Fasting

Often described in OT (esp. in P, where it is practically a technical terra) by phrase •to afflict the soul," iiyrJ .n:j' (Lv le^**-" 23-''-H Nu 29' 30", Ps 35", Is 58»- »•">), tr. by LXX in the passages in Nu by KanoOv ttjv i/'i^tjv, in the others by TaTreivoOf riip ^vx^'t for which see also Jth 4', and which may be assumed to have this precise reference, and not a more general one at Sir 2" 7".

The phrase does not denote primarily spiritual humiliation, even as the proper accompaniment of fasting. It has a physical meaning. This will be perceived if the material sense in which ' soul ' ■was in early times used be remembered (cf. for a similar expression Ps 69"). The more literal terms an 'to fast,' oHs 'fasting,' are also common in OT. In NT the words are vqffTdeiv and v-qaTila. (A) In the OT.— 1. The practice of fasting (a) in the times before the Captwitij.

— The one regular fast, the institution of which is ascribed to this period, ia that of the Day of Atonement (Lv 16^" 23-''-', Nu 29', Jer 36"). But there are many examples of fasts on special occasions, dictated by the sense of having transgressed, or of calamity, present or impending. Such a fast is inspired by Samuel (I S 7'); enjoined by .Tehoiakim and the princes (Jer 36') ; hypocritically by Jezebel (1 K 21'- '-).

In like manner individuals are moved to fast — David when his child is smitten \vith sickness (2S 12"- 2i-2S)^ Ahab on hearing hia doom (1 K 21"). The abstinence from food or drink for forty days by Moses on the Mount (Ex 34^), and by Elijah (1 K 19«), seem to be recorded rather as extraordinary or miraculous occurrences than as fasts purposely undertaken. {b) After the Cantivity.

— Additional regular fasts now appear, the memorials of the times of bitter shame and calamity through which the nation had passed. Four are enumerated in Zee 8'», cf. 7»-''. (a) 'The fast of the fourth month' (Tammuz). On the 9th of this month, the Chal- * For the question whether the observance of the Day of Atone- ment wag known in pre.«xilic times, see p. lOn' of this vol. dsans broke into the city (Jer 39' and 52'-'). According, however, to Talm.

tradition the fast in this month was observed on the 17th, on which day the breaking of the tables of the law by Moses is said to have occurred, and also tha cessation of the daily offering in consequence of the famine during the siege by the Chaldaeans. It was held also that later the day was further desecrated through the burning of the law by Antiochus Epiphanes (in Talm. culled Aposkemus), and his introduction of an idol into the Holy Place. (,9) 'The fast of the fifth month' (Ab).

The destruction of the temple took place accord- ing to 2 K 25* on the 7th, according to Jer 52" on the 10th of this month. The 9th was, however, the day which was observed, at all events accord- ing to the Talmud. The destruction of the second temple is said to have taken place on the same day ; and the announcement was believed to have been made on this day also to the generation of Isr. who came out of Egypt that they should not enter Canaan.

(7) ' The fast of the seventh month ' (Tisri), possibly held in commemoration of Atonement ; the extinction of the government left in Jerusalem under Gedaliah took place in this month through his assassination (2 K 25'"). This, ace. to tradition, happened on the 3rd of Tisri. (5) 'The fast of the tenth month' (Tebet). On the 10th of this month the siege by Nebuch. began (2 K 251, Jer 52*). The reference in Ezk 24'- ^ shows how the habit of marking it by a fast might arise. From the Talm.

we learn that, in the times for which it can be taken as evidence of the practice to which the prophet refers, the 9th of Ab was regarded as by far the most im- portant, and that its obser^-ance was then universally binding. We should infer from Zee 7 and 8 that it always held this posi- tion of pre-eminence. The people ask only (73) whether they need continue to observe this fast.

In the answer of God through the prophet, first one other fast is coupled with it (7*), then all four of the fasts that had been instituted in consp quence of their calamities are mentioned (S^^). It is probable that the three not referred to in the people's question were not regarded as of such strict obhgation, and therefore not felt to be onerous. The prophet, on the other hand, names them all, because the principles on which he insisted applied to all equally.

Accordmg to the Talmud those tliree were, alter they had ceased to be kept, reintroduced subsequently to the de- struction of the second temple ; and it was taught that they need be ob3er\'ed only at times when the Jews were oppressed or were suffering calamities (cf. Brlick, Pharieaische VolhssitUn uiid Kitualien, p. 45 ff.)

Jewish interpreters seem to have understood Zee's words (819) as giving a dispensation from the obser^'ance of the fasts in the interval between the restoration and the destruction of the second temple (Briick, ib.) We may perhaps find a trace of the institution of one other regular fast in OT — in the Bk. of Esther.

That book explains the origin of the Feast of Purim, and in Rabbinic times tlie celebra- tion of that feast was accompanied by a fast in commemoration of the fasting of Esther, Mordecai, and the people (4'"'- "•"). There may be an allusion to this part of the commemoration in 9»' end. Naturally, there is no lack in the period from the Captivity onwards of instances of fasts on special occasions.

Of such as the whole people joined in we have, in addition to the one m Est just referred to, Ezr S"'*, Neh 9' ; and as examples of fasts by individuals, Neh 1', Dn 9. The references to fasting in the Apocr. are not so numerous aa might have been expected, and do not throw much additional light upon the history of the practice (To 12«, 1 Mac 3", 2 Mac 13'-). 2. The manner of observing fasts.

— There can be little doubt that, in accordance with usual Oriental practice, fasting involved complete abstinence from food. The period for the Day of Atonement was ' from even till even ' (Lv 23'^). No work was to be done (Lv la"-" 23^-, Nu 29'). There are allusions also to the use of sackcloth and ashes (Dn 9, Jon 3' etc.)

Abstinence of another kind was also required, referred to in 1 Co 7" (TR) : various FASTING FAT 865 passapes of OT might be quoted in confirmation, thougli none very liistinctly connected with fasts. It is spoken of plainly in the Talmud. 3. T lie purpose of fasting. — W. R. Smith observes (EiP, p. 434), 'Tne usage of religious fasting is commonly taken as a sign of sorrow, the wor.

sliip- pers being so distressed at the alienation of their god that they cannot eat ; but there are very strong reasons for believing that in the strict Oriental form, in which total abstinence from meat and drink is prescribed, fasting is primarily notliing more than a preparation for the sacra- mental eating of holy flesh.' It is difficult, however, to discover traces of this view in OT.

There we find fasting employed simply as a sign of mourning (1 S 31"), or with the evident object of deprecating divine wrath, or winning divine com- passion. Ita suitability cannot well be e.\plained in either of these connexions, except on the ground that it is often a natural efi'ect of grief, and may therefore be purposely employed as a sign of it. In its religious use such a mute expres- sion of sorrow would be an act of contrition for sin, or appeal for heavenly aid in distress.

A super- stitious idea of its efficacy was, no doubt, often entertained j but the particular form of error whicli the prophets found it necessary to condemn was the ordinary one of the formalist, who fails to perceive that his external observances can have no value when dissevered from purity and righteous- ness of life (Is 58«-', Jer I4'»-'*, Zee 7, 8). {B) In the NT.— 1. Tht Jewish practice.— There is an allusion in Ac 27" to ' the Fast,' which was 80 par excellence, i.e.

the Day of Atonement. But the chief point which we learn from NT is that by this time frequent additional fasts had become customary with those in Judaism who desired to lead a specially religious life, e.g. Anna (Lk 2"). Again, the Pharisee in the parable says, ' I fast twice in the week' (Lk 18"). The allusion is to the two weekly fast-days, Thursday and Mon- day, on the former of which days Moses was said to have gone up ii.to the Mount, and on the latter to have come down from it.

Mention is made of them frequently in the Talmud. There is also an interesting reference to them in the Didnche 8', where Christians are biiklen not to fast with the hypocrites on the second and fifth days of the week, but on the fourth and on Friday.

Further, the question asked of Jesus by the disciples of John and of the Pharisees (Mt9', Mk2'», Lk 5"), reveals the interesting fact that teachers who had gathered about them bands of scholars, used to give to their disciples s])ccial rules on the subject. 2. The teaching if Jesu.i. — There are two i)as- sages only, but those significant ones, {a} That in the Sermon on the Mount (Mt 6'""').

Our Lord's whole aim here appears to be to secure perfect purity and simidicity of intention, a 'fasting unto God' (cf. Zee 7') in the fullest and deepest sense. This would be the most ell'ectual cure for every error, practical or even intellectual (comp. His teaching on almsgiving and prayer, Mt 6''", and Bee art. on former). {h) llis answer to the question of the disciples of John and of the Pharisees (Mt 9"", Mk 2"'-, Lk 5^'^). This answer throws light on His whole method and aim.

To understaml it we must bear in mind the ([uestion which called it forth. There is no reason to believe that either our Lord or His disciples failed to keep any day of fasting which was generally observed by religious members of the class of artisans and small tiiules- men in Galilee, such as the Day of Atonement. But He had imposed upon them no frequent additional fasts. Ho defends them from the stricture j)a.

ssed on them, and in so doing replies to the criticism of His own teaching, which was implied, by setting forth the principles on which He acted. He reliained from prescribing forms, not that He condemned them as mischievous or useless, but because it would have been the wrong end at which to begin. The course which He adopted was alone fitting, in view of the far-reach- ing change of character and thought which lie designed to efl'ect.

The precise force of the distinction which Jeaus drew between the d.ay3 while the hridegrooin was present and those when he should be removed, deserves to be marked. The time of Hij presence on earth was a Mejssianic time, a foretaste of the restitu- tion of all thinj,'3. The thou;;lit tliat fasting would be dis- continued in Messiah's days was already familiar to the Jewish mind.

The lan^a^c of Zee sug^'ested it (819), and thus, as it is interesting to note, Jesus addeil emphasis to the claim to be the Messiali, which He virtually made in referring to Himself as the bridej^room, by what He said as to the unsuitability of requiring fasts from His discii>les then. We may believe also that He wished them afterwards to look back to the time that they companied with Him as one of joy.

But His clear pre- vision that the perfect fultilmcnt of the promise was not yet at hand, and that a period of s.-Ldness and trial would intervene before it, is not less remarkable, and His words unquestionably imply that there would be a place for fasting in the coming dispensation.

Further, the inference which has frequently been drawn from them by Protestant commentators, that in the Christian Church fasting was to be practised only when dictated by special feelings of sorrow, and hence that it was to be a matter of individual choice, condned to occasions of wide- spread and exceptional calamity, hardly seems to be justified ; for He characterizes broadly the difference between two whole periods.

On the other hand, in the parables which follow, and in His line of conduct, to wliich attention had been directed, lie plainly shows that He intended questions of outw.ard observance to be judged with