the Week of Proper 28 / Ordinary 33
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Bible Dictionaries
Ethiopian Eunuch
Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament
or Philip the Deacon’s convert (Acts 8:27 ff.) is described as Αἰθίοψ εὐνοῦχος δυνάστης Κανδάκης βασιλίσσης Αἰθιόπων, ὅς ἧν ἐπὶ πάσης τῆς γάζης αὐτῆς. Αἰθίοψ has been briefly discussed above, εὐνοῦχος implies that he was one of the Court officials and perhaps subject to the physical disability which the name ordinarily implies, but not ‘chamberlain’ in the strict sense of the term, as he ‘was in charge of all her treasure’ (see Candace), Becker (Charicles, Eng. translation , 1895, p. 365) notes that eunuchs were prized for their reputed fidelity (παρὰ τοῖσι βαρβάροισι [Herod. viii. 105]), and hence were employed as treasurers (ἐπιεικῶς γὰρ εἰώθεσαν εὐνούχους ἔχειν γαζοφύλακας [Plutarch, Demetr. 25]). δυνάστης suggests that he possessed unusual power and influence at Court; the word is not found in a similar connexion elsewhere in the NT (it is used of God in 1 Timothy 6:15 and of kings in Luke 1:52), but we have two good instances in Xenophon (Anab. i. ii. § 20: τῶν ὑπάρχων τινα δυνάστην, and Cyrop. iv. v. § 40; τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ ἅλλων δυναστῶν; cf. Herod. ii. 32 and Plato, Rep. 473). There are no means hitherto available for identifying this personage who so early in the history of the Church was admitted to her fold by holy baptism* [Note: The formula of faith contained in v. 37 is not found in the oldest MSS, but cannot be later than the 2nd cent., as it is quoted by Irenaeus (Hœr. iii. xii. 8).] from the Gentile world; but the fact that he was returning front worship at Jerusalem, and was reading Isaiah 53:7-8 in the Septuagint version, which here differs somewhat from the Hebrew text, shows that he was acquainted with the Greek language and had been drawn to the religion of the Jews, although he was not very deeply versed in the Scriptures (v. 34). He was not actually a proselyte, and in any case his physical condition probably disqualified him.
C. L. Feltoe.
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Hastings, James. Entry for 'Ethiopian Eunuch'. Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/hdn/e/ethiopian-eunuch.html. 1906-1918.
