Fact Check: Does Masculus, Arsen, and Zachar mean young child?

This page fact-checks whether masculus, arsen, and zachar mean “young child.” The verdict is contextual, not mechanical. These terms can function as broad male classifiers, but in birth, circumcision, census, covenant, ritual, sacrifice, ark-inventory, and sexual-prohibition contexts, the stronger reading is often young male, male child, or young male animal.

Does Masculus, Arsen, and Zachar Mean Young Child?
Type	Fact check; lexical and contextual analysis
Claim examined	Masculus, arsen, and zachar mean young child.
Verdict	True in context; false as a universal dictionary replacement
Key distinction	Noun or inventory use can point to young male / male child; adjective or sex-class use may simply mean male.
Main method	Temporal Translation
Core rule	Decide noun versus adjective by syntax and local context, not the surface form alone.
Related pages	Masculus, Temporal Translation, Did the Bible Condemn Homosexuality

Verdict: True in context. Masculus, arsen, and zachar can mean young child, male child, young male, or young male animal when the grammar and local context place them in the juvenile register. They should not be translated as “young child” every time they appear. The correct rule is contextual: determine whether the word is functioning as a noun, adjective, sex classifier, inventory unit, ritual category, or vulnerable-stage marker.

Core distinction

Context	Better reading	Reason
Birth announcement	male child / boy	The subject is newly born.
Circumcision	male infant / boy	The rite is tied to the eighth day or early male life.
Census from one month upward	male child / young male under count	The text supplies an age boundary.
Sacrifice	young male animal	The register concerns livestock quality, offering class, and age.
Ark inventory	young male and female animals	The text counts reproductive preservation units.
Abstract sex classification	male / of the male sex	sexus or adjectival form controls the phrase.
Sexual prohibition with adult-man term already present	young male / boy unless context proves otherwise	The text distinguishes adult-man language from the second party.

Evidence from the source documents

The Part II paper argues that the Hebrew zachar, Greek arsen, and Latin masculus frequently appear in legal, ritual, and genealogical settings associated with male children, especially circumcision, census-taking, childbirth, and protected vulnerable categories.

The Part III paper gives Jeremiah 20:15 as a control passage where adult-man terms and male-child terms appear separately in Latin, Hebrew, and Greek. Latin uses homo for the man and masculus for the born son; Hebrew uses ish for the man and zachar for the born son; Greek uses anthrōpos for the man and arsen for the born son.

Ancient Translation Fixes adds the noun/adjective rule: the same surface forms overlap, so translators must use syntax and local context. When masculus modifies sexus, it is a sex classifier. When it stands as a counted unit in covenant, census, birth, or inventory formulas, it often refers to male children or young males.

Noun versus adjective test

Signal	Reading	Example logic
Explicit noun such as sexus	adjective	masculini sexus means “of the male sex.”
masculus stands alone	noun or substantivized noun	The word itself supplies the counted subject.
Quantifier such as omne	noun or classed inventory unit	“Every male” in circumcision or census context points to boys or young males.
Birth, womb, or newborn setting	male child	The referent is not an adult.
Counted animal pairs	young male animal	The register is preservation, breeding, and logistics.
Adult-man term paired with zachar or equivalent	distinct second party	The wording is not simple “man with man.”

Why the answer is not “always”

The fact-check is true only when stated correctly. These terms do not always mean “young child.” They can mark biological sex. In phrases such as “male and female,” the function may be classification rather than age. In masculini sexus, the explicit word sexus forces a sex-class reading.

The error is not translating them as “male” in every possible context. The error is treating “male” as though it always means an adult man and then using that adult reading to build doctrine.

Translation evidence table from Ancient Translation Fixes

The following table preserves the Appendix B evidence set from Ancient Latin Translation Fixes and the Reconstructed Relationship Between Rome and Scripture. It records Amiatinus Latin forms containing masculus or related masculine-register forms and the supplied English reconstruction.

Click expand to review the translation evidence table.

