Bible Dictionaries
Rabsaris

Holman Bible Dictionary

(rab' ssuh rihss) An Assyrian court position with strong military and diplomatic powers. The Hebrew saris means “eunuch,” but the term here is a transliteration of Akkadian and should not be taken literally. The title literally means “he who stands by the king.” The Old Testament records that the rabsaris was sent on two occasions to deal with the Israelite kings ( 2 Kings 18:17; Jeremiah 39:3 ). Hezekiah and Zedekiah each rebelled against the Assyrian rule and withheld tribute payment. The rabsaris was among the ambassadors who called on the kings to demand payment. See Eunuch .