Dictionary of Bible Themes  »  8000 The life of the believer  »  8400 The tasks of the believer  »  8429 fasting  »  8430 fasting, nature of

Scripture frequently refers to individuals fasting and describes the different kinds of fast which may be undertaken.

Kinds of fasting

Abstaining from food and drink

Ezra 10:6 See also Daniel 9:3; Acts 23:12

Abstaining from food only

1 Samuel 1:7 See also Daniel 6:18

The duration of fasting

One day: the normal fast period

Leviticus 23:32; Judges 20:26; 2 Samuel 1:12

Three days

Esther 4:16; Acts 9:9

Seven days

1 Samuel 31:13 pp 1 Chronicles 10:12; 2 Samuel 12:16-20

Forty days

These 40-day fasts are all in unique circumstances and are not prescribed:

Exodus 34:28; 1 Kings 19:8; Matthew 4:2 pp Luke 4:2

Regular observances of fasting

Those prescribed by the Law

Leviticus 16:29-31 NIV footnote at verse 29. See also Leviticus 23:26-32; Numbers 29:7; Acts 27:9 fn

Those observed in Jewish tradition

Zechariah 8:19 See also Esther 9:30-31; Zechariah 7:2-5

Those observed by the Pharisees

Luke 18:11-12

Involuntary fasts

Those imposed by decree

2 Chronicles 20:3 See also 1 Samuel 14:24

A special instance of an individual instructed by God to fast:

1 Kings 13:8-9,16 1 Kings 21:9; Jeremiah 36:9

Those imposed by circumstances

Acts 27:33; 2 Corinthians 6:5; Corinthians 11:27

Voluntary fasts

Nehemiah 1:4 See also Luke 2:37

See also

2575  Christ, temptation
4293  water
4438  eating
5104  Moses, foreshadower of Christ
5773  abstinence, discipline
7550  Pharisees
8475  self-denial