The eunuchs who made themselves eunuchs...

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Matthew 19:

"there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother's womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake."

Who exactly were the eunuchs who had made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake?

I think when I was a believer I took that scripture to mean that some people chose/choose to stay celibate to focus on spiritual pursuits (like annoying other people by preaching - that sort of thing) rather than be literal eunuchs.

Of course, elsewhere the Bible says that if body parts are making you stumble cut them off, so….

Pretty sure Jesus was talking metaphorically, though he wouldn't be against literally if a person had no other way to resist temptation. (Marital) sex is not a sin in Christianity, but the holiest of people abstain from the flesh.

1 Corinthians 7:1-2, 32-34
"Now for the matters you wrote about: “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.” But since sexual immorality is occurring, each man should have sexual relations with his own wife, and each woman with her own husband." " An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord’s affairs—how he can please the Lord. But a married man is concerned about the affairs of this world—how he can please his wife— and his interests are divided."

Speaking of eunuchs, there’s the old computer science joke:

Unix (in all of its forms): it’ enough to make you into one!

I used to take it literally because it is worded strongly,as are the verses where he tells Christians to cut off their body parts that are leading them to hell.

Now I see them as something that is sarcastic, as in he is saying that castration is for people trying to get to heaven by their own righteousness. In the later gospel of John he says just believe in him to be saved.

It's a shame that there is no hint of it being sarcastic at all because it has caused people to harm themselves.

I don't feel people thought it necessary to be a eunuch in order to be celibate.

Or "felt" like a eunuch owing to celibacy.

The operation to become a eunuch was rather a risky procedure. And, as is true now, very few people were "born" being eunuchs.

I think you misunderstood, I don't think he's telling people to literally castrate themselves. But he is... sarcastically.. which is why Christians have actually done it: like origen... because they didn't understand the sarcasm.

The kingdom of heaven is the Christian afterlife or referring to the Christian community here on earth so it can't be referring to followers of Cybele, as that is a non-Christian god.

There was a Christian sect that practiced castration literally. Can't remember what they were called at the moment.

Most Christians understand the sarcasm or ignore that verse or explain it away as celibacy.
Later in the Bible it says there were great multitudes in heaven so castrating oneself cannot be a barrier for entry.

One would think that a divine being would avoid speaking figuratively about such a topic and would, instead, say directly what he, she, or they means to avoid certain confusion and harm.

It is confusing.