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H6684

צוּם

tsûwm /tsoom/ Ask about this word
a primitive root
to cover over (the mouth), i.e. to fast
fast.
idiom at all

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of tsûwm — 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 Hebrew word tsûwm, represented by H6684, is a primitive root meaning to cover over the mouth, and is used to signify to fast. It appears 21 times across 17 unique verses in the Bible. The term denotes the deliberate abstention from food, often as an expression of grief, repentance, or earnest supplication before God.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In biblical narratives, H6684 is associated with moments of profound spiritual activity. It is an act of national repentance, as when Israel gathered at Mizpeh and fasted, confessing, "We have sinned against the LORD" 1 Samuel 7:6. It is also a deeply personal expression of seeking God's intervention, such as when David fasted and besought God for his child 2 Samuel 12:16, or when Esther called on the Jews to fast before she approached the king Esther 4:16. However, scripture also warns against fasting with improper motives, as God questions those who fast for strife and debate rather than to be heard by Him Isaiah 58:4.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words illuminate the practice and purpose of fasting:

  • H398 ʼâkal (to eat) and H8354 shâthâh (to drink): These words define the physical activities that are abstained from during a fast. This is explicitly stated in Esther's command to "neither eat nor drink three days" Esther 4:16.
  • H6031 ʻânâh (to afflict self): This term describes the internal posture that fasting is meant to produce. The people question God, "wherefore have we afflicted our soul," directly linking the act of fasting to self-humbling Isaiah 58:3.
  • H1058 bâkâh (to weep): This word for weeping is frequently paired with fasting, indicating the deep sorrow or contrition that accompanies the act. Nehemiah, upon hearing of Jerusalem's state, wept, mourned, fasted, and prayed Nehemiah 1:4.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H6684 is significant, highlighting key aspects of one's relationship with God.

  • Repentance and Grief: Fasting serves as an outward sign of inward sorrow and repentance. King Ahab, upon hearing a divine judgment, put on sackcloth and fasted 1 Kings 21:27. Similarly, the Israelites fasted and mourned after the deaths of Saul and Jonathan 2 Samuel 1:12.
  • Earnest Supplication: The act is used to intensify prayer and seek divine favor in times of crisis. Ezra proclaimed a fast to beseech God for protection, stating, "So we fasted and besought our God for this: and he was intreated of us" Ezra 8:23.
  • The Posture of the Heart: The prophets emphasize that the physical act of fasting is meaningless without a sincere heart. God challenges the people, asking if their fasts were truly for Him, showing that the motive behind the fast is what matters to God Zechariah 7:5.

Summary

In summary, H6684 is far more than the simple act of abstaining from food and drink. It is a powerful biblical practice used to express deep repentance, profound grief, and desperate supplication. It functions as a physical demonstration of a spiritual reality, showing humility and total dependence on God. Ultimately, the scriptures show that the value of a fast is measured not by the external observance, but by the sincerity of the heart before God.

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 Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a verb across 21 occurrences, inflected in 13 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

  • יָּצוּמוּ
  • יָּצָם
  • תָּצוּמוּ
  • צָם
  • צַמְתֶּם
  • נָּצוּמָ
  • צוּמוּ
  • אָצוּם
  • יָצֻמוּ
  • צוֹם
  • צַּמְנוּ
  • צַמְתִּי
  • צַמְתָּ

Related Words

Related

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 17 verses across 11 of the 39 books. Most frequent in 2 Samuel (5 verses); never once in the other 28.

1
Judges
2
1 Samuel
5
2 Samuel
1
1 Kings
1
1 Chronicles
1
Ezra
1
Nehemiah
1
Esther
2
Isaiah
1
Jeremiah
1
Zechariah

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, by grammatical form, 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.