צוּם (tsum)
tsum
to fast
H:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 17 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:V
Word Overview
The Hebrew verb tsum means to abstain from food, a practice known as fasting. It appears seventeen times in the Old Testament, with significant occurrences in Isaiah and Zechariah. The word describes the physical act of refusing nourishment, often as a response to grief, mourning, or deep spiritual seeking.
While the primary meaning is straightforward, the context reveals its purpose. In passages like Isaiah 58, fasting is not merely about hunger but is linked with social justice and humility before God. The text contrasts empty ritual with genuine acts of mercy, suggesting that the physical discipline must accompany a changed heart to be meaningful.
Translators typically render tsum as "fast" or "abstain." This choice preserves the literal sense while allowing the surrounding narrative to define the spiritual weight. Whether done in sorrow or devotion, the act signifies a temporary suspension of bodily needs to focus on divine matters.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
Fasting is often misunderstood as a spiritual tool to earn favor or manipulate outcomes. The word tsum describes the physical act of abstaining from food, but the Old Testament consistently links it with humility and repentance. When Israel fasted, they were not merely hungry; they were silencing their own desires to listen more closely to God. This practice invites us to step back from daily routines and acknowledge our dependence on divine grace rather than self-sufficiency.
Yet the prophets warn against empty ritual. In Isaiah 58, God questions a fast that ignores justice and kindness toward others. True fasting is not just about what we refuse to eat, but how we treat our neighbors. It is a time to align our hearts with God’s character—seeking mercy, releasing burdens, and pursuing peace. When we fast with integrity, we create space for spiritual clarity and deeper connection.
This discipline remains relevant today. Whether in times of grief, decision-making, or simple devotion, fasting helps us refocus. It reminds us that our souls need nourishment beyond physical food. By combining prayer with honest self-examination, we open ourselves to God’s guidance and grow in compassion for those around us.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 17 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- and/ they fasted5×
- you fasted2×
- you fast2×
- fasting2×
- and/ he fasted2×
- ¿/ really <to fast>1×
- they will fast1×
- have we fasted1×
- did you fast for/ me1×
- and/ we fasted/ !1×
- and/ fast1×
- I will fast1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- וַ/יָּצֻ֖מוּ2×
- תָּצ֔וּמוּ1×
- תָצ֣וּמוּ1×
- צַּ֙מְנוּ֙1×
- צָם֙1×
- צָ֔ם1×
- צַמְתֻּ֖/נִי1×
- צַמְתֶּ֨ם1×
- צַ֣מְתָּ1×
- צַ֖מְתִּי1×
- יָצֻ֗מוּ1×
- וַ/נָּצ֛וּמָ/ה1×
Key Verses
-
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.
This verse highlights the tension between outward religious discipline and inward moral failure, showing that fasting without justice is meaningless to God.
-
II Samuel 12:22
He 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?’
David’s response after his child’s death reveals a shift from desperate petition to accepted trust, demonstrating how fasting can evolve into surrender.
-
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’s call to fast underscores communal solidarity and courage in the face of mortal danger, linking physical denial with spiritual resolve.
-
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?
God challenges the people to examine their motives, asking if their fasting was truly for Him or merely a habitual tradition.