Original Latin (Amiatinus)	English reconstruction
ET CREAVIT DEVS HOMINEM AD IMAGINEM SVAM AD IMAGINEM DEI CREAVIT ILLVM MASCVLVM ET FEMINAM CREAVIT EOS	And God created the human to His own image; to the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
MASCVLVM ET FEMINAM CREAVIT EOS ET BENEDIXIT ILLIS ET VOCAVIT NOMEN EORVM ADAM IN DIE QVO CREATI SVNT	Male and female He created them, and He blessed them, and He called their name Adam on the day they were created.
ET EX CVNCTIS ANIMANTIBVS VNIVERSAE CARNIS BINA INDVCES IN ARCAM VT VIVANT TECVM MASCVLINI SEXVS ET FEMININI	And from all living things of all flesh you shall bring two of each into the ark, so that they may live with you, of the male and of the female sex.
EX OMNIBVS ANIMANTIBVS MVNDIS TOLLE SEPTENA SEPTENA MASCVLVM ET FEMINAM DE ANIMANTIBVS VERO NON MVNDIS DVO DVO MASCVLVM ET FEMINA	From all clean animals take with you seven and seven, a young male and female; but from animals not clean, two and two, a young male and its female.
SED ET DE VOLATILIBVS CAELI SEPTENA SEPTENA MASCVLVM ET FEMINAM VT SALVETVR SEMEN SVPER FACIEM VNIVERSAE TERRAE	And also from the birds of the sky, seven and seven, a young male and female, so that their seed may be saved upon the face of the whole earth.
DVO ET DVO INGRESSA SVNT AD NOE IN ARCAM MASCVLVS ET FEMINA SICVT PRAECEPERAT DOMINVS NOE	Two by two they entered to Noah into the ark, a young male and a female, just as the Lord had commanded Noah.
ET QVAE INGRESSA SVNT MASCVLVS ET FEMINA EX OMNI CARNE INTROIERVNT SICVT PRAECEPERAT EI DEVS ET INCLVSIT EVM DOMINVS DEFORIS	And those that entered, a young male and female from all flesh entered, just as God had commanded him; and the Lord shut him in from the outside.
HOC EST PACTVM MEVM QVOD OBSERVABITIS INTER ME ET VOS ET SEMEN TVVM POST TE CIRCVMCIDETVR EX VOBIS OMNE MASCVLINVM	This is My covenant which you shall keep between Me and you and your seed after you: every male among you shall be circumcised.
INFANS OCTO DIERVM CIRCVM GENES CIDETVR IN VOBIS OMNE MASCVLINVM IN GENERATIONIBVS VESTRIS TAM VERNACVLVS QVAM EMPTITIVS CIRCVMCIDETVR ET QVICVMQVE NON FVERIT DE STIRPE VESTRA	An infant of eight days shall be circumcised among you, every male in your generations, whether homeborn or bought; he shall be circumcised, and whoever is not of your stock.
MASCVLVS CVIVS PRAEPVTII CARO CIRCVMCISA NON FVERIT DELEBITVR ANIMA ILLA DE POPVLO SVO QVIA PACTVM MEVM IRRITVM FECIT	The male child whose foreskin flesh is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people, because he has made My covenant void.
QVI AIT LEVA OCVLOS TVOS ET VIDE VNIVERSOS MASCVLOS ASCENDENTES SVPER FEMINAS VARIOS MACVLOSOS ATQVE RESPERSOS VIDI ENIM OMNIA QVAE FECIT TIBI LABAN	And He said, 'Lift up your eyes and see: all the young males mounting the females, streaked, speckled, and mottled; for I have seen all that Laban has done to you.'
SED IN HOC VALEBIMVS FOEDERARI SI VOLVERITIS ESSE SIMILES NOMINE ET CIRCVMCIDATVR IN VOBIS OMNE MASCVLINI SEXVS	But in this we can be bound by treaty: if you will become like us in name, and every one of your males is circumcised.
VNVM EST QVO DIFFERTVR TANTVM BONVM SI CIRCVMCIDAMVS MASCVLOS NOSTROS RITVM GENTIS IMITANTES	There is only one thing that stands in the way of so much good: if we circumcise our male children, imitating the rite of their people.
