a confidential servant of the king (
Genesis 37:36 ;
39:1 ). In
Romans 16:23 mention is made of "Erastus the chamberlain." Here the word denotes the treasurer of the city, or the quaestor, as the Romans styled him. He is almost the only convert from the higher ranks of whom mention is made (Compare
Acts 17:34 ). Blastus, Herod's "chamberlain" (
Acts 12:20 ), was his personal attendant or valet-de-chambre. The Hebrew word
saris , thus translated in
Esther 1:10 Esther 1:15 ;
Esther 2:3 Esther 2:14 Esther 2:21 , etc., properly means an eunuch (as in the marg.), as it is rendered in
Isaiah 39:7 ;
56:3 .
These dictionary topics are from
M.G. Easton M.A., D.D., Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Third Edition,
published by Thomas Nelson, 1897. Public Domain, copy freely.