G3521 νηστεία (nēsteía)

Greek

Noun, Feminine

Quick Definition

νηστεία, ας, ἡ n.f. fasting, the day of atonement

Strong's Definition

abstinence (from lack of food, or voluntary and religious); specially, the fast of the Day of Atonement

Derivation: from G3522 (νηστεύω);

KJV Usage: fast(-ing)

UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament

νηστεία (G3521)

noun, f. | -ας | νηστεύω

53.65 · Religious Activities · Fasting

to fast, fasting to go without food for a set time as a religious duty

LUK 2:37 · ACT 14:23

23.31 · Physiological Processes and States · Eat, Drink

to be quite hungry, considerable hunger, lack of food the state of being very hungry, presumably for a considerable period of time and as the result of necessity rather than choice (compare νηστεία[a] ‘fasting,’ 53.65) Terms referring to hunger often distinguish varying degrees of hunger and whether the hunger is by necessity or by choice.

2CO 6:5 · 2CO 11:27

51.11 · Festivals

festival of the atonement, day to commemorate the atonement of sin a Jewish festival celebrating the forgiveness of sins on the day of atonement The Day of Atonement in the Jewish calendar occurs in the fall, a time which is particularly dangerous to small ships in the Mediterranean. In biblical times, small merchant ships normally stayed in a harbor over the winter months.

ACT 27:9

¹ The festival of νηστεία involved avoidance of certain foods (compare νηστεία[a] fast, 53.65) but not complete abstinence from food.

UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament © United Bible Societies, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

νηστεία, νηστείας, ἡ (νηστεύω, which see), a fasting, fast, i. e. abstinence from food, and a. voluntary, as a religious exercise: of private fasting, Mat_17:21 (T WH omit; Tr brackets the verse); Mar_9:29 (T WH omit; Tr marginal reading brackets); Luk_2:37; Act_14:23; 1Co_7:5 Rec. of the public fast prescribed by the Mosaic Law (Lev_16:29 ff; Lev_23:27 ff (BB. DD. under the word , and for references to Strabo, Philo, Josephus, Plutarch, see Sophocles' Lexicon, under the word, 1)) and kept yearly on the great day of atonement, the tenth of the month Tisri: Act_27:9 (the month Tisri comprises a part of our September and October (cf. B. D. under the word (at end)); the fast, accordingly, occurred in the autumn, ἡ χειμέριος ὥρα, when navigation was usually dangerous on account of storms, as was the case with the voyage referred to). b. a fasting to which one is driven by want: 2Co_6:5; 2Co_11:27; (Hippocrates, Aristotle, Philo, Josephus, Plutarch, Aelian, Athen., others; the Sept. for φεν).

Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary

νηστεία nēsteia 5x

fasting, want of food, 2 Cor. 6:5; 11:27; a fast, religious abstinence from food, Mt. 17:21; Lk. 2:37; spc. the annual public fast of the Jews, the great day of atonement, occurring in the month Tisri, corresponding to the new moon of October, Acts 27:9*

Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon

νηστεία, -ας, ἡ

(< νηστεύω), [in LXX for צוֹם;]

fasting, a fast; of voluntary abstinence from food: Mt 17:21 (WH, R, txt., om.), Mk 9:29 (WH, txt., R, txt., om.), Lk 2:37, Ac 14:23; of the Day of Atonement, Ac 27:9;

of involuntary abstinence: II Co 6:5 11:27.†

SYN.: ἀσιτία, q.v.

Liddell-Scott-Jones — Greek-English Lexicon

νηστεία (nēsteia) — fasting. νηστ-εία, ἡ, fast, νηστεῖαι καὶ ὁρταί [NT+5th c.BC+]; νηστείας ὄζειν [Refs 4th c.BC+]; at Athens, name for the third day of the Thesmophoria, [Refs 3rd c.BC+]

STEPBible — Tyndale Abridged Greek Lexicon

νηστεία, -ας, ἡ (νηστεύω), [in LXX for צוֹם ;] fasting, a fast; __(a) of voluntary abstinence from food: Mat.17:21 (WH, R, txt., om.), Mrk.9:29 (WH, txt., R, txt., om.), Luk.2:37, Act.14:23; of the Day of Atonement, Act.27:9; __(b) of involuntary abstinence: 2Co.6:5 11:27.† SYN.: ἀσιτία, q.v (AS)

Bible Occurrences (5)

2:37

14:23 27:9

6:5 11:27

Luke 2:37

and then [was] a widow [to the age of] eighty-four....... [She] never left the temple, [but] worshiped night and day, fasting and praying.

Acts 14:23

[Paul and Barnabas] appointed elders for them in each church, praying [and] fasting as they entrusted them to the Lord, in whom they had believed.

Acts 27:9

By now much time had passed, and the voyage had already become dangerous because it was after the Fast. [So] Paul advised [them],

2 Corinthians 6:5

in beatings, imprisonments, [and] riots; in labor, sleepless nights, [and] hunger;

2 Corinthians 11:27

in labor and toil [and] often without sleep, in hunger and thirst [and] often without food, in cold and exposure.