Notes on Fasting

God ordered fast, every year, on the day of atonement
Lev 23:27  Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be a holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD.
Lev 23:28  And ye shall do no work in that same day: for it is a day of atonement, to make an atonement for you before the LORD your God.
Lev 23:29  For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people.

Mat 6:16  Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
Mat 6:17  But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;
Mat 6:18  That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.
from the book of Morman "3 Nephi 13:16-18"

Anoint thine head, and wash thy face; directly contrary to the Jewish canons, which forbid these things, with others, on fast days:
"On the day of atonement, (say (i) they,) a man is forbidden eating and drinking, וברחיצהובסיכה "and washing and anointing", and putting on of shoes, and the use of the bed.''

Rth 3:3  Wash thyself therefore, and anoint thee, and put thy raiment upon thee, and get thee down to the floor: but make not thyself known unto the man, until he shall have done eating and drinking.
2Sa 14:2  And Joab sent to Tekoah, and fetched thence a wise woman, and said unto her, I pray thee, feign thyself to be a mourner, and put on now mourning apparel, and anoint not thyself with oil, but be as a woman that had a long time mourned for the dead:
Luk 7:46  My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment.


(1Co 7:5)  Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.

Jezebel, Jehoshaphat, Ezra, Ester, Josiah, and the people of Nineveh all proclaimed a fast.

Isa 58:3  Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labors.
Isa 58:4  Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high.
Isa 58:5  Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the LORD?
Isa 58:6  Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?
Isa 58:7  Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?
Isa 58:8  Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy rearward.
Isa 58:9  Then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity;
Isa 58:10  And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noonday:
Isa 58:11  And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.

Fasting humbles the soul
Psa 35:13  But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth: I humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned into mine own bosom.

Fasting doesn't force God's hand
Jer 14:12  When they fast, I will not hear their cry; and when they offer burnt offering and an oblation, I will not accept them: but I will consume them by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence.
“But unto all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month, even those seventy years, did ye at all fast unto me, even to me? And when ye did eat, and when ye did drink, did not ye eat for yourselves, and drink for yourselves?” (Zech. 7:5-6).
Joe 2:12  Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:
Joe 2:13  And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.

Fasting is Assumed by the New Testament: When Jesus spoke about fasting, he didn't say if you fast, but "when you fast" (Matthew 6:16). Our Lord assumes that Christians will fast. And from the rest of the books in the New Testament we know that they did.
The Occasion for a Fast is Voluntary:
The Length of a Fast is Voluntary:
Ezra 8:21-23; 10:6 Exodus 34:28
Nehemiah 1:4 Deuteronomy 9:9,18
Esther 4:16 2 Samuel 12:16,17
Job 33:19,20 Matthew 4:2; 6:16; 9:15
Psalm 69:10; 102:4 Acts 13:3; 14:23
Isaiah 58:6 1 Corinthians 7:5
Daniel 9:3,20-23; 10:3 2 Corinthians 11:27,28
Joel 2:15 Jonah 3:5,10
Ezra 10:6, 10:10-11
Esther, chapters 4-8
Acts 9:7-19
Exodus 34:28
Deuteronomy 9:9-29, 10:1-11
Matthew 4:1-3
2 Chronicles 20:1-29
Ezra 8:21-23,31
Joel 1:13-14, 2:12,15,18-27
Daniel 10:2-3
Daniel 1:8-17
1 Kings 17:5-7
Matthew 3:4
1 Corinthians 7:5
Psalm 35:13, Ezra 8:21
Fasting does not necessarily guarantee that one’s prayers will be answered.

In 2 Samuel 12 we have the record of how David fasted and prayed in an attempt to get God to preserve the life of the child which had been conceived through the adulterous relationship with Bathsheba
Judges 20:26--Israel fasted for victory in war.
1 Sam. 1:6-7--Hannah fasted for a son
1 Sam. 7:6--Israel fasted in repentance
1 Sam. 31:13--Men of Jabeshgilead fasted in mourning for Saul
2 Sam. 1:12--David and his men fasted in mourning for Saul, Jonathan, and the fallen of Israel
2 Sam. 12--David fasted for mercy upon his child
1 Kings 21:27--Ahab fasted for mercy
2 Chron. 20:3--Jehoshaphat and Israel fasted for help and protection
Ezra 8:21-23--Ezra and the people fasted for help and protection
Nehemiah 1:4--Nehemiah fasted in mourning and for help upon Jerusalem
Nehemiah 9:1,2--Israel fasting in mourning and repentance
Esther 4:16--Esther and friends fasted for victory
Esther 9:3--Fasting is mentioned as having had a role in the victory
Psalm 35:13,14--Fasting in prayer and mourning
Psalm 69: 10,11--Fasting in prayer and mourning
Isaiah 58:6-8--The fast which pleases God
Jeremiah 36:9--Israel fasted for mercy
Joel 1:14; 2:12,15--God commanded fasting and repentance
Jonah 3:5--The Ninevites fasted in repentance for mercy
Daniel 9:3--Daniel fasted for wisdom
Matthew 4:2--Jesus fasted when tempted in the wilderness
Matthew 6:17-18--Jesus promised that the Father would bless fasting
Matthew 9:14-15--Jesus said his disciples would fast
Matthew 17:21--Fasting is necessary for overcoming some demonic strongholds
Mark 9:29--Fasting is necessary for overcoming some demonic powers
Luke 2:37--Fasting was part of Anna’s service to God
Acts 13:2--Fasting was part of the ministry of the workers at Antioch
Acts 13:3--Ordination was accompanied by fasting Acts 14:23--Ordination was accompanied by fasting
1 Cor. 7:5--Fasting and prayer is the only proper reason for abstinence from the marital relationship
2 Cor. 6:5--Fasting was one way Paul approved himself as a minister of Jesus Christ
2 Cor. 11:27--Paul fasted often
 The Lord Jesus said very plainly that His disciples WOULD fast after His departure from the earthly scene.
1. Fast when sorely tempted (Mat. 4:2).
2. Fast when wisdom is earnestly desired (Dan. 9:3).
3. Fast when help and protection are needed (Ezra 8:21-23; 2 Chron. 20:3; Jer. 36:9).
4. Fast when victory is desired over strong demonic powers (Mat. 17:21; Mk. 9:29).
5. Fast when victory is desired in seemingly impossible situations (Est. 4:10-17; 9:31; Neh. 1:4).
6. Fast when something is earnestly desired from God and the answer has not come through prayer alone (1 Sam. 1:6-7).
7. Fast when in mourning for loved ones or the defeat of God’s people (2 Sam. 1:12).
8. Fast when new ministries are launched and when men go forth to proclaim God’s Word and battle spiritual enemies (Acts 13:2-3; 14:23).
9. Fast when involved in spiritual ministry (2 Cor. 6:5; 11:27)
10. Fast during times of special repentance, confession, and revival (Joel 1:14; 2:12; 2:15; Neh. 9:1-2).
Fasting is important because of spiritual warfare (Mat. 17:21).
Fasting demonstrates the earnestness and desire of the heart--Heb. 11:6.

