צוּם
tsum
to fast
Lexicon Entry
Lexicon data from STEPBible TIPNR, Tyndale House, Cambridge. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
What Original Readers Understood
SupportedThe Hebrew word "צוּם" (tsum) is defined as "to fast." It is used 21 times in the Bible, indicating its significance in Jewish tradition and biblical culture. The act of fasting is a physical expression of spiritual discipline, often associated with repentance, mourning, or seeking divine guidance. The word "tsum" is used in various contexts, including rituals, ceremonies, and personal expressions of devotion. It is not limited to specific occasions, suggesting that fasting was a common practice in ancient Israel. The frequency of its occurrence underscores its importance in biblical culture. The significance of "tsum" lies in its connection to spiritual practices and the relationship between physical and spiritual disciplines. By examining this word, we gain insight into the values and customs of ancient Israel, highlighting the importance of self-denial and spiritual introspection in their faith.
Source data & methodology
Occurrences in Scripture
21 total occurrences across the text
So we fasted and begged our God for this: and he granted our request.
Nehemiah 1:4When I heard these words, I sat down and wept, and mourned several days; and I fasted and prayed before the God of heaven,
Esther 4:16“Go, gather together all the Jews who are present in Susa, and fast for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day. I and my maidens will also fast the same way. Then I will go in to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish.”
Esther 4:16“Go, gather together all the Jews who are present in Susa, and fast for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day. I and my maidens will also fast the same way. Then I will go in to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish.”
Isaiah 58:3‘Why have we fasted,’ they say, ‘and you don’t see? Why have we afflicted our soul, and you don’t notice?’ “Behold, in the day of your fast you find pleasure, and oppress all your laborers.
Isaiah 58:4Behold, you fast for strife and contention, and to strike with the fist of wickedness. You don’t fast today so as to make your voice to be heard on high.
Isaiah 58:4Behold, you fast for strife and contention, and to strike with the fist of wickedness. You don’t fast today so as to make your voice to be heard on high.
Jeremiah 14:12When they fast, I will not hear their cry; and when they offer burnt offering and meal offering, I will not accept them; but I will consume them by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence.”
Zechariah 7:5“Speak to all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and in the seventh month for these seventy years, did you at all fast to me, really to me?
Zechariah 7:5“Speak to all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and in the seventh month for these seventy years, did you at all fast to me, really to me?
Zechariah 7:5“Speak to all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and in the seventh month for these seventy years, did you at all fast to me, really to me?
Judges 20:26Then all the children of Israel and all the people went up, and came to Bethel, and wept, and sat there before Yahweh, and fasted that day until evening; then they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before Yahweh.
1 Samuel 7:6They gathered together to Mizpah, and drew water, and poured it out before Yahweh, and fasted on that day, and said there, “We have sinned against Yahweh.” Samuel judged the children of Israel in Mizpah.
1 Samuel 31:13They took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh, and fasted seven days.
2 Samuel 1:12They mourned, wept, and fasted until evening, for Saul, and for Jonathan his son, and for the people of Yahweh, and for the house of Israel; because they had fallen by the sword.
2 Samuel 12:16David therefore begged God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night on the ground.
2 Samuel 12:21Then his servants said to him, “What is this that you have done? You fasted and wept for the child while he was alive, but when the child was dead, you rose up and ate bread.”
2 Samuel 12:22He said, “While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, ‘Who knows whether Yahweh will not be gracious to me, that the child may live?’
2 Samuel 12:23But now he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me.”
1 Kings 21:27When Ahab heard those words, he tore his clothes, and put sackcloth on his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly.
1 Chronicles 10:12all the valiant men arose, and took away the body of Saul, and the bodies of his sons, and brought them to Jabesh, and buried their bones under the oak in Jabesh, and fasted seven days.