Lexical Definition

‎רַב־סָרִיס‎ Rab-Çârîyç (rab-saw-reece') Rab-saris ^N:N-M-P
from ‎רַב‎ and a foreign word for a eunuch; chief chamberlain

Rab-saris.

• Rab-Saris, a Babylonian official

1) chief eunuch
1a) Rab-saris, chief eunuch, a high ranking Babylonian official

Extended Information

• A man living at the time of Divided Monarchy, only mentioned at 2Ki.18.17

Brown-Driver-Briggs

Also see: רַב־מָג | שָׁקָה

II. ‎רַב‎₄₉ noun masculine chief (Assyrian-Babylonian influence, compare rab Dl^{HWB 609 b}; Biblical Aramic ‎רַב‎); — construct ‎׳‎‎ר‎ Jer 39:9+; plural construct ‎רַבֵּי‎ Jer 39:13; Jer 41:1 (but see below); — especially ‎רַבֿ‎ ‎טַבָּחִים‎ chief of guardsmen (see ‎טַבָּח‎), only as title of Babylonian officer Jer 30:9; Jer 30:10 + 15 t. Jeremiah, 7 t || 2Kgs 25 (compare ‎׳‎‎שַׁר הַט‎ in Gen [J](/btb/not_created.html) E]); also ‎רַב הַחֹבֵל‎ Jonah 1:6 chief of the sailors, i.e. captain; in general ‎כָּלרַֿב‎ ‎בֵּיתוֺ‎ Esth 1:8, ‎רַבמָֿרִיסָיו‎ Dan 1:3 (see ‎סָרִיס‎ ), and so ‎רַבֵּי‎ ‎מֶלֶךְ בָּבֶל‎ Jer 39:13, ‎רַבֵּי הַמֶּלֶךְ‎ Jer 41:1 (late gloss; omitted by ᵐ5 and || 2Kgs 25:25, so Hi Gf Gie). The following titles of Assyrian -Babylonian officers are probably loan-words in Hebrew: ‎רַבמָֿ֑ג‎ Jer 39:3; Jer 39:13 usually chief soothsayer (see ‎מָ֑ג‎), but = rab-mugi [? chief of princes] Pinches^{Hast. DB. BAB-MAG}; ‎רַבסָֿרִיס‎ (compare Old Aramaic [Nineveh] ‎רב סרס‎ Lzb³⁸⁶), 2Kgs 18:17 (Assyrian; not in || Isa 36:2), Jer 39:8; Jer 39:13 (Babylonian ), usually chief eunuch, but = rabû-ša-rêši, chief of the heads (the principal men) Wkl^{Unters. x.altor.Geschichte.1889, Excurs. v, p. 138} (actually found as rubû-ša-ri-ešu Pinches^{Acad June 25,1892, 618}), Pinches^{Hast.DB.RAB-SARIS}; ‎רַבשָֿׁקֵה‎ (van d. H. ‎רַבְשָׁקֵה‎) chief of the officers (?) (so probably Assyrian rab-ŠA†; ša‡kû = high one; COT^{2Kgs 18:17} KB^ii.23 Dl^{HWB 685 a} Tiele^{Bab.-As. Geschichte.497.513} Pinches^{Hast.DB.iv 191}), 2Kgs 18:17; 2Kgs 18:19; 2Kgs 18:26; 2Kgs 18:27; 2Kgs 18:37; 2Kgs 19:4; 2Kgs 19:8 = Isa 36:2; Isa 36:4; Isa 36:11; Isa 36:13 (twice in verse); Isa 36:22; Isa 37:4; Isa 37:8

Brown-Driver-Briggs References

Profile

Male • A Babylonian official sent by King Sennacherib to Jerusalem

Man living at the time of Divided Monarchy

Rab-saris was one of the Babylonian officials sent by King Sennacherib to Jerusalem during his campaign against Judah.

• A man living at the time of Divided Monarchy, only mentioned at 2Ki.18.17;
• only referred to as Rab-saris רַב־סָרִיס.

Rab-saris is mentioned as one of the Babylonian officials sent by King Sennacherib of Assyria to Jerusalem during his campaign against Judah (2 Kings 18:17). The name "Rab-saris" is likely a title meaning "chief eunuch" or "chief officer." He was accompanied by Tartan and Rabshakeh, two other high-ranking Assyrian officials. Their mission was to intimidate King Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem into surrendering. The presence of Rab-saris, along with the other officials, underscores the gravity of the situation and the might of the Assyrian army threatening Judah.

All entries for Rab-saris: רַב־סָרִיס