Ark of the Covenant - Bible History Online
Bible History

Naves Topical Bible Dictionary

chamberlain Summary and Overview

Bible Dictionaries at a GlanceBible Dictionaries at a Glance

chamberlain in Easton's Bible Dictionary

a confidential servant of the king (Gen. 37:36; 39:1). In Rom. 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, 15; 2:3, 14, 21, etc., properly means an eunuch (as in the marg.), as it is rendered in Isa. 39:7; 56:3.

chamberlain in Smith's Bible Dictionary

an officer attached to the court of a king, who formerly had charge of the private apartments or chambers of the palace. He kept the accounts of the public revenues. The office held by Blastus, "the king's chamberlain," was entirely different from this. #Ac 12:20| It was a post of honor which involved great intimacy and influence with the king. For chamberlain as used in the Old Testament, see [EUNUCH]

chamberlain in Schaff's Bible Dictionary

CHAM'BERLAIN . 2 Kgs 23:11. An officer who has charge of the royal chambers, or the king's lodgings, wardrobes, etc. In Eastern courts eunuchs were commonly employed for this service. Esth 1:10, Jud 4:12, 2 Sam 20:15. The word occurs twice in A.V. of N.T., but entirely different offices are meant in the Greek. Blastus, "the king's chamberlain," mentioned in Acts 12:20, "held a post of honor which involved great intimacy and influence with the king." Erastus, "the chamberlain of the city of Corinth," who sent salutations to the Roman Christians, Rom 16:23, was probably the treasurer of the city.

chamberlain in Fausset's Bible Dictionary

Romans 16:23; Erastus, oikonomos, steward or public treasurer of the city, who kept account of the revenues. Latin arcarius. So in inscriptions in Marm. Oxon., 85, Neilos is called oikonomos of Asia. On the other hand Blastus was chamberlain (epi tou koitonos tou basileos) in a different sense, namely, over the king's bedchamber, a post of honor and intimacy (Acts 12:20).