greek section p. 38, entry 2135 & "εὐνοῦχος." A Greek-English Lexicon, 1940 Return
2"Eunouchos." Vine, 1997, p. 374 Return
3"In the Jewish world the eunuch's alien status was compounded by his lack of wholeness (holiness) and inability to perpetuate the covenant line through circumcision and procreation. Biblical law excluded men with damaged genitals from the covenant community (Deut. 23:1) and the holy priesthood (Lev. 21:17-21; cf. Philo Spec. leg. 1.324-25)" (Spencer, 2000, p. 435-435). Return
4Apuleius (R. Graves, Trans.), 1951/1979, p. 191 Return
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