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צוֹם

𐤑𐤅𐤌

tsôwm

H6685 noun

SILEX Entry

Root צום to abstain, to deny oneself, to fast

Definition

A period of abstaining from all food, and sometimes also from drink, practiced for religious or penitential reasons. The term refers both to the act of fasting and to a designated day or time marked by such abstention, typically accompanied by prayer, humility, or mourning.

Semantic Range

(religious) fast, act of fasting, period of abstention from food or drink, communal fast, fast day, ritual of self-denial or mourning

Root / Etymology

Derived from the root צוּם meaning 'to abstain from food, to fast.' The noun צוֹם denotes the condition or event of fasting, formed as a nominal derivative from the verbal root.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, צוֹם designates either general practices of fasting as acts of personal or communal piety, or fixed communal fast days such as Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement; Leviticus 16:29–31, where the verb is used). By the exilic and post-exilic periods, צוֹם could also refer to specific fasts instituted in response to national crises (e.g., Zechariah 8:19—fasts commemorating the destruction of Jerusalem). The term is distinct from other related words such as תַּעֲנִית (taʿanit), which emphasizes affliction or self-denial. Later English versions, particularly the KJV, often translate צוֹם generically as 'fast,' but this can obscure the communal and ritual dimensions present in some biblical contexts. The noun refers not merely to individual private piety, but especially to communal observances which might include rituals of mourning, supplication, or repentance. Usage remains relatively consistent from monarchic through post-exilic times, though the frequency and calendarization of formal fasts increased after the exile.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

or צֹם; from צוּם; a fast; fast(-ing).

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

צום (ṣ-w-m) — to abstain, to deny oneself, to fast

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H6684 צוּם to fast

Word Forms

8 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H6685-04 צ֔וֹם tsom HNcmsa a fast fast 14
H6685-08 וְ/צ֣וֹם vetsom HC/Ncmsc and-fast and fast-of 4
H6685-07 בַ/צּ֣וֹם vatsom HRd/Ncmsa in the fast in the fast 2
H6685-01 בְּ/צ֖וֹם betsom HR/Ncmsa in-fast in a fast 2
H6685-06 וּ/בְ/צ֥וֹם uvetsom HC/R/Ncmsa and with fasting and in fasting 1
H6685-05 צֹֽמְ/כֶם֙ tsomekhem HNcmsc/Sp2mp of your fast your fast 1
H6685-02 הַ/צֹּמ֖וֹת hatsomot HTd/Ncmpa the fastings the fasts 1
H6685-03 מִ/צּ֑וֹם mitsom HR/Ncmsa from fasting from a fast 1

Occurrences in Scripture

26 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H6685-04 2 Samuel 12:16 צ֔וֹם tsom HNcmsa fast fast
H6685-04 1 Kings 21:9 צ֔וֹם tsom HNcmsa a fast fast
H6685-04 1 Kings 21:12 צ֑וֹם tsom HNcmsa a fast fast
H6685-05 Isaiah 58:3 צֹֽמְ/כֶם֙ tsomekhem HNcmsc/Sp2mp of your fast your fast
H6685-04 Isaiah 58:5 צ֣וֹם tsom HNcmsa fast fast
H6685-04 Isaiah 58:5 צ֔וֹם tsom-2 HNcmsa a fast fast
H6685-04 Isaiah 58:6 צ֣וֹם tsom HNcmsa fast fast
H6685-04 Jeremiah 36:6 צ֑וֹם tsom HNcmsa fasting fast
H6685-04 Jeremiah 36:9 צ֜וֹם tsom HNcmsa a fast fast
H6685-04 Joel 1:14 צוֹם֙ tsom HNcmsa a fast fast
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