צוּם

Judges 20:26 וַיָּצ֥וּמוּ and they fasted

Then the Israelites, all the people, went up to Bethel, where they sat weeping before the LORD. That day they fasted until evening and presented burnt offerings and peace offerings to the LORD.

Here: 'And they fasted', going without food (and probably drink) as an act of mourning and urgent appeal. In the canonical order of books this appears to be the first time this verb occurs.

1 Samuel 7:6 וַיָּצ֙וּמוּ֙ and they fasted

When they had gathered at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out before the LORD. On that day they fasted, and there they confessed, “We have sinned against the LORD.” And Samuel judged the Israelites at Mizpah.

Here: They went without food, a public way of mourning and humbling themselves before God in a crisis. Israel fasts the same way in Judg 20:26.

1 Samuel 31:13 וַיָּצֻ֖מוּ and they fasted

Then they took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh, and they fasted seven days.

2 Samuel 1:12 וַיָּצֻ֖מוּ and they fasted

They mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and his son Jonathan, and for the people of the LORD and the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword.

2 Samuel 12:16 וַיָּ֤צָם and he fasted

David pleaded with God for the boy. He fasted and went into his house and spent the night lying in sackcloth on the ground.

Here: "And he fasted": he went completely without food. Verse 17 makes clear that he would not even eat bread.

2 Samuel 12:21 צַ֣מְתָּ you fasted

“What is this you have done?” his servants asked. “While the child was alive, you fasted and wept, but when he died, you got up and ate.”

2 Samuel 12:22 צַ֖מְתִּי I fasted

David answered, “While the child was alive, I fasted and wept, for I said, ‘Who knows? The LORD may be gracious to me and let him live.’

2 Samuel 12:23 צָ֔ם fasting

But now that he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me.”

1 Kings 21:27 וַיָּצ֑וֹם and he fasted

When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and fasted. He lay down in sackcloth and walked around meekly.

Here: He went without food, a standard part of mourning and of pleading with God when disaster had been announced (compare David in 2 Samuel 12:16–22).

1 Chronicles 10:12 וַיָּצ֖וּמוּ and they fasted

all their men of valor set out and retrieved the bodies of Saul and his sons and brought them to Jabesh. And they buried their bones under the oak in Jabesh and fasted seven days.

Ezra 8:23 וַנָּצ֛וּמָה and we fasted !

So we fasted and petitioned our God about this, and He granted our request.

Here: "So we fasted": the whole company went without food. Verse 21 explains what the fast was for: "to humble ourselves before our God." It was a shared act of lowering themselves, not a private discipline. The extra -ah ending is a stylistic habit of late Hebrew narrative (Ezra uses it repeatedly, e.g. v.24 "I set apart") and does not change the meaning.

Nehemiah 1:4 צָם֙ fasting

When I heard these words, I sat down and wept. I mourned for days, fasting and praying before the God of heaven.

Here: Going without food, a standard part of mourning and of pleading urgently with God. Here it is ongoing, not a single day.

Esther 4:16 וְצ֣וּמוּ אָצ֣וּם and fast, I will fast

“Go and assemble all the Jews who can be found in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day, and I and my maidens will fast as you do. After that, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish!”

Here: A plural command. Going without food as a group was the recognised way to mourn and to plead in a crisis. It continues the fasting already under way in 4:3.

Isaiah 58:3 צַּ֙מְנוּ֙ have we fasted

“Why have we fasted, and You have not seen? Why have we humbled ourselves, and You have not noticed?” “Behold, on the day of your fast, you do as you please, and you oppress all your workers.

Here: 'We have fasted': going without food (and often drink) as an act of mourning or pleading before God. The perfect tense presents it as done and finished, so where is the result?

Isaiah 58:4 תָּצ֔וּמוּ תָצ֣וּמוּ you fast

You fast with contention and strife to strike viciously with your fist. You cannot fast as you do today and have your voice be heard on high.

Jeremiah 14:12 יָצֻ֗מוּ they will fast

Although they may fast, I will not listen to their cry; although they may offer burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. Instead, I will finish them off by sword and famine and plague.”

Here: "They fast": going without food (often with sackcloth and ashes) as a public sign of grief, humbling oneself, and urgent appeal to God. Here it is the communal fast Judah would call in a national crisis like the drought of 14:1–6.

Zechariah 7:5 צַמְתֶּ֨ם הֲצ֥וֹם צַמְתֻּ֖נִי you fasted, ¿ really <to fast>, did you fast for me

“Ask all the people of the land and the priests, ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months for these seventy years, was it really for Me that you fasted?

Here: 'You (plural) fasted.' This is the ritual of going without food, and in Israel it was mainly a rite of mourning and penitence.