ET ECCE DIE TERTIO QVANDO GRAVISSIMVS VVLNERVM DOLOR EST ARREPTIS DVO FILII IACOB SIMEON ET LEVI FRATRES DINAE GLADIIS INGRESSI SVNT VRBEM CONFIDENTER INTERFECTISQVE OMNIBVS MASCVLIS	And behold, on the third day, when the pain of their wounds was most grievous, two sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brothers, seized their swords, entered the city boldly, and slaughtered all the males.
PRAECIPIENS EIS QVANDO OBSTETRICABITIS HEBRAEAS ET PARTVS TEMPVS ADVENERIT SI MASCVLVS FVERIT INTERFICITE EVM SI FEMINA RESERVATE	commanding them, 'When you attend the Hebrew women and the time of birth arrives, if it is a male child, kill him; if it is a female, let her live.'
PRAECEPIT ERGO PHARAO OMNI POPVLO SVO DICENS QVIDQVID MASCVLINI SEXVS NATVM FVERIT IN FLVMEN PROIICITE QVIDQVID FEMININI RESERVATE	Therefore Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, 'Whatever is born of the male sex, throw into the river; whatever is of the female, let it live.'
ERIT AVTEM AGNVS ABSQVE MACVLA MASCVLVS ANNICVLVS IVXTA QVEM RITVM TOLLETIS ET HOEDVM	The lamb shall be without blemish, a male, a year old; by this rite you shall take a young goat as well.
QVOD SI QVIS PEREGRINORVM IN VESTRAM VOLVERIT TRANSIRE COLONIAM ET FACERE PHASE DOMINI CIRCVMCIDETVR PRIVS OMNE MASCVLINVM EIVS ET TVNC RITE CELEBRABIT ERITQVE SICVT INDIGENA TERRAE SI QVIS AVTEM CIRCVMCISVS NON FVERIT NON VESCETVR EX EO	And if any foreigner wishes to pass into your colony and keep the Passover of the Lord, every male of his must first be circumcised; then he will celebrate it properly and will be like a native of the land. But if any is not circumcised, he shall not eat of it.
SEPARABIS OMNE QVOD APERIT VVLVAM DOMINO ET QVOD PRIMITIVVM EST IN PECORIBVS TVIS QVIDQVID HABVERIS MASCVLINI SEXVS CONSECRABIS DOMINO	You shall separate to the Lord everything that opens the womb, and whatever is first among your livestock; whatever you have of the male sex, you shall consecrate to the Lord.
NAM CVM INDVRATVS ESSET PHARAO ET NOLLET NOS DIMITTERE OCCIDIT DOMINVS OMNE PRIMOGENITVM IN TERRA AEGYPTI A PRIMOGENITO HOMINIS VSQVE AD PRIMOGENITVM IVMENTORVM IDCIRCO IMMOLO DOMINO OMNE QVOD APERIT VVLVAM MASCVLINI SEXVS ET OMNIA PRIMOGENITA FILIORVM MEORVM REDIMO	For when Pharaoh was hardened and would not let us go, the Lord killed every firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of man to the firstborn of beasts. For this reason I sacrifice to the Lord every male that opens the womb, and I redeem all the firstborn of my sons.
TER IN ANNO APPAREBIT OMNE MASCVLINVM TVVM CORAM DOMINO DEO TVO	Three times in the year every male of yours shall appear before the Lord your God.
TRIBVS TEMPORIBVS ANNI APPAREBIT OMNE MASCVLINVM TVVM IN CONSPECTV OMNIPOTENTIS DOMINI DEI ISRAEL	Three times in the year every male of yours shall appear in the sight of the Almighty Lord God of Israel.
SI HOLOCAVSTVM FVERIT EIVS OBLATIO AC DE ARMENTO MASCVLVM IMMACVLATVM OFFERET AD OSTIVM TABERNACVLI TESTIMONII AD PLACANDVM SIBI DOMINVM	If his offering is a burnt offering and from the herd, he shall offer a young male without blemish at the entrance of the Tabernacle of Testimony, to be accepted by the Lord.
QVOD SI DE PECORIBVS OBLATIO EST DE OVIBVS SIVE DE CAPRIS HOLOCAVSTVM MASCVLVM LEVITIC ABSQVE MACVLA OFFERET	But if the offering is from the flocks, from sheep or goats, a burnt offering, he shall offer a young male without blemish.
SI VERO DE OVIBVS FVERIT EIVS OBLATIO ET PACIFICORVM HOSTIA SIVE MASCVLVM OBTVLERIT SIVE FEMINAM IMMACVLATA ERVNT	But if his offering for a sacrifice of peace is from the flock, whether he offers a young male or a female, they shall be without blemish.
