Questions From Readers

Since the Bible often mentions “the fatherless boy,” does this indicate less concern for girls?

Definitely not.

The New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures uses the phrase “the fatherless boy” in many verses that manifest God’s concern for children who lack a parent. God made this concern clear in the laws he gave to Israel.

For example, God stated: “You people must not afflict any widow or fatherless boy. If you should afflict him at all, then if he cries out to me at all, I shall unfailingly hear his outcry; and my anger will indeed blaze, and I shall certainly kill you with the sword, and your wives must become widows and your sons fatherless boys.” (Exodus 22:22-24) “Jehovah your God is the God of gods and the Lord of lords, the God great, mighty and fear-inspiring, who treats none with partiality nor accepts a bribe, executing judgment for the fatherless boy and the widow.”​—Deuteronomy 10:17, 18; 14:29; 24:17; 27:19.

Many Bible versions read “fatherless child” or “orphan” in these verses, thus covering boys and girls. However, such renderings ignore a flavor found in the underlying Hebrew word (ya·thohmʹ), which is in the masculine gender. Instead, the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures uses the accurate rendering “fatherless boy(s),” as at Psalm 68:5, which reads: “A father of fatherless boys and a judge of widows is God in his holy dwelling.” Based on the same sensitivity to the underlying Hebrew, the feminine gender of a verb in Psalm 68:11 recommends the reading: “The women telling the good news are a large army.”a

Even though “fatherless boy” is the principal rendering of ya·thohmʹ, this should not be taken as suggesting an absence of concern for girls who lack a parent. The passages quoted and others show that God’s people were encouraged to care for females, for widows. (Psalm 146:9; Isaiah 1:17; Jeremiah 22:3; Zechariah 7:9, 10; Malachi 3:5) In the Law, God also included an account about a judicial decision that guaranteed an inheritance for the fatherless daughters of Zelophehad. That ruling became a statute for handling similar situations, thus upholding the rights of fatherless girls.​—Numbers 27:1-8.

Jesus did not discriminate by gender in showing kindness to children. Instead, we read: “People began bringing him young children for him to touch these; but the disciples reprimanded them. At seeing this Jesus was indignant and said to them: ‘Let the young children come to me; do not try to stop them, for the kingdom of God belongs to suchlike ones. Truly I say to you, Whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a young child will by no means enter into it.’ And he took the children into his arms and began blessing them.”​—Mark 10:13-16.

The Greek word here rendered “young children” is in the neuter gender. A noted Greek lexicon says that this word is “used of boys and girls.” Jesus was reflecting a corresponding interest by Jehovah in all children, boys and girls. (Hebrews 1:3; compare Deuteronomy 16:14; Mark 5:35, 38-42.) It should thus be recognized that counsel in the Hebrew Scriptures about caring for “fatherless boys” amounts to advice on how we should be concerned about all children who lack a parent or parents.

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