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
Every vow, and every oath of binding to afflict the soul, her husband shall cause it to stand, and her husband shall annul it
And they will gather together to Mizpeh, and draw water and pour out before Jehovah; and they will fast in that day and say there, We sinned against Jehovah. And Samuel will judge the sons of Israel in Mizpeh.
And it will be when Ahab heard these words, and he will rend his garments, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and he will fast and lie down in sackcloth, and go softly.
And in the twenty and fourth day to this month, the sons of Israel were gathered together with fasting and with sackclothes, and earth upon them.
And upon mount Sinai thou camest down, and speaking with them from the heavens, and thou wilt give to them right judgments, and laws of truth, good laws and commands
Go collect together all the Jews being found in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and ye shall not eat and ye shall not drink three days, night and day also I and my maidens will fast thus and in this I will go in to the king which is not according to the edict; and according to that I perished, I perished.
And I, in their being sick, my clothing sackcloth: I humbled my soul in fasting, and my prayer shall be turned back upon my bosom.
And go thou and read in the roll which thou wrotest from my mouth, the words of Jehovah in the ears of the people in the house of Jehovah in the day of fasting: and also in the ears of all Judah coming from their cities thou shalt read them. Perhaps their mercy will fall before the face of Jehovah, and they will turn back each from his evil way: for great the anger and the wrath which Jehovah spake against this people. read more. And Baruch son of Neriah will do according to all which Jeremiah the prophet commanded him, to read in the book the words of Jehovah in the house of Jehovah. And it will be in the fifth year to Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, in the ninth month, they called a fast before Jehovah to all the people in Jerusalem, and all the people coming from the cities of Judah into Jerusalem. And Baruch will read in the book all the words of Jeremiah hi the house of Jehovah in the chamber of Gemariah son of Shaphan the scribe, in the enclosure the highest of the entrance of the new gate of the house of Jehovah, in the ears of all the people.
Bread of desires I ate not, and flesh and wine came not into my mouth, and anointing, I did not anoint myself even to the filling up of three weeks of days.
Clang ye the trumpet in Zion, shout in my holy mountain: all the inhabitants of the land shall be moved, for the day of Jehovah is coming, for it is near. A day of darkness and of thick darkness; a day of cloud and gloom as the morning spread upon the mountains: great and strong people; the like to him was not from forever, and after him there shall not be added even to the years of generation and generation. read more. Before him a fire devoured, and after him a flame shall burn; the land as the garden of Eden before him, and after him a desert of desolation; and also there was no escaping to him. His appearance as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen so shall they run. As the voice of chariots upon the heads of the mountains they shall leap, as the voice of a flame of fire devouring the stubble, as a strong people set in order for battle. From his face peoples shall be pained: all faces gathered a glow. They shall run as strong men; as men of war they shall come up upon the wall; and they shall go each in his ways; they shall not change their paths. And they shall not thrust a man his brother; they shall go a man in his high way: and in the midst of the javelin shall they fall, they shall not be cut in pieces. In the city they shall run up and down; on the wall shall they run, into the houses they shall come up, through the windows shall they come in as a thief. The earth was moved before his face; the heavens trembled: the sun and the moon were darkened, and the stars took away their shining: And Jehovah gave his voice before the face of his strength: for exceedingly great his camp, and strong he doing his word: for great the day of Jehovah, and exceedingly terrible; and who shall endure it? And also now, says Jehovah, Turn back even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping and with wailing. And rend your heart and not your garments, and turn back to Jehovah your God: for he is merciful and compassionate, slow of anger and of much kindness, and lamenting on account of the evil. Who shall know he will turn back, and lamenting and leaving a blessing after him, a gift and a libation to Jehovah your God? Clang ye the trumpet in Zion; consecrate a fast, call a restraining.
And it will be in the fourth year to Darius the king, the word of Jehovah was to Zechariah in the fourth to the ninth month, in Chisleu; And he will send to the house of God, the chief of the treasure, and the friend of the king, and his men to beseech the face of Jehovah. read more. To speak to the priests which were to the house of Jehovah of armies, and to the prophets, saying, Should I weep in the fifth month, separating myself according as I did, how many the years? And the word of Jehovah of armies was to me, saying, Say to all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and in the seventh, and this seventy years, fasting, fasted ye to me, me? And when ye shall eat, and when ye shall drink, are ye not eating, and are ye not drinking? Is it not the words which Jehovah called by the hand of the former prophets in Jerusalem being inhabited and in security, and its cities round about her, and inhabiting the south and the low country?
Thus said Jehovah of armies: The fast of the fourth, and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth, shall be to the house of Judah for joy and for gladness, and for good appointments; and love ye truth and peace.
Then came to him the disciples of John; saying, Wherefore do we and the Pharisees fast much, and thy disciples fast not?
And the disciples of John, and of the Pharisees were fasting: and they come and say to him, Why do the disciples of John, and of the Pharisees fast, and the disciples to thee fast not?
And they said to him, Wherefore do the disciples of John fast frequently, and make prayers, and likewise they of the Pharisees; and they to thee eat and drink
I fast twice of the Sabbath; I pay tithes of all I possess.
And Cornelius said, From the fourth day till this hour I was fasting; and the ninth hour praying in my house, and, behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing,