Lexical Summary tsom: Fast, fasting Original Word: צוֹם Strong's Exhaustive Concordance fasting Or tsom {tsome}; from from tsuwm; a fast -- fast(-ing). see HEBREW tsuwm NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom tsum Definition fasting, a fast NASB Translation fast (17), fasted* (1), fasting (7), times of fasting (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs צוֺם noun masculineIsaiah 58:5 fasting, fast; — ׳צ absolute 2 Samuel 12:16 +, construct Zechariah 8:19 (4 t.); suffix צֹמְכֶם Isaiah 58:3; plural צוֺמוֺת Esther 9:31; — fast, as accusative of congnate meaning with verb 2 Samuel 12:16; public observance 1 Kings 21:9,12; 2Chronicles 20:3; Ezra 8:21; Jeremiah 36:9; Jonah 3:5 (all object of קָרָא proclaim), compare Joel 1:14; Joel 2:15 (both object of קַדְּשׁוּ); יוֺם צוֺם Jeremiah 36:6, יוֺם צֹמְכֶם Isaiah 58:3, compare Isaiah 58:5 ("" יוֺם עַנּוֺת אָדָם נַפְשׁוֺ), Isaiah 58:5; Isaiah 58:6; of periodic fasts Zechariah 8:19 (4 t. in verse); Esther 9:31; act or state of fasting, וּבְשַׂקִּים ׳נֶאֶסְפוּ בְצ Nehemiah 9:1 compare Joel 2:12; Daniel 9:3; Esther 4:3; נַפְשִׁי ׳עִנֵּיתִי בַצּ Psalm 35:13; compare Psalm 69:11 (on וָאֶבְכֶּה see Che Bae); causing physical weakness Psalm 109:24. צוע (√ of following; compare Arabic Topical Lexicon Meaning and Spiritual Essence צוֹם denotes a deliberate abstention from food (and sometimes water) for a set period in order to humble oneself before God, intensify prayer, express grief, or seek divine intervention. It is never presented as asceticism for its own sake but as worship that directs the heart toward the LORD. Canonical Distribution About twenty-six uses span every major section of the Old Testament—from Judges to Zechariah—showing that fasting remained a recognized spiritual discipline from the early tribal period through the post-exilic community. The Day of Atonement: The Appointed Fast While צוֹם itself is not used in Leviticus, Jewish tradition calls the Day of Atonement “the Fast,” reflecting the command to “afflict yourselves” (Leviticus 16:29). This annual fast became the paradigm: self-denial accompanying confession and atonement. National and Corporate Fasts 1. Crisis and Warfare: Israel fasted at Mizpah when threatened by Philistines (1 Samuel 7:6) and before renewing battle with Benjamin (Judges 20:26). The fast signified total dependence on divine aid. Personal Fasting as Humility and Prayer David “pleaded with God for the child” and “fasted” (2 Samuel 12:16); in Psalm 35:13 he testifies, “I humbled myself with fasting.” Such individual fasts arise from crisis, repentance, or intense intercession. The practice is not mechanical but relational: “I wept and chastened my soul with fasting” (Psalm 69:10). Prophetic Corrections Against Empty Ritual Isaiah 58 exposes a fast divorced from righteousness: “Is this not the fast that I choose: to break the chains of wickedness… to set the oppressed free…?” (Isaiah 58:6). Jeremiah warns, “Though they fast, I will not listen to their cry” (Jeremiah 14:12), underscoring that unrepentant hearts render fasting ineffectual. Fasting in Times of Repentance and Restoration Joel summons Judah: “Return to Me with all your heart, with fasting, weeping, and mourning” (Joel 2:12). Jonah records Nineveh’s city-wide fast: “They proclaimed a fast, and everyone, great and small, put on sackcloth” (Jonah 3:5). In both narratives, fasting signifies urgent repentance and invites divine mercy. From Shadow to Substance: Anticipations of the Gospel Old Testament fasting typologically points to deeper realities—sorrow for sin, yearning for atonement, and the ultimate deliverance secured in Christ. Zechariah’s promise that fasts will turn into feasts anticipates the Gospel, where mourning gives way to joy through the finished work of the Messiah (cf. Matthew 9:15). Continued Relevance for New Testament Believers Though not legislated, fasting remains a voluntary discipline commended by the Lord Jesus and practiced by the early church (Acts 13:2–3; 14:23). The Old Testament witness supplies theological foundations: humility, repentance, earnest prayer, and alignment with God’s purposes. Practical Ministry Implications • Encourage congregational fasts during pivotal decisions or crises, following Ezra’s pattern. In every age צוֹם serves as a God-ordained means to deepen devotion, cultivate humility, and seek the gracious intervention of the Lord of covenant and redemption. Forms and Transliterations בְּצ֖וֹם בְּצ֣וֹם בַצּ֣וֹם בצום הַצֹּמ֖וֹת הצמות וְצ֣וֹם וְצ֥וֹם וְצ֨וֹם וּבְצ֥וֹם ובצום וצום מִצּ֑וֹם מצום צ֑וֹם צ֔וֹם צ֖וֹם צ֜וֹם צ֣וֹם צֹֽמְכֶם֙ צוֹם֙ צום צמכם ḇaṣ·ṣō·wm ḇaṣṣōwm bə·ṣō·wm bəṣōwm beTzom haṣ·ṣō·mō·wṯ haṣṣōmōwṯ hatztzoMot miṣ·ṣō·wm miṣṣōwm mitzTzom ṣō·mə·ḵem ṣō·wm ṣōməḵem ṣōwm Tzom tzomeChem ū·ḇə·ṣō·wm ūḇəṣōwm uveTzom vatzTzom veTzom wə·ṣō·wm wəṣōwmLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance 2 Samuel 12:16 HEB: וַיָּ֤צָם דָּוִד֙ צ֔וֹם וּבָ֥א וְלָ֖ן INT: fast and David fast and went night 1 Kings 21:9 1 Kings 21:12 2 Chronicles 20:3 Ezra 8:21 Nehemiah 9:1 Esther 4:3 Esther 9:31 Psalm 35:13 Psalm 69:10 Psalm 109:24 Isaiah 58:3 Isaiah 58:5 Isaiah 58:5 Isaiah 58:6 Jeremiah 36:6 Jeremiah 36:9 Daniel 9:3 Joel 1:14 Joel 2:12 Joel 2:15 Jonah 3:5 Zechariah 8:19 Zechariah 8:19 Zechariah 8:19 26 Occurrences |
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form, fashion).