Reference: Fasts
Smith
Fasts.
1. One fast only was appointed by the Mosaic law, that on the day of atonement. There is no mention of any other periodical fast in the Old Testament except in
From these passages it appears that the Jews, during their captivity, observed four annual fasts, --in the fourth, fifth, seventh and tenth months.
2. Public fasts were occasionally proclaimed to express national humiliation and to supplicate divine favor. In the case of public danger the proclamation appears to have been accompanied with the blowing of trumpets.
(See
1Sa 7:6; 2Ch 20:3; Jer 36:6-10
) Three days after the feast of tabernacles, when the second temple was completed, "the children of Israel assembled with fasting, and with sackclothes and earth upon them," to hear the law read and to confess their sins.
3. Private occasional fasts are recognized in one passage of the law --
The instances given of individuals fasting under the influence of grief, vexation or anxiety are numerous.
4. In the New Testament the only reference to the Jewish fasts are the mention of "the fast" in
(generally understood to denote the day of atonement) an the allusions to the weekly fasts.
Mt 9:14; Mr 2:18; Lu 5:33; 18:12; Ac 10:30
These fasts originated some time after the captivity.
5. The Jewish fasts were observed with various degrees of strictness. Sometimes there was entire abstinence from food.
etc. On other occasions there appears to have been only a restriction to a very plain diet.
Those who fasted frequently dressed in sackcloth or rent their clothes, put ashes on their head and went barefoot.
6. The sacrifice of the personal will, which gives to fasting all its value, is expressed in the old term used in the law, afflicting the soul.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
As for any vow, or any oath of binding, to humble ones soul, her husband, may make it stand, or, her husband, may make it of none effect.
So they gathered themselves unto Mizpah, and drew water, and poured it out before Yahweh, and fasted on that day, and said, there, We have sinned against Yahweh. And Samuel judged the sons of Israel in Mizpah.
And it came to pass, when Ahab heard these words, that he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, - and lay in sackcloth, and went softly.
Now, on the twenty-fourth day of this month, were the sons of Israel gathered together, with fasting and with sackcloth, having earth upon them.
And, upon Mount Sinai, camest thou down, and spakest with them out of the heavens, - and gavest them just regulations, and faithful laws, good statutes and commandments.
Go! gather ye together all the Jews who are to be found in Shusan, and fast ye for me - and neither eat nor drink - three days, night nor day, and, I and my maidens, will fast so, - and, in this manner, will I go in unto the king, though it is not according to the law, and, when I have perished, I have perished!
But, as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth, I humbled, with fasting, my soul, though, my prayer, unto mine own bosom, might return:
Thou, therefore shalt enter and read in the roll which thou hast written from my mouth the words of Yahweh in the ears of the people in the house of Yahweh on the day of a fast, - moreover also, in the ears of all Judah who are coming in out of their cities, shalt thou read them: Peradventure, their supplication, will fall prostrate, before Yahweh, and they return every man from his wicked way, - For, great, are the anger and the indignation which Yahweh hath spoken against this people. read more. So then Baruch son of Neriah did according to all which Jeremiah the prophet commanded him, reading in the book the words of Yahweh in the house of Yahweh. And it came to pass in the fifth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah in the ninth month, that all the people of Jerusalem, and all the people who were coming in out of the cities of Judah into Jerusalem, had proclaimed a fast before Yahweh; Baruch, therefore, read in the book the words of Jeremiah, in the house of Yahweh, - in the chamber of Gemariah son of Shaphan - the scribe, in the upper court, at the opening of the new gate of the house of Yahweh, in the ears of all the people.
food to delight in, did I not eat, neither flesh nor wine, came into my mouth, nor did I so much as, anoint, myself, - until were fulfilled three sevens of days.
Blow ye a horn in Zion, sound an alarm in my holy mountain, let all the inhabitants of the land, tremble, - for coming is the day of Yahweh, for it is near! - A day of obscurity and deep gloom, a day of cloud, and thick darkness, as dusk, spread over the mountains, - a people, many and bold, like whom, hath not been from age-past times, and, after whom, shall not be again unto the years of generation after generation. read more. Before him, hath a fire, devoured, and, after him, shall a flame, consume, - As the garden of Eden, is the land before him, but, after him, a desert most desolate, Moreover also, escape, giveth he none. As the appearance of horses, is his appearance, and, as war-horses, so, shall they run: Like the noise of chariots on the tops of the mountains, shall they rattle along, like the noise of a flame of fire, devouring dry straw, - like a people bold, arrayed for battle. Because of him, shall peoples', be in anguish, - all faces, have withdrawn their colour. Like heroes, shall they run, like men of war, shall they mount a wall, - and, every one - along his own road, shall they march along, and shall not change their paths; Nor, against each other, shall they strike, Each - on his own highway, shall they march, - though, in among the weapons, they fall, they shall not stop. Upon the city, shall they leap, on the wall, shall they run, up the houses, shall they climb, - through the windows, shall they enter, like a thief, Before him, hath quaked the earth, have trembled the heavens, - the sun and the moon, have become dark, and, the stars, have withdrawn their shining; And, Yahweh, hath uttered his voice, before his host, for great indeed is his camp, for bold is he who executeth his word, - for great is the day of Yahweh, and awful exceedingly, Who then shall endure it? Even now, therefore, urgeth Yahweh, Turn ye unto me, with all your heart, - and with fasting and with weeping, and with lamentation; And rend your heart, and not your garments, turn therefore, unto Yahweh your God, - for, gracious and full of compassion, is he, slow to anger, and abundant in loving- kindness, and will grieve over calamity. Who knoweth, he may turn and grieve, - and leave behind him, a blessing, a meal-offering and a drink-offering, to Yahweh your God? Blow ye a horn, in Zion, - hallow a fast, call a solemn assembly:
And it came to pass, in the fourth year of Darius the king, that the word of Yahweh came unto Zechariah, on the fourth of the ninth month, in Chisleu; yea when Bethel sent Sherezer and Regemmelech, and his men, - to pacify the face of Yahweh: read more. to speak unto the priests that pertained to the house of Yahweh of hosts, and unto the prophets, saying, - Shall I weep in the fifth month, separating myself, as I have done these so many years? Then came the word of Yahweh of hosts unto me, saying: Speak thou unto all the people of the land, and unto the priests, saying, - When ye fasted and lamented in the fifth and in the seventh, even these seventy years, did ye, really fast, unto, me? And, when ye used to eat and when ye used to drink, was it not, of your own accord, ye did eat, and, of your own accord, ye did drink? Should ye not have been doing the things which Yahweh, had proclaimed, by the hand of the former prophets, while yet Jerusalem was inhabited and in peace, with her cities round about her, - and the South and the Lowland were inhabited?
Thus, saith Yahweh of hosts - The fast of the fourth, and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the eleventh, shall become to the house of Judah a gladness and a rejoicing, and pleasant appointed meetings, - But, truth and peace, see that ye love.
Then come near unto him the disciples of John, saying, - Wherefore do, we, and the Pharisees, fast, whereas, thy disciples, fast not?
And the disciples of John and the Pharisees were fasting; and they come and say unto him - For what cause, do, the disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees, fast, whereas, thy disciples, fast not?
But, they, said unto him - The disciples of John, do fast much, and, supplications, do make, - likewise also the disciples of the Pharisees; but, thine, do eat and drink!
I fast twice in the week, I give a tenth of whatsoever things I gain!
And Cornelius said - Four days ago, counting unto this very hour, I was keeping, the ninth hour, as one of prayer, in my house. And lo! a man stood before me, in bright clothing,