Word Study for G3522 (νηστεύω)

nēsteúō /nace-tyoo'-o/ Ask about this word

Rootfrom νῆστις

Meaningto abstain from food (religiously)

KJV usagefast.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of nēsteúō — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Greek word nēsteúō, represented by G3522, defines the religious act to abstain from food, or to fast. It appears 23 times across 16 unique verses, highlighting its role as a specific spiritual discipline. The term fundamentally refers to the act of not eating for a religious purpose.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, G3522 is used in several key contexts. It is presented as a common practice among the disciples of John and the Pharisees, who question why Jesus' disciples do not fast as they do (Matthew 9:14, Luke 5:33). Jesus himself fasted for forty days and nights, after which he was hungry Matthew 4:2. He taught that fasting should not be a public display with a sad countenance G4659, but a private act of devotion to God Matthew 6:16-18. Jesus also prophesied that his disciples would fast in the days after the "bridegroom" is taken away G522 from them (Matthew 9:15, Mark 2:20). The early church practiced fasting in conjunction with prayer and worship, as when the leaders at Antioch fasted before sending out Barnabas and Saul Acts 13:3.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the context and purpose of fasting:

G4336 proseúchomai (to pray to God): Fasting is frequently paired with prayer. The leaders of the church at Antioch had fasted and prayed before sending out their missionaries Acts 13:3, and Cornelius was both fasting and prayed when an angel appeared to him Acts 10:30.
G3008 leitourgéō (to perform religious or charitable functions): Fasting is presented as an element of religious service. In Acts 13:2, leaders ministered to the Lord and fasted.
G2068 esthíō (to eat) and G4095 pínō (to drink): These words represent the direct opposite of fasting and are used to highlight the different practices of Jesus' disciples, who would eat and drink while others fasted Luke 5:33.
G4659 skythrōpós (of a sad countenance): Jesus uses this term to warn against the hypocritical practice of fasting to be seen by others, instructing his followers not to be of a sad countenance when they fast Matthew 6:16.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of G3522 is significant, focusing on the motive and timing of the practice.

Sincere Devotion: The primary emphasis is on fasting as an act directed toward God, not for human approval. Jesus contrasts the hypocrites who disfigure G853 their faces to appear G5316 to be fasting, who have their earthly reward G3408, with those who fast in secret to be rewarded by the Father (Matthew 6:16, Matthew 6:18).
A Component of Worship: Fasting is not an end in itself but is linked with other acts of worship. It is done while believers ministered G3008 to the Lord and prayed G4336, indicating its function as a tool for spiritual focus and seeking God Acts 13:2-3.
A Response to Christ's Absence: Jesus frames fasting as an act appropriate for the time after he has been taken away G522. While the bridegroom is present, it is a time for celebration; afterward, it will be a time when his followers will fast (Matthew 9:15, Luke 5:35).

Summary

In summary, G3522 is far more than the simple act of abstaining from food. It is a defined spiritual practice associated with prayer, worship, and sincere devotion to God. The scriptural witness shifts the focus from a purely external ritual, as practiced by the Pharisees, to an internal act of the heart. It is presented as a meaningful discipline for believers, particularly in the period following Christ's physical departure from the world.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Greek New Testament, this word appears as a verb across 21 occurrences, inflected in 12 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

Present Active Indicative 3rd Plural 4×
Future Active Indicative 3rd Plural 3×
Present Active Participle Nominative Singular Masculine 3×
Present Active Infinitive 2×
Present Active Participle Nominative Plural Masculine 2×
Aorist Active Infinitive 1×
Aorist Active Participle Nominative Plural Masculine 1×
Aorist Active Participle Nominative Singular Masculine 1×
Present Active Indicative 1st Plural 1×
Present Active Indicative 1st Singular 1×
Present Active Participle Genitive Plural Masculine 1×
Present Active Subjunctive 2nd Plural 1×

Nominative: The subject of the verb.
Genitive: Possession or source — often "of".
Singular: One.
Plural: More than one.
Masculine: Masculine grammatical gender.
1st: First person — the speaker ("I"/"we").
2nd: Second person — the one addressed ("you").
3rd: Third person — the one spoken about ("he"/"they").
Present: Action in progress or repeated — happening now or continually.
Future: Action yet to take place.
Aorist: Action viewed as a single whole — usually a simple past event.
Active: The subject performs the action.
Indicative: A plain statement of fact.
Subjunctive: Possibility or purpose — "might", "should".
Infinitive: The verb as a noun — "to do".
Participle: A verbal adjective — describes while carrying the verb's action.

Related Words

Other entries the study above points to — each one is drawn from a reference it makes. Follow the trail to see how the words connect.

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 16 verses across 4 of the 27 books. Most frequent in Matthew (6 verses); never once in the other 23.

Matthew

Mark

Luke

Acts

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.