νηστεύω
To abstain from food (religiously)
Reading a lexicon entry
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What does νηστεύω (nēsteúō) mean in the Bible?
νηστεύω (nēsteúō) is a Greek word meaning "to abstain from food (religiously)". νηστεύω (νῆστις), [in LXX for צוּם ;] to fast (Arist. Defines fasting as covenant dependence rather than religious performance. This term runs through the canonical themes of Covenant.
Full entry for νηστεύω (G3522) · Browse the biblical lexicon
Meaning
Religious self-denial through food abstinence, typically for spiritual focus or penitence.
(νῆστις), [in LXX for צוּם ;] to fast (Arist., Aristoph., al.): Mat.4:2 6:16-18 9:14-15 Mrk.2:18-20, Luk.5:33-35 18:12, Act.13:2-3.
Why This Word Matters
Defines fasting as covenant dependence rather than religious performance. Matthew 6:16–18
Grammatical Forms
How mood, tense, and voice shift the force of this verb in context.
Indicative states a fact or reality 9×
Participle verbal adjective — the action as a modifying quality 7×
Infinitive verbal noun — the action in abstract 3×
Subjunctive possibility, probability, or purpose 1×
Discourse Aspect
How this verb appears across 19 occurrences in the NT discourse index (MACULA Greek SBLGNT).
Aspect reflects grammatical form — not authorial emphasis. Participles and infinitives are verbal adjectives and nouns respectively.
Clause data: MACULA Greek (Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0) · SBLGNT (Logos/SBL, CC BY 4.0)
Canonical Themes
Biblical Occurrences
Each occurrence shows the passage reference, the original language term as it appears in that context, its transliteration, and the contextual sense.
Word Pictures (Robertson)
A.T. Robertson's Word Pictures in the New Testament (1930–31) discusses this term in the following chapters. Open any chapter and go to the Word Pictures tab to read his verse-by-verse commentary.
A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (1930–31) — public domain