OMNIS MASCVLVS DE GENERE SACERDOTALI VESCETVR DE CARNIBVS EIVS QVIA SANCTVM SANCTORVM EST	Every young male of the priestly line shall eat of its flesh, for it is most holy.
OMNIS MASCVLVS DE SACERDOTALI GENERE IN LOCO SANCTO VESCETVR HIS CARNIBVS QVIA SANCTVM SANCTORVM EST	Every young male of the priestly line shall eat this flesh in a holy place, for it is most holy.
LOQVERE FILIIS ISRAEL ET DICES AD EOS MVLIER SI SVSCEPTO SEMINE PEPERERIT MASCVLVM IMMVNDA ERIT SEPTEM DIEBVS IVXTA DIES SEPARATIONIS MENSTRVAE	Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them: 'If a woman, having received seed, bears a male child, she shall be unclean for seven days, according to the days of separation of her menstruation.'
QVI OFFERET ILLA CORAM DOMINO ET ORABIT PRO EA ET SIC MVNDABITVR A PROFLVVIO SANGVINIS SVI ISTA EST LEX PARIENTIS MASCVLVM AVT FEMINAM	He shall offer them before the Lord and pray for her, and thus she shall be cleansed from the flow of her blood. This is the law for one who bears a male child or a female child.
CVM MASCVLO NON COMMISCEARIS COITV FEMINEO QVIA ABOMINATIO EST	You shall not have intercourse with a male child as you would a woman, for it is an abomination.
QVI DORMIERIT CVM MASCVLO COITV FEMINEO VTERQVE OPERATVS EST NEFAS LEVITIC MORTE MORIANTVR SIT SANGVIS EORVM SVPER EOS	Whoever has intercourse with a male child as you would a woman, both have done a heinous act; they shall surely die; their blood will be upon them.
VT OFFERATVR PER VOS MASCVLVS IMMACVLATVS ERIT EX BOBVS ET OVIBVS ET EX CAPRIS	So that it may be offered by you, it shall be a young male without blemish, from the oxen, the sheep, or the goats.
SI FVERIT MASCVLVS A VICESIMA ANNO VSQVE AD SEXAGESIMVM ANNVM DABIT QVINQVAGINTA SICLOS ARGENTI AD MENSVRAM SANCTVARII	If it is a male in their twentieth year up to their sixtieth year, he shall give fifty shekels of silver according to the measure of the sanctuary.
A QVINTO AVTEM ANNO VSQVE AD VIGESIMVM MASCVLVS DABIT VIGINTI SICLOS FEMINA DECEM	But from the fifth year up to the twentieth, a male shall give twenty shekels; a female ten.
AB VNO MENSE VSQVE AD ANNVM QVINTVM PRO MASCVLO DABVNTVR QVINQVE SICLI PRO FEMINA TRES	From one month up to the fifth year, five shekels shall be given for a male child, and for a female, three.
SEXAGENARIVS ET VLTRA MASCVLVS DABIT QVINDECIM SICLOS FEMINA DECEM	A male of sixty years and over shall give fifteen shekels; a female ten.
TOLLITE SVMMAM VNIVERSAE CONGREGATIONIS FILIORVM ISRAEL PER COGNATIONES ET DOMOS SVAS ET NOMINA SINGVLORVM QVIDQVID SEXVS EST MASCVLINI	Take the census total of the whole congregation of the sons of Israel by their kindreds and their houses, and by the names of each one, everything that is of the male sex,
DE RVBEN PRIMOGENITO ISRAELIS PER GENERATIONES ET FAMILIAS AC DOMOS SVAS ET NOMINA CAPITVM SINGVLORVM OMNE QVOD SEXVS EST MASCVLINI A VICESIMA ANNO ET SVPRA PROCEDENTIVM AD BELLVM	Of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel, by their generations, families, and houses, and by the names of their heads: every one of the male sex from twenty years of age and older, all those going forth to war.
DE FILIIS SIMEON PER GENERATIONES ET FAMILIAS AC DOMOS COGNATIONVM SVARVM RECENSITI SVNT PER NOMINA ET CAPITA SINGVLORVM OMNE QVOD SEXVS EST MASCVLINI A VICESIMA ANNO ET SVPRA PROCEDENTIVM AD BELLVM	Of the sons of Simeon, by their generations, families, and houses of their kindreds, were counted by their names and heads: every one of the male sex from twenty years of age and older, all those going forth to war.
