νηστ-εία G3521
Fasting as a spiritual discipline of abstaining from food; also the specific Fast of the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur).
In the New Testament, nēsteia refers to the practice of going without food as an act of devotion and self-denial before God. Jesus's disciples are taught that certain spiritual victories come only through prayer and fasting (Matt 17:21), and the early church fasted when appointing elders (Acts 14:23). Paul lists fastings among his apostolic hardships (2 Cor 6:5; 11:27). In one notable use, Luke employs 'the Fast' as a seasonal marker for the Day of Atonement in Acts 27:9, a usage recognized across translations: Spanish capitalizes 'el Ayuno,' and English renders 'the Fast' with a definite article, signaling this is not generic fasting but a specific holy day.
Senses
1. fasting (practice of abstaining from food) — The practice or act of voluntarily abstaining from food as a spiritual discipline. Used in both singular and plural forms across the NT to describe fasting accompanying prayer, mourning, or consecration. Anna worshiped with fastings night and day (Luke 2:37), and the Antioch church fasted before commissioning Paul and Barnabas (Acts 14:23). Spanish 'ayuno/ayunos,' French 'jeune,' and German 'Fasten' all treat this as a general religious exercise. 5×
AR["أَصوامٍ", "أَصْوامٍ", "الصَّوْمِ", "بِأَصْوَامٍ", "صِيامٍ"]·ben["উপবাসে", "উপবাসে;", "উপবাসের"]·DE["Fasten"]·EN["fasting", "fastings", "with-fastings"]·FR["jeûne"]·heb["בְּצוֹמוֹת", "צוֹם", "צוֹמוֹת"]·HI["उपवअस", "उपवासों"]·ID["dengan-puasa", "puasa", "puasa-puasa"]·IT["digiuno"]·jav["kanthi-pasa", "pasa", "pasa.", "pasa;", "siyam"]·KO["금식들-과", "금식들과", "금식들에", "금식으로"]·PT["com-jejuns", "jejum", "jejuns"]·RU["постами", "постах", "посте"]·ES["ayuno", "ayunos", "con-ayunos"]·SW["kufunga", "kufunga;", "kwa-kufunga"]·TR["oruçla", "oruçlarda", "oruçlarla"]·urd["روزوں", "روزوں-سے", "روزے"]
2. the Fast (Day of Atonement) — The specific calendrical fast of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, used as a seasonal time reference in Acts 27:9 to indicate that sailing had become dangerous because the autumn holy day had already passed. The definite article in Greek (ten nēsteian) and capitalization in translations (English 'the Fast,' Spanish 'el Ayuno') distinguish this proper-noun usage from ordinary fasting. 1×
AR["الصَّوْمُ"]·ben["উপবাস"]·DE["Fasten"]·EN["Fast"]·FR["jeûne"]·heb["הַצּוֹם"]·HI["उपवास"]·ID["Puasa"]·IT["digiuno"]·jav["Pasa"]·KO["금식일이"]·PT["Jejum"]·RU["Пост"]·ES["Ayuno"]·SW["Saumu"]·TR["Oruç'un"]·urd["روزہ"]
Related Senses
H3548 1. priest, cultic officiant (750×)G5547 1. Christ, Messiah, Anointed One (540×)H5030 1. Prophet, divine spokesperson (317×)H5930a 1. burnt offering (sacrifice) (286×)H3881 1. Levites (priestly class) (283×)G4396 1. prophet, spokesperson of God (146×)H6944 1. sanctuary, holy place (129×)G0749 1. high priest, chief priest (123×)H6944 2. holiness, sacredness (abstract quality) (123×)G5330 1. Pharisee (99×)G4336 1. pray to God (86×)H6944 3. holy things, sacred offerings (plural) (86×)H3722a 1. make ritual atonement (Piel) (85×)H6912 1. bury (Qal active) (82×)H6419 1. pray (Hitpael) (80×)H6944 4. holiness (with possessive pronoun) (77×)H6942 1. sanctify, consecrate (Piel factitive) (76×)H2930a 1. Qal: be/become unclean (75×)H7819a 1. slaughter an animal (Qal active) (72×)H1486 1. lot (object cast for decisions) (71×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
νηστ-εία, ἡ, fast, νηστεῖαι καὶ ὁρταί NT+5th c.BC+; νηστείας ὄζειν Refs 4th c.BC+; at Athens, name for the third day of the Thesmophoria, Refs 3rd c.BC+