eunuch

The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “eunuch” in English is translated in Low German as “man (or: person) who does not have male strength” (Minsch, de ehr Mannskraft nicht hebt) (translation by Johannes Jessen, publ. 1933, republ. 2006). Similarly, in the German Luther Bible it is translated as Entmannter or “de-masculated.” (Source: Jost Zetzsche)

In Bislama it is “a person who has been castrated.” (Source: Bill Camden in The Bible Translator 1995, p. 240ff. )

When the mentioning of “eunuch” does not play an important part of the story, such as in Esther 2:3 or Esther 1:15, the Elhomwe translation uses “servant or “someone working at the palace” “because otherwise element of being castrated too much emphasis.” (Source: project-specific translation notes in Paratext)

Translation commentary on Sirach 30:20

He sees with his eyes and groans: This may be rendered “He looks at his food and sighs” (Good News Translation) or “He can only stare at his food and groan” (similarly Contemporary English Version). He wants to enjoy the good food but is just too sick to eat it.

Like a eunuch who embraces a maiden and groans: The eunuch—a castrated man—groans because he would like to have sex with the girl and cannot, just as the sick man wants to enjoy his food but cannot. For a discussion on eunuch, see 20.4. The word groans is used in both lines of this verse; Good News Translation translates it “sighs,” and rewords this verse in such a way that it is used only once. It is a translator’s choice between groans and “sighs.” The Greek verb here can mean either. Many of us have had the experience of being too sick to eat, so it’s a matter of what kind of sound we might imagine a lovesick eunuch would make.

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Sirach. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2008. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.