νηστ-εύω G3522
To fast; to voluntarily abstain from food as a religious discipline of devotion, repentance, or mourning.
Fasting in the biblical world was never mere dieting—it was a deliberate act of self-denial before God. Jesus fasted forty days in the wilderness (Matt 4:2), then taught his disciples how to fast without ostentation: 'When you fast, anoint your head and wash your face' (Matt 6:17). The Pharisees and John's disciples fasted regularly and questioned why Jesus' followers did not (Matt 9:14–15; Mark 2:18). Early church leaders fasted before appointing elders (Acts 13:2–3; 14:23). The word's translations capture the practice vividly: Spanish 'ayunar,' French 'jeuner,' German 'fasten'—all rooted in the concept of deliberate abstinence.
Senses
1. fast, abstain from food — To voluntarily abstain from food as a spiritual discipline, typically expressing devotion, repentance, mourning, or preparation for divine guidance. Jesus' own forty-day fast (Matt 4:2) sets the pattern, while his Sermon on the Mount teaching (Matt 6:16–18) reforms the practice by warning against performative piety. The early church continued the tradition before major decisions (Acts 13:2–3). Spanish 'ayunar' and German 'fasten' both descend from roots meaning 'to hold firm' or 'to abstain,' reflecting the discipline's core of intentional self-denial. 20×
AR["أَصومُ", "أَنْ يَصوموا", "تَصومونَ", "سَيَصومونَ", "صائِمينَ", "صائِمًا", "صائِمٌ", "صامُوا", "لَمَّا-صَامَ", "نَصومُ", "يَصومونَ"]·ben["উপবাস-কর,", "উপবাস-করছিল।", "উপবাস-করতে?", "উপবাস-করতে।", "উপবাস-করবে", "উপবাস-করাতে", "উপবাস-করার-সময়,", "উপবাস-করি", "উপবাস-করে", "উপবাস-করে,", "উপবাস-করে?", "উপবাসকারীদের", "উপবাসকারীরা", "উপবাসরত,", "উপবাসরত।"]·DE["fasten", "fastet"]·EN["I-fast", "fast", "fasting", "having-fasted", "they-will-fast", "to-fast", "you-fast"]·FR["jeûner"]·heb["יָצוּמוּ", "כְּשֶׁצָם", "לָצוּם", "צָם", "צָם-אֲנִי", "צָמִים", "צָמוּ", "תָצוּמוּ"]·HI["उपवास", "उपवास-करके", "उपवास-करता-हूँ", "उपवास-करते", "उपवास-करते-हुए", "उपवास-करते-हैं", "उपवास-करेंगे", "उपवास-करो", "के-तो", "फ़रीसियों"]·ID["Aku-berpuasa", "berpuasa", "berpuasa,", "berpuasa.", "berpuasa?", "kamu-berpuasa", "mereka-akan-berpuasa", "sedang-berpuasa"]·IT["digiunare"]·jav["badhé-sami-siyam.", "bakal-pasa", "kula-siyam", "padha-pasa,", "padha-pasa?", "panjenengan-sedaya-siyam", "pasa.", "pasa?", "sami-siyam", "sami-siyam?", "sasampunipun-siyam", "siyam", "siyam,"]·KO["금식", "금식하고", "금식하고-있을-때", "금식하느냐", "금식하는", "금식하는데", "금식하다", "금식하리라", "금식하며", "금식하면", "금식하면서", "금식한다", "금식할-것이다"]·PT["jejuam", "jejuam,", "jejuam?", "jejuamos", "jejuando", "jejuando,", "jejuando.", "jejuar.", "jejuar?", "jejuardes", "jejuarão", "tendo-jejuado", "tendo-jejuado,"]·RU["будут-поститься", "постившись", "постимся", "поститесь", "поститься", "поститься?", "постясь", "постятся", "постящиеся", "постящимися", "постящимся", "постящихся", "пощусь"]·ES["ayunamos", "ayunan", "ayunando", "ayunar", "ayunarán", "ayuno", "ayunéis", "habiendo-ayunado"]·SW["akifunga", "hawafungi?", "kufunga.", "kufunga?", "mnafunga", "ninafunga", "tunafunga", "unaofunga", "unapofunga", "wafunge", "wakifunga,", "wakifunga.", "wanafunga", "wanafunga,", "wanaofunga", "watafunga", "watafunga.", "watakapofunga"]·TR["oruç", "oruç-tutacaklar", "oruç-tutan", "oruç-tutanlar", "oruç-tutanlar.", "oruç-tutanların", "oruç-tutarken", "oruç-tutarsanız", "oruç-tutmak", "oruç-tutmak.", "oruç-tutmak?", "oruç-tutup", "oruç-tutuyorlar", "oruç-tutuyorlar,", "oruç-tutuyorlar?", "oruç-tutuyorum", "oruç-tutuyoruz"]·urd["اور", "اُن", "روزہ-رکھ-کر", "روزہ-رکھتا-ہوں", "روزہ-رکھتے", "روزہ-رکھتے-ہوئے", "روزہ-رکھتے-ہیں", "روزہ-رکھنا", "روزہ-رکھو", "روزہ-رکھیں-گے", "رکھتے"]
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-εύω, fast, NT+5th c.BC+; νηστεύσαντες, opposed to ἐδηδοκότες, Refs 4th c.BC+ __2 with genitive, abstain from, κακότητος Refs 5th c.BC+