The modern versions of the Bible try to cut out the idea of fasting!
Matthew 17:21--KJV “Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.” This entire verse is omitted in the New American Standard Version [NASV], Revised Standard Version [RSV], New International Version [NIV], New English Bible, Jerusalem Bible, and Phillips translation. The Today’s English Version [TEV] puts the verse in brackets.

Mark 9:29--KJV reads “And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.” The Bible Society Greek text and the new versions based on this text omit the words “and fasting.” This is true in the NIV, NASV, RSV, Living Bible, Phillips, New English Bible, and Jerusalem Bible.
Doctors today are discovering the physical benefits of this practice and have found that abstaining from food (not water) for several days has a wonderful cleansing effect upon the body. Many impurities are burned up within the body as it is denied food, thus clearing the mind, and cleansing and healing the body
There are exceptions, such as when we are fasting as a group for a specific thing. Then it must be announced so that others can take part. We find this in Joel 1:14, "Sanctify ye a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land into the house of the Lord your God, and cry unto the Lord.


H6684   צוּם   tsu^m
Total KJV Occurrences: 20
A primitive root; to cover over (the mouth), that is, to fast: -  X at all, fast.
fasted, 12
Jdg_20:26, 1Sa_7:6, 1Sa_31:13, 2Sa_1:12, 2Sa_12:16, 2Sa_12:22, 1Ki_21:27, 1Ch_10:12, Ezr_8:23, Neh_1:4, Isa_58:3, Zec_7:5
fast, 8
2Sa_12:21, 2Sa_12:23, Est_4:16 (2), Isa_58:4 (2), Jer_14:12, Zec_7:5

H6685  צם  /  צום  tso^m
Total KJV Occurrences: 25
From H6684; a fast: - fast (-ing).
fast, 16
1Ki_21:9, 1Ki_21:12, 2Ch_20:3, Ezr_8:21, Isa_58:3, Isa_58:5-6 (3), Jer_36:9, Joe_2:14-15 (2), Jon_3:5, Zec_8:19 (4)
fasting, 8
Neh_9:1, Est_4:3, Psa_35:13, Psa_69:10, Psa_109:24, Jer_36:6, Dan_9:3, Joe_2:12
fastings, 1
Est_9:31


G3521 νηστεία ne¯steia   nace-ti'-ah    8 times
From G3522; abstinence (from lack of food, or voluntary and religious); specifically the fast of the Day of Atonement: - fast (-ing.)
Total KJV Occurrences: 8
fasting, 4
Mat_17:21, Mar_9:29, Act_14:23, 1Co_7:5
fastings, 3
Luk_2:37, 2Co_6:5, 2Co_11:27
fast, 1
Act_27:9


G3522 νηστεύω ne¯steuo¯ nace-tyoo'-o     21 times
From G3523; to abstain from food (religiously): - fast.
Total KJV Occurrences: 21
fast, 16
Mat_6:16 (2), Mat_6:18, Mat_9:14-15 (3), Mar_2:18-20 (6), Luk_5:33-35 (3), Luk_18:12
fasted, 3
Act_13:2-3 (3)
fastest, 1
Mat_6:17
fasting, 1
Act_10:30

G3523 νῆστις ne¯stis  nace'-tis       2 times
From the negative particle νη ne¯ and G2068; not eating, that is, abstinent from food (religiously): - fasting.
Total KJV Occurrences: 2
fasting, 2
Mat_15:32, Mar_8:3

Notes on Conflict Resolution

Mat 5:21  Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:
Mat 5:22  But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.
Raca = G4469  ῥακά  rhaka  rhak-ah'
Of Chaldee origin (compare [H7386]); O empty one, that is, thou worthless (as a term of utter vilification): - Raca.
fool = G3474  μωρός  mo¯ros  mo-ros'
Probably form the base of G3466; dull or stupid (as if shut up), that is, heedless, (morally) blockhead, (apparently) absurd: - fool (-ish, X -ishness).

Mat 5:23  Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;
Mat 5:24  Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.


Pro 28:9  He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination.
Psa 66:18  If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:

1Jo 2:9  He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.
1Jo 2:11  But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.
1Jo 3:15  Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.
1Jo 4:20  If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?

Gal 6:1  Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.

Mat 18:15  Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.
Mat 18:16  But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.
Mat 18:17  And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.

Luk 17:3  Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him.
Luk 17:4  And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.
Luk 17:5  And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith.