Bible Dictionaries
Fast

Easton's Bible Dictionary

The sole fast required by the law of Moses was that of the great Day of Atonement (q.v.), Leviticus 23:26-32 . It is called "the fast" (Acts 27:9 ).

The only other mention of a periodical fast in the Old Testament is in Zechariah 7:1-7; 8:19 , from which it appears that during their captivity the Jews observed four annual fasts.

  • The fast of the fourth month, kept on the seventeenth day of Tammuz, the anniversary of the capture of Jerusalem by the Chaldeans; to commemorate also the incident recorded Exodus 32:19 . (Compare Jeremiah 52:6,7 .)

  • The fast of the fifth month, kept on the ninth of Ab (Compare Numbers 14:27 ), to commemorate the burning of the city and temple (Jeremiah 52:12,13 ).

  • The fast of the seventh month, kept on the third of Tisri (Compare 2 Kings 25 ), the anniversary of the murder of Gedaliah (Jeremiah 41:1,2 ).

  • The fast of the tenth month (Compare Jeremiah 52:4; Ezekiel 33:21; 2 Kings 25:1 ), to commemorate the beginning of the siege of the holy city by Nebuchadnezzar.

    There was in addition to these the fast appointed by (Esther 4:16 ).

    Public national fasts on account of sin or to supplicate divine favour were sometimes held.

  • 1 Samuel 7:6;
  • 2 Chronicles 20:3;
  • Jeremiah 36:6-10;
  • Nehemiah 9:1 .

    There were also local fasts.

  • Judges 20:26;
  • 2 Samuel 1:12;
  • 1 Samuel 31:13;
  • 1 Kings 21:9-12;
  • Ezra 8:21-23 :
  • Jonah 3:5-9 .

    There are many instances of private occasional fasting (1 Samuel 1:7 : 20:34; 2 Samuel 3:35; 12:16; 1 Kings 21:27; Ezra 10:6; Nehemiah 1:4; Daniel 10:2,3 ). Moses fasted forty days (Exodus 24:18; 34:28 ), and so also did Elijah (1 Kings 19:8 ). Our Lord fasted forty days in the wilderness (Matthew 4:2 ).

    In the lapse of time the practice of fasting was lamentably abused (Isaiah 58:4; Jeremiah 14:12; Zechariah 7:5 ). Our Lord rebuked the Pharisees for their hypocritical pretences in fasting (Matthew 6:16 ). He himself appointed no fast. The early Christians, however, observed the ordinary fasts according to the law of their fathers (Acts 13:3; 14:23; 2 co 6:5 ).

    Bibliography Information
    Easton, Matthew George. Entry for 'Fast'. Easton's Bible Dictionary. https://www.studylight.org/​dictionaries/​eng/​ebd/​f/fast.html. 1897.