The father-in-law on the bride’s side, the wife’s father, is designated by a masculine participial form of the Hebrew verb hha·thanʹ. Its feminine participial form refers to mother-in-law. (Deut. 27:23) Other forms of the word hha·thanʹ are also translated “marriage alliance.”—Deut. 7:3; 1 Sam. 18:20-27; 1 Ki. 3:1; 2 Chron. 18:1.

Because an engaged couple were considered as bound although the couple had not yet come together in marriage, the woman was spoken of as the man’s wife. (Judg. 14:20) Therefore, the man was called “son-in-law” (a noun drawn from hha·thanʹ being used) regardless of whether the marriage alliance had been fully consummated (Judg. 19:5; 1 Sam. 22:14; Neh. 6:18; 13:28) or was only contemplated, as in the case of Lot’s “sons-in-law.” (Gen. 19:12, 14; compare Judges 15:6.) Lot’s daughters were only betrothed; otherwise they would most likely have been with their husbands and not living in their father’s house. That the two men were only prospective, not actual, sons-in-law (engaged to Lot’s daughters but not as yet married to them) is indicated by the Hebrew, which allows for the rendering: “[Lot’s] sons-in-law who were to take his  daughters.”—Gen. 19:14, NW; Mo; Ro; compare JB; RS.

In the Christian Greek Scriptures, pen·the·rosʹ is translated “father-in-law” (John 18:13); the feminine form, pen·the·raʹ, is rendered “mother-in-law.”—Matt. 8:14; 10:35; Mark 1:30; Luke 4:38; 12:53; see DAUGHTER-IN-LAW.

FATHERLESS BOY

With no man in the house to support them and protect their interests, the fatherless boy and the widow might more easily become subject to oppression and difficulties. Their welfare was, therefore, provided for under the Law, which not only ensured justice for the fatherless boy, the widow and the alien resident, but also included provisions for their sustenance. (Ex. 22:22-24; Deut. 24:17) Gleanings left in the field, on the olive tree and in the vineyard were available to these poor ones. (Deut. 24:19-21) A special invitation was extended to them to participate in the bounteous yearly Festival of Ingathering (Festival of Booths), during which they could enjoy the feasting that accompanied the celebration. (Deut. 16:9-14) Every third year the special tithe that the Israelites normally ate at Jerusalem was deposited within the gates of their home cities. From this tithe the fatherless boy was legally entitled to a portion.—Deut. 14:28, 29; 26:12, 13.

Since it was easy to lose sight of these bereaved and defenseless ones, Jehovah used the expression “fatherless boy” in describing the degree of Israel’s righteousness or of its deviation therefrom. When the nation was enjoying good spiritual health, the fatherless boy was cared for. When justice became perverted in the land, the fatherless boy was sure to be neglected, and this was a symptom of national decay. (Ps. 82:3; 94:6; Isa. 1:17, 23; Jer. 7:5-7; 22:3; Ezek. 22:7; Zech. 7:9-11; Mal. 3:5) Jehovah’s curse was on those who oppressed the fatherless boy. (Deut. 27:19; Isa. 10:1, 2) Jehovah describes himself as the Redeemer (Prov. 23:10, 11), Helper (Ps. 10:14) and Father (Ps. 68:5) of such ones. He is the One executing judgment in their behalf (Deut. 10:17, 18), showing them mercy (Hos. 14:3), giving them relief (Ps. 146:9) and preserving them alive.—Jer. 49:11.

One of the identifying marks of real Christianity is its consideration for those bereaved by loss of husband or parents. The disciple James writes to Christians: “The form of worship that is clean and undefiled from the standpoint of our God and Father is this: to look after orphans and widows in their tribulation, and to keep oneself without spot from the world.”—Jas. 1:27.

FATHER’S HOUSE

[Heb., behth ʼav; pl., behth ʼa·vohthʹ].

These Hebrew expressions could refer (1) to a dwelling place (Deut. 22:21); (2) to the household of one’s father at his place of dwelling (Gen. 31:30; 38:11); (3) to those making up the household itself, even in a location away from the ancestral home (Gen. 46:31; Judg. 9:18); (4) or, as variously translated, to a “father’s (or fathers’) house,” “chief house,” “ancestral house,” “paternal house,” which, in some cases, took in several families; for example, at the time of numbering the Israelites in the wilderness, four families were considered as making up the paternal house of Kohath. (Num. 3:19, 30; see also Exodus 6:14; Numbers 26:20-22; Joshua 7:17.) Several paternal houses constituted a tribe (such as the tribe of Levi, made up of the paternal houses of Gershon, Kohath and Merari).

The terms “paternal house” or “fathers’ house,” “house of our father,” and so forth, were not always limited to the above usages, however. (For a broader use of “paternal house” see Numbers 17:2, 6, where a paternal house is a tribe.)

As the population of Israel increased, and as various areas of the Promised Land became settled, paternal houses also increased in number. The priests were organized by David into twenty-four divisions of service according to their paternal houses, sixteen divisions for Eleazar and eight for Ithamar. The twenty-four headmen were called “heads for their paternal houses.” (1 Chron. 24:4-6) The rest of the Levites were selected for certain duties by lot, without regard to any priority of age of the heads of their paternal houses.—1 Chron. 24:20-31.

Each Israelite paternal house was represented by its hereditary head in connection with official tribal business and the administration of justice. (Neh. 7:70, 71; 11:13) At the celebration of the Passover in Jerusalem in King Josiah’s time, the people apparently entered the court of the temple by their paternal houses to offer their sacrifices. The Levites, by their divisions based on paternal houses, received the sacrifices of the people, prepared them and delivered them to the priests officiating at the altar.—2 Chron. 35:4, 5, 12.

Jesus Christ promised his followers that he was going his way to prepare a place for them in his ‘Father’s house,’ by which he had reference to the heavenly dwelling place of Jehovah.—John 14:2; see FAMILY.

FATHOM

A unit for measuring the depth of water. The fathom is commonly viewed as being four cubits (c. 6 feet; c. 1.8 meters) and approximately corresponds to the distance between the fingertips of a man’s two hands when his arms are stretched in opposite directions.—Acts 27:28.

FAULT, FAULTFINDING

A “fault” is a neglect, failing, defect, error, imperfection; it can mean failure to do what is right; also, responsibility for failure or for wrongdoing. Pilate, after examining Jesus Christ on the charges brought by the Jews, found no evidence of guilt and announced to the Jews three times: “I find no fault in him.”—John 18:38; 19:4, 6.

JEHOVAH’S DEALINGS WITH FAULTY MANKIND

That which Jehovah God makes is perfect, without fault, as are all his words and acts. (Deut. 32:4) For this reason, and because of his almightiness, he can say, as in correcting Job: “Should there be any contending of a faultfinder with the Almighty?” (Job 40:1, 2) The apostle Paul points out that God has the right to deal with his creatures as He pleases, just as a potter makes the kinds of vessels he desires to produce. God tolerates “vessels of wrath” for a purpose, just as he did Pharaoh, while he has mercy on “vessels of mercy,” and we cannot rightly question God’s action in this.—Rom. 9:14-24.

On the other hand, man’s ways and productions are often faulty. Sin and error are the legacy all men have inherited from Adam. (Rom. 5:12; Ps. 51:5) But Jehovah, himself faultless, “well knows the formation of us, remembering that we are dust,” and is merciful. (Ps. 103:13, 14) He considered faithful, obedient Noah as “faultless among his contemporaries” (Gen. 6:9), and commanded Abraham, “Walk before me and prove yourself faultless” (Gen. 17:1), although both these men were imperfect, and died. But they were viewed as faultless by Jehovah, who “sees what the heart is.” (1 Sam. 16:7; compare 2 Kings 20:3; 2 Chronicles 16:9.) He is “aware of the days of the faultless ones.” (Ps. 37:18) He commanded Israel: “You should prove yourself faultless with Jehovah your God.” (Deut. 18:13; 2 Sam. 22:24) He provided his faultless Son (Heb. 7:26) as a ransom sacrifice, and on this basis can call those exercising faith and obedience “righteous” or faultless, while at the same time maintaining his position as the righteous and faultless Judge.—Rom. 3:25, 26; see INTEGRITY.

THE LAW COVENANT

The apostle Paul says that the Law is “spiritual” and “fine” (Rom. 7:14; 1 Tim. 1:8) and, after discussing its tenth commandment, states that “the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.” (Rom. 7:7-12) Why, then, does he also say: “If that first covenant had been faultless, no place would have been sought for a second”? (Heb. 8:7) Paul goes on to explain: “He [Jehovah, through Jeremiah] does find fault with the people.” (Heb. 8:8, 9; compare Jeremiah 31:31, 32.) In another place he shows that there was an incapability on the part of the Law, while it was “weak through the flesh.” (Rom. 8:3) Also, he logically demonstrates that perfection could not come through the Levitical priesthood, which, along with the law by which it operated, had to be changed; that “the Law made nothing perfect,” and that its gifts and sacrifices were “not able to make the man doing sacred service perfect as respects his conscience.”—Heb. 7:11, 12, 19; 9:9.

DEALING WITH ONE ANOTHER’S FAULTS

The Bible counsels us to “continue putting up with one another and forgiving one another freely if anyone has a cause for complaint against another.” (Col. 3:13) If all our faults were held against us we would all be condemned. Many faults can be overlooked; surely a Christian should not be anxious to make public the faults of his brothers. The Scriptures say of a wicked person: “You sit and speak against your own brother, against the son of your mother you give away a fault.”—Ps. 50:16, 20.

However, Jesus Christ instructed his disciples what to do if there is really sin involved. As the first step, he counseled: “If your brother commits a sin, go lay bare his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.” Jesus then proceeds to outline the steps to take if this first effort fails.—Matt. 18:15-17; see also Galatians 6:1.

FAULTFINDING

“Faultfinding” usually has the bad connotation of petty or unreasonable censure. In the Bible the practice of “faultfinding” is used in a sense comparable to “murmuring” or “complaining.”

Faultfinding can cause persons to share in wicked acts. David, unjustly harassed by King Saul and others who sought his death, prayed confidently to Jehovah: “You will provide me escape from the faultfinding of the people.” (Ps. 18:43) Faultfinding discourages and tears down. The Israelites, not long out of Egypt, murmured against Jehovah, finding fault with the leadership that he provided by his servants Moses and Aaron. (Ex. 16:2, 7) Later their complaints so discouraged Moses that he asked to die. (Num. 11:13-15) Murmuring is a deadly danger to the murmurer. Jehovah counted the things said by murmurers about Moses as actually being a rebellious complaint against His own divine leadership. (Num. 14:26-30) Many lost their lives as a result of faultfinding.

Accordingly, the Christian Greek Scriptures draw on the ancient examples to warn of the destructiveness of murmuring or complaining. (1 Cor. 10:10, 11) Jude tells of those who ‘disregard lordship and speak abusively of glorious ones,’ describing such ones as “murmurers, complainers about their lot in life, proceeding according to their own desires, and their mouths speak swelling things, while they are admiring personalities for the sake of their own benefit.”—Jude 8, 16.

Jesus condemned the faultfinding attitude when he said: “Stop judging that you may not be judged. Why, then, do you look at the straw in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the rafter in your own eye? . . . Hypocrite! First extract the rafter from your own eye, and then you will see clearly how to extract the straw from your brother’s eye.”—Matt. 7:1, 3-5; compare Romans 2:1.

A FAULTLESS MINISTRY

The apostle Paul, highly grateful and appreciative of the glorious treasure of the ministry, exercised care to glorify this ministry by watching closely every feature of his life and conduct. He said in his letter to the congregation at Corinth: “In no way are we giving any cause for stumbling, that our ministry might not be found fault with.” (2 Cor. 6:3) Men challenging Paul’s apostleship had associated with the congregation there and had indulged in much faultfinding and slander against Paul in order to belittle him and to destroy his apostolic authority over the congregation. Realizing this, and knowing also the danger of faultfinding and trouble where money matters are concerned, he assured the congregation that he was sending Titus and another trustworthy brother appointed by the congregations to handle the contributions. “Thus,” wrote Paul, “we are avoiding having any man find fault with us in connection with this liberal contribution to be administered by us.”—2 Cor. 8:16-21.

FEAR

As commonly used, fear means an expectation of harm or pain, generally a painful emotion characterized by alarm, dread, disquiet. However, fear may also mean a calm recognition or consideration of whatever may injure or damage, such recognition causing one to exercise reasoned caution and intelligent foresight.

The Bible shows that there is a proper fear and an improper fear. Thus, fear may be wholesome, causing the individual to proceed with due caution in the face of danger, thereby averting disaster, or it may be morbid, destroying hope and weakening a person’s nervous stamina, even to the point of bringing about death. The fear of God is healthful; it is an awe and profound reverence for the Creator and a wholesome dread of displeasing him because of an appreciation of his loving-kindness and goodness together with the realization that he is the Supreme Judge and the Almighty, with the power to inflict punishment or death upon those who disobey him. Proper fear also includes due respect for secular authority, the Christian knowing that just punishment from the authority for a crime would be an indirect expression of God’s anger.—Rom. 13:3-7.

Adam and Eve failed to exercise a proper, healthful fear of God and therefore they disobeyed him. This produced in them a painful fear or terror, which caused them to hide from God’s presence. Adam said: “Your voice I heard in the garden, but I was afraid.” (Gen. 3:10) Adam’s son Cain felt a similar fear after murdering his brother Abel, and this fear may have been a contributing factor in his deciding to build a city.—Gen. 4:13-17.

At Genesis 9:2 the word “fear” is used in connection with the animal creation. God told Noah and his sons: “A fear of you and a terror of you will continue upon every living creature of the earth.” During the year that Noah and his family were inside the ark, the animals and birds penned up therein had a fear toward these humans and this helped to restrain them. Accordingly, when they emerged from the ark after the flood, Jehovah gave Noah assurance that this fear would continue. This is supported by