νῆστις (nēstis)
nēstis
fasting
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The noun nēstis describes a state of abstaining from food, literally meaning "not eating." Its structure combines a negative prefix with the root for eating, highlighting the physical reality of hunger rather than just a spiritual discipline. This word appears only twice in the New Testament, both times in the Synoptic Gospels to describe Jesus’ concern for a crowd that has been following Him for days.
In Matthew 15:32 and Mark 8:3, Jesus uses this term to explain why He will not send the people away hungry. The sources note that this usage focuses on the immediate physical need of the body. While fasting is often associated with prayer in Scripture, here the word simply denotes the condition of having no food, serving as the practical reason for the miracle of the loaves and fishes.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word nēstis simply means being without food. It describes the physical feeling of hunger that comes when we go without eating. In the Gospels, Jesus uses this term to show His care for people’s basic needs. He did not ignore their tiredness or empty stomachs but acted to meet them.
This reminds us that God cares about our whole selves—body and spirit. When life feels heavy or resources seem low, we can trust that the One who feeds the hungry also watches over our daily struggles. We do not need to hide our needs from Him; He sees them clearly.
May you find comfort in knowing that your Creator attends to both your spiritual hope and your physical reality. Rest in His provision today.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- hungry2×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- νήστεις2×
Key Verses
-
Matthew 15:32
Jesus summoned his disciples and said, “I have compassion on the multitude, because they have continued with me now three days and have nothing to eat. I don’t want to send them away fasting, or they might faint on the way.”
Jesus explicitly states He will not send the crowd away fasting because they have followed Him for three days without food, highlighting His compassion for their physical exhaustion.
-
Mark 8:3
If I send them away fasting to their home, they will faint on the way, for some of them have come a long way.”
Mark records Jesus’ concern that sending the people home while fasting would cause them to faint on the journey, emphasizing the practical danger of their hunger.