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νηστεύω

nēsteúō

G3522 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To abstain from eating food, typically for a period of time, whether for religious, spiritual, or penitential reasons. In broader usage, may indicate any act of intentional hunger or abstinence, most often in the context of ritual or discipline.

Semantic Range

to abstain from food (ritually or voluntarily), to fast as a religious or penitential act, to go hungry for spiritual reasons, to intentionally deprive oneself of food; occasionally, to experience hunger through voluntary abstention

Root / Etymology

From the adjective νῆστις (nēstis, 'fasting, hungry', literally 'not having eaten'), itself from νη- (negative prefix) + ἔδω ('to eat'). Thus, νηστεύω derives from a root meaning 'to be without food' or 'to not eat'.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical Greek, νηστεύω is rare and generally associated with going hungry or abstaining from food for reasons of necessity as well as ritual. In Hellenistic and Second Temple Jewish literature (including the Septuagint), it comes to specifically designate ritual abstention from food—either as a mark of piety, an accompaniment to mourning, repentance, or supplication, or as a communal practice. In the New Testament, the term often refers to voluntary religious fasting, especially in imitation of or as an expression of devotion, repentance, or preparation for prayer or significant events. Standard English translations frequently render νηστεύω as 'to fast,' but this can obscure its wider cultural associations in the ancient world, especially that fasting was not exclusive to Judean practice but found throughout the Greco-Roman world in different religious and philosophical traditions. The associated noun is νηστεία ('fast, fasting'). The verb is not always specifically tied to legally prescribed fasts, and may also reflect private, non-institutional acts of devotion or mourning.

Translation Consistency

primary "fast" 17 occurrences

νηστεύω normally and most commonly means to abstain from food as a religious or voluntary discipline. The majority of attested renderings use “fast/fasting,” and “fast” is the natural, simple base verb that covers ritual or voluntary abstention from eating and can be inflected consistently for all forms.

Alternatives (3 occurrences):
"abstain from food" (3x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from νῆστις; to abstain from food (religiously):--fast.

Root Family

νηστεύω (nēsteuō) — to abstain from food, to fast, to be without eating

Root νηστευ- to abstain (from food), to fast

Word Forms

11 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G3522-08 νηστεύουσιν nesteuousin V PRS ACT IND 3P PL fast they are fasting they are fasting 4
G3522-01 νηστεύειν nesteuein V PRS ACT INF fast to abstain from food to abstain from food 3
G3522-11 νηστεύσουσιν nesteusousin V FUT ACT IND 3P PL they will fast they will abstain from food they will fast 3
G3522-06 νηστεύοντες nesteuontes V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M PL fasting abstaining from food fasting 2
G3522-05 νηστεύων nesteuon V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M SG fasting fasting fasting 2
G3522-04 νηστεύομεν nesteuomen V PRS ACT IND 1P PL fast we are fasting we are fasting 1
G3522-03 νηστεύω nesteuo V PRS ACT IND 1P SG I fast I am fasting I fast 1
G3522-07 νηστευόντων nesteuonton V PRS ACT PTCP GEN M PL fasting of those fasting of those fasting 1
G3522-02 νηστεύητε nesteuete V PRS ACT SUBJ 2P PL you fast you may be fasting you may be fasting 1
G3522-10 νηστεύσας nesteusas V AOR ACT PTCP NOM M SG having fasted having fasted having fasted 1

Occurrences in Scripture

20 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G3522-10 Matthew 4:2 νηστεύσας nesteusas V AOR ACT PTCP NOM M SG having fasted having fasted having fasted
G3522-02 Matthew 6:16 νηστεύητε nesteuete V PRS ACT SUBJ 2P PL you fast you may be fasting you may be fasting
G3522-06 Matthew 6:16 νηστεύοντες nesteuontes V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M PL fasting abstaining from food men who are fasting
G3522-05 Matthew 6:17 νηστεύων nesteuon V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M SG fasting fasting fasting
G3522-05 Matthew 6:18 νηστεύων nesteuon V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M SG fasting fasting fasting
G3522-04 Matthew 9:14 νηστεύομεν nesteuomen V PRS ACT IND 1P PL fast we are fasting we are fasting
G3522-08 Matthew 9:14 νηστεύουσιν nesteuousin V PRS ACT IND 3P PL fast they are fasting they are fasting
G3522-11 Matthew 9:15 νηστεύσουσιν nesteusousin V FUT ACT IND 3P PL they will fast they will abstain from food they will fast
G3522-06 Mark 2:18 νηστεύοντες nesteuontes V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M PL fasting abstaining from food fasting
G3522-08 Mark 2:18 νηστεύουσιν nesteuousin V PRS ACT IND 3P PL fast they are fasting they are fasting
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