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Writer's pictureBruce A Proctor

Was Potiphar a Eunuch?



When I was confronted with that question, I had no memory of ever having heard it before. There are a number of articles online regarding it, but to me, their conclusions are mostly speculative. The Hebrew word referring to Potiphar as an "officer" is "saris." According to JewishEncyclopedia.com, this word "is commonly used in the Old Testament of eunuchs, but occasionally it seems to stand in a more general sense for 'court official,' and sometimes it designated a military officer (2 Kings 25:19)." In his book, "Ancient Orient and Old Testament," Kenneth Kitchen wrote that the meaning of the Hebrew word 'saris' changed from "officer" or "official" to "eunuch" in the first millennial B.C. This was long after the time Potiphar was living. That Potiphar was a eunuch is baseless speculation. I see where some may have gotten this “Potiphar-was-a-eunuch” information online - the “Enduring Word Bible Commentary” on Genesis Chapter 39. It's really guesswork and unfruitful speculation. So, it's right to conclude that Potiphar was not a eunuch for multiple reasons, especially being a married man.

I hope this is helpful.

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