Carcas is a name found in the King James Bible, appearing 1 time in the text.
Who This Was
Carcas was one of the seven eunuchs who served King Ahasuerus, the ruler of the Persian Empire. He is named among the king’s chamberlains, the trusted officials who attended the monarch in his palace at Susa. These seven men—Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas—held a privileged place in the royal court, standing in the presence of the king himself.
Carcas appears in the opening chapter of Esther, at a great banquet the king held for his nobles and officials. On the seventh day of the feast, when Ahasuerus was merry with wine, he issued a command to these seven chamberlains. He ordered them to bring Queen Vashti before him, wearing her royal crown, so that he could display her beauty to the assembled guests. The text presents Carcas simply as one of the servants who received this order, named in the list of those the king summoned to carry out his will.
Scripture tells us nothing further about Carcas—not his background, his age, or his later role. He appears only in this single verse, a silent figure in the machinery of a royal court. Yet his inclusion in the list is deliberate: the narrator names each eunuch individually, showing that the command of the king went out through specific, known men. Carcas was one of those who stood close enough to the throne to be called upon at the king’s whim.
The Name
The name Carcas is a transliteration of the Hebrew *Karkas*. Its meaning is not clearly recoverable. Unlike names such as “Gabriel” (strength of God) or “Nathaniel” (gift of God), this name does not yield a confident Hebrew etymology, and scholars have not reached agreement on what it might signify. Some have suggested it could be of Persian origin, fitting the setting of the book, but even this is uncertain. What is plain is that Scripture preserves the name without explaining it. No established meaning can be asserted for Carcas, and it would be dishonest to manufacture one.
A Closing Thought
Carcas is a reminder that most of God’s servants are known to Him though nearly unknown to us. He appears once, mentioned by name, then vanishes from the record. Yet he was present in the palace when God was quietly arranging events that would save His people through Esther. The world remembers few names; heaven remembers them all. If your life feels small and unseen, take heart—the God who numbered Carcas among the seven also knows you, and no faithful service in His story is ever wasted or forgotten.
At a Glance
- Gender: Male
- Testament: Old
- Mentions in the KJV: 1
Where It Appears in Scripture
- Esther 1:10 — On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, and Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas, the seven chamberlains that served in the presence of Ahasuerus the king,