NVMERA FILIOS LEVI PER DOMOS PATRVM SVORVM ET FAMILIAS OMNEM MASCVLVM AB VNO MENSE ET SVPRA	Number the sons of Levi by the houses of their fathers and their families: every male child from one month old and older.
QVARVM NVMERATVS EST POPVLVS SEXVS MASCVLINI AB VNO MENSE ET SVPRA SEPTEM MILLIA QVINGENTI	The number of their people of the male sex, from one month old and older, was seven thousand five hundred.
OMNES GENERIS MASCVLINI AB VNO MENSE ET SVPRA OCTO MILLIA SEXCENTI HABEBVNT EXCVBIAS SANCTVARII	All those of the male line from one month old and older were eight thousand six hundred; they will have charge of the sanctuary.
OMNES GENERIS MASCVLINI AB VNO MENSE ET SVPRA SEX MILLIA DVCENTI	All those of the male line from one month old and older were six thousand two hundred.
OMNES LEVITAE QVOS NVMERAVERVNT MOSES ET AARON IVXTA PRAECEPTVM DOMINI PER FAMILIAS SVAS IN GENERE MASCVLINO A MENSE VNO ET SVPRA FVERVNT VIGINTI DVO MILLIA	All the Levites whom Moses and Aaron numbered according to the command of the Lord, by their families in the male line, from one month old and older, were twenty-two thousand.
ET AIT DOMINVS AD MOSEN NVMERA PRIMOGENITOS SEXVS MASCVLINI DE FILIIS ISRAEL AB VNO MENSE ET SVPRA ET HABEBIS SVMMAM EORVM	And the Lord said to Moses, 'Number the firstborn of the male sex of the sons of Israel, from one month old and older, and you will have their total number.'
ET FVERVNT MASCVLI PER NOMINA SVA A MENSE VNO ET SVPRA VIGINTI DVO MILLIA DVCENTI SEPTVAGINTA TRES	And the male children by their names, from one month old and older, were twenty-two thousand, two hundred and seventy-three.
TAM MASCVLVM QVAM FEMINAM EIICITE DE CASTRIS NE CONTAMINENT EA CVM HABITAVERINT VOBISCVM	Cast out of the camp both male and female, lest they contaminate it when I dwell with you.
FVERVNTQVE OMNES QVI NVMERATI SVNT VIGINTI TRIA MILLIA GENERIS MASCVLINI AB VNO MENSE ET SVPRA QVIA NON SVNT RECENSITI INTER FILIOS ISRAEL NEC EIS CVM CETERIS DATA POSSESSIO EST	And all who were numbered were twenty-three thousand of the male line, from one month old and older, because they were not counted among the sons of Israel, nor was a possession given to them with the others.
ERGO CVNCTOS INTERFICITE QVIDQVID EST GENERIS MASCVLINIS ETIAM IN PARVVLIS ET MVLIERES QVAE NOVERVNT VIROS IN COITV IVGVLATE	Therefore kill every one of the male kind, even among the little ones, and kill the women who have known men in intercourse.
NE FORTE DECEPTI FACIATIS VOBIS SCVLPTAM SIMILITVDINEM AVT IMAGINEM MASCVLI VEL FEMINAE	Lest perhaps you be deceived and make for yourselves a sculpted likeness, or an image of a young male or a female,
DE PRIMOGENITIS QVAE NASCVNTVR IN ARMENTIS ET IN OVIBVS TVIS QVIDQVID EST SEXVS MASCVLINI SANCTIFICABIS DOMINO DEO TVO NON OPERABERIS IN PRIMOGENITO BOVIS ET NON TONDEBIS PRIMOGENITA OVIVM	Of the firstborn that are born in your herds and in your flocks, whatever is of the male sex you shall sanctify to the Lord your God; you shall not work the firstborn of the ox, nor shear the firstborn of the sheep.
TRIBVS VICIBVS PER ANNVM APPAREBIT OMNE MASCVLINVM TVVM IN CONSPECTV DOMINI DEI TVI IN LOCO QVEM ELEGERIT IN SOLLEMNITATE AZYMORVM IN SOLLEMNITATE HEBDOMADARVM ET IN SOLLEMNITATE TABERNACVLORVM NON APPAREBIT ANTE DOMINVM VACVVS	Three times in the year every male of yours shall appear in the sight of the Lord your God in the place He will choose, in the solemnity of the Unleavened Bread, in the solemnity of the Weeks, and in the solemnity of the Tabernacles. He shall not appear before the Lord empty-handed.
