εὐνουχίζω

emasculate, castrate

Definition

The verb εὐνουχίζω means 'to make a eunuch' or 'to castrate.' In its literal sense, it refers to the physical act of emasculation, a practice known in the ancient world for various servants. In the New Testament, Jesus uses this word metaphorically in Matthew 19:12 to describe those who 'have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven.' This expands the meaning to include a voluntary, spiritual celibacy or singleness undertaken for greater devotion to God's work, not a physical act.

Biblical Usage

This word is used only once in the New Testament, in Matthew 19:12. Jesus employs it in a discussion about marriage and divorce, introducing three categories of 'eunuchs': those born that way, those made eunuchs by others, and those who choose to live as eunuchs for the kingdom's sake. The usage is primarily metaphorical, applying the concept of the eunuch to a call to dedicated singleness.

Etymology

Derived from the noun εὐνοῦχος (eunouchos, G2135), meaning 'eunuch.' The noun itself likely comes from εὐνή (eunē), meaning 'bed,' and ἔχω (echō), meaning 'to have' or 'keep,' thus originally 'bed-keeper.' The verb form εὐνουχίζω means 'to make someone a eunuch.'

Semantic Range

This word is theologically significant as it captures Jesus's radical teaching on voluntary celibacy for the sake of God's kingdom. It elevates singleness from a social disadvantage to a spiritually empowered vocation for mission and service. Understanding the Greek clarifies that Jesus is not advocating physical mutilation but is authorizing a dedicated, unmarried life focused entirely on the kingdom of God, a concept that was counter-cultural and enriched the early church's understanding of calling.

In the 1st-century Greco-Roman and Near Eastern world, eunuchs were often castrated males who served in royal courts or temples, sometimes in positions of trust. They were typically seen as incapable of founding a family dynasty, making them less threatening to rulers. Physically, they occupied a liminal social status. Jesus's metaphorical use would have been startling, as it took a figure often viewed as marginalized or incomplete and presented a voluntary form of that state as a noble, kingdom-oriented choice.

ἀποκόπτω (apokoptō, G609) — a more general term meaning 'to cut off,' which can be used for castration (as in Galatians 5:12) but also for other types of cutting. εὐνοῦχος (eunouchos, G2135) — the noun for 'a eunuch,' from which this verb is derived.

Word Details

Scripture References