CVMQVE TRADIDERIT DOMINVS DEVS TVVS ILLAM IN MANV TVA PERCVTIES OMNE QVOD IN EA GENERIS MASCVLINI EST IN ORE GLADII	And when the Lord your God has delivered it into your hand, you shall strike with the edge of the blade everything that is of the male kind in it.
HAEC AVTEM CAVSA EST SECVNDAE CIRCVMCISIONIS OMNIS POPVLVS QVI EGRESSVS EST DE AEGYPTO GENERIS MASCVLINI VNIVERSI BELLATORES VIRI MORTVI SVNT IN DESERTO PER LONGISSIMOS VIAE CIRCVITVS	Now this is the reason for the second circumcision: the entire people who came out of Egypt of the male kind, all the men of war, had died in the wilderness along the very long circuits of the way.
ET HOC ERIT QVOD OBSERVARE DEBEBITIS OMNE GENERIS MASCVLINI ET MVLIERES QVAE COGNOVERVNT VIROS INTERFICITE VIRGINES AVTEM RESERVATE	And this is what you must observe: every one of the male kind, and the women who have known men, you shall kill. But the virgins, you shall spare.
CVM ENIM ESSET DAVID IN IDVMAEA ET ASCENDISSET IOAB PRINCEPS MILITIAE AD SEPELIENDVM EOS QVI FVERANT INTERFECTI ET OCCIDISSET OMNEM MASCVLINVM IN IDVMAEA	For when David was in Idumaea, and Joab the chief of the militia had gone up to bury those who had been slain, he had killed every male in Idumaea.
SEX ENIM MENSIBVS IBI MORATVS EST IOAD ET OMNIS ISRAEL DONEC INTERIMERET OMNE MASCVLINVM IN IDVMAEA	For Joab and all Israel remained there for six months, until he had cut down every male in Idumaea.
SED ET FILIORVM AARON PER AGROS ET SVBVRBANA VRBIVM SINGVLARVM DISPOSITI ERANT VIRI QVI PARTES DISTRIBVERENT VNIVERSO SEXVI MASCVLINO DE SACERDOTIBVS ET LEVITIS	But also for the sons of Aaron, through the fields and suburbs of every city, men were appointed who would distribute portions to the whole male sex among the priests and Levites.
OMNEM MASCVLVM EXCIPIET MVLIER ET EST FILIA MELIOR FILIA	A woman will accept any young male, but one daughter is better than another.
ANTEQVAM PARTVRIRET PEPERIT ANTEQVAM VENIRET PARTVS EIVS PEPERIT MASCVLVM	Before she was in labor, she gave birth; before her travail came, she bore a male child.
MALEDICTVS VIR QVI ANNVNCIAVIT PATRI MEO DICENS NATVS EST TIBI PVER MASCVLVS ET QVASI GAVDIO LAETIFICAVIT EVM	Cursed be the man who announced to my father, saying, 'A male child has been born to you!' and made him glad with joy.
INTERROGATE ET VIDETE SI GENERAT MASCVLVS QVARE ERGO VIDI OMNIS VIRI MANVM SVPER LVMBVM SVVM QVASI PARTVRIENTIS ET CONVERSAE SVNT VNIVERSAE FACIES IN AVRVGINEM	Ask and see whether a male can give birth. Why then do I see every man's hand on his own loins like one giving birth, and all their faces have turned pale?
ET TVLISTI VASA DECORIS TVI DE AVRO MEO ATQVE ARGENTO MEO QVAE DEDI TIBI ET FECISTI TIBI IMAGINES MASCVLINAS ET FORNICATA ES IN EIS	And you took the vessels of your splendor, from My gold and My silver which I had given you, and you made for yourself male images, and you committed fornication with them.
MALEDICTVS DOLOSVS QVI HABET IN GREGE SVO MASCVLVM ET VOTVM FACIENS IMMOLAT DEBILE DOMINO QVIA REX MAGNVS EGO DICIT DOMINVS EXERCITVVM ET NOMEN MEVM HORRIBILE LIBER IN GENTIBVS	Cursed be the deceiver who has in his flock a young male, and making a vow sacrifices a weakling to the Lord. For I am a great King, says the Lord of Hosts, and My name is dreadful among the nations.
RESPONDENSQVE ANGELVS AIT EST HIC RAGVEL NOMINE VIR PROPINQVVS DE TRIBV TVA ET HIC HABET FILIAM NOMINE SARAM SED NEQVE MASCVLVM NEQVE FEMINAM VLLAM HABET ALIAM PRAETER EAM	And the messenger answered, saying, 'There is here a man named Raguel, a close relative of your tribe, and he has a daughter named Sara, but he has neither a son nor any other daughter besides her.'
ET CONVERTIT IVDAS ET EXERCITVS EIVS VIAM IN DESERTVM BOSOR REPENTE ET OCCVPAVIT CIVITATEM ET OCCIDIT OMNEM MASCVLVM IN ORE GLADII ET ACCEPIT OMNIA SPOLIA EORVM ET SVCCENDIT EAM IGNI	And Judas and his army suddenly turned by way of the desert to Bosor, and he occupied the city, and killed every male child with the edge of the blade, and took all their spoils, and burned it with fire.
ET DIVERTIT IVDAS IN MASPHA ET EXPVGNAVIT ET CEPIT EAM ET OCCIDIT OMNEM MASCVLVM EIVS ET SVMPSIT SPOLIA EIVS ET SVCCENDIT EAM IGNI	And Judas diverted to Maspha, and he assaulted and captured it, and killed every male child of it, and took its spoils, and burned it with fire.
ET PEREMERVNT OMNEM MASCVLVM IN ORE GLADII ET ERADICAVIT EAM ET ACCEPIT SPOLIA EIVS ET TRANSIVIT PER TOTAM CIVITATEM SVPER INTERFECTOS	And they annihilated every male child with the edge of the blade, and he rooted it out, and took its spoils, and passed through the whole city over the slain.
SINGVLOS ILLORVM HORTABATVR VOCE PATRIA FORTITER REPLETA SAPIENTIA ET FEMINEAE COGITATIONI MASCVLINVM ANIMVM INSERENS	She exhorted each one of them bravely in her native voice, filled with wisdom, and inserting a masculine spirit into a woman's thought.
QVI RESPONDENS AIT EIS NON LEGISTIS QVIA QVI FECIT HOMINEM AB INITIO MASCVLVM ET FEMINAM FECIT EOS ET DIXIT	And he answered them, 'Have you not read that He who made the human from the beginning made them male and female, and said,'
AB INITIO AVTEM CREATVRAE MASCVLVM ET FEMINAM FECIT EOS DEVS	But from the beginning of creation God made them male and female.
SICVT SCRIPTVM EST IN LEGE DOMINI QVIA OMNE MASCVLINVM ADAPERIENS VVLVAM SEC SANCTVM DOMINO VOCABITVR	As it is written in the law of the Lord: 'Every male opening the womb shall be called holy to the Lord.'
SIMILITER AVTEM ET MASCVLI RELICTO NATVRALI VSV FEMINAE EXARSERVNT IN DESIDERIIS SVIS IN INVICEM MASCVLI IN MASCVLOS TVRPITVDINEM OPERANTES ET MERCEDEM QVAM OPORTVIT ERRORIS SVI IN SEMETIPSIS RECIPIENTES	And likewise the young males, leaving the natural use of the female, burned in their desires for one another, young males with young males working shameful acts and receiving in themselves the recompense their error deserved.
NEQVE MOLLES NEQVE MASCVLORVM CONCVBITORES NEQVE FVRES NEQVE AVARI NEQVE EBRIOSI NEQVE MALEDICI NEQVE RAPACES REGNVM DEI POSSIDEBVNT	Neither the soft nor those who lie with male children, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor the drunk, nor slanderers, nor the rapacious will possess the kingdom of God.
NON EST IVDAEVS NEQVE GRAECVS NON EST SERVVS NEQVE LIBER NON EST MASCVLVS NEQVE FEMINA OMNES ENIM VOS VNVM ESTIS IN CHRISTO IESV	There is neither Judean nor Greek; there is neither servant nor free; there is neither a male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
FORNICARIIS MASCVLORVM CONCVBITORIBVS PLAGIARIIS MENDACIBVS ET PERIVRIS ET SI QVID ALIVD SANAE DOCTRINAE ADVERSATVR	for fornicators, for those who lie with male children, for kidnappers, for liars, for the perjured, and if anything else is opposed to sound teaching,
ET PEPERIT FILIVM MASCVLVM QVI RECTVRVS ERAT OMNES GENTES IN VIRGA FERREA ET RAPTVS EST FILIVS EIVS AD DEVM ET AD THRONVM EIVS	And she bore a male child, who was to rule all nations with an iron rod; and her son was caught up to God and to His throne.
ET POSTQVAM VIDIT DRACO QVOD PROIECTVS ESSET IN TERRAM PERSECVTVS EST MVLIEREM QVAE PEPERIT MASCVLVM	And after the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he pursued the woman who had borne the male child.

How to read the table

The table does not require that every line be translated “boy.” It shows the range of function. Some entries are sex-classification language. Some are birth or circumcision language. Some are animal-offering language. Some are ark-inventory language. The point is that the same root must be interpreted according to function.

Application to Leviticus

In Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13, the important issue is not whether zachar can ever mean “male.” It can. The important issue is that the passage does not simply use adult-man language twice. In Leviticus 20:13, the adult-man term ish is placed beside zachar. That contrast supports a non-symmetric reading: adult male with young male, not adult man with adult man.

German evidence strengthens this reading because Luther 1545 renders the disputed object with Knaben, boy-language, while many modern German translations use adult-man language.

Counterarguments

The strongest counterargument is that standard lexicons often gloss zachar and arsen as “male” without age restriction. This is true at the broadest dictionary level. A dictionary gloss, however, does not decide function inside a passage. A word can mean “male” at the category adjective level and “male child” as a noun in a sentence.

A second counterargument is that “young child” may be too narrow for some contexts. This is also valid. For some passages, “young male,” “male offspring,” “young male animal,” or “of the male sex” is more accurate than “child.”

Verdict table

Claim	Verdict	Reason
Masculus always means adult male.	False	Birth, ritual, census, and animal contexts often require a younger or offspring reading.
Masculus always means little boy.	False	Some uses are adjectival sex-classification.
Arsen and zachar can function as male-child terms.	True in context	Birth, circumcision, firstborn, prohibition, and census contexts support the reading.
Noun/adjective function determines meaning.	True	The same surface forms overlap; syntax and context are decisive.
Leviticus must be read as adult man with adult man.	Not established	The text distinguishes adult-man language from the second-party male-register term.

Conclusion

The claim is true when stated with the necessary grammatical condition: masculus, arsen, and zachar can mean young child, young male, male child, young male animal, or male offspring where context supports that function. They do not mechanically mean “young child” in every occurrence.

The strongest rule is temporal and syntactic: determine whether the word is acting as a noun or adjective, then read it according to the passage’s historical register. Under that rule, many passages traditionally flattened into generic “male” or adult “man” language recover a juvenile or vulnerable-stage meaning.

See also

• Masculus
• Temporal Translation
• Did the Bible Condemn Homosexuality
• Fact check: Did the German Bible Change Pedophilia to Homosexuality?
• Codex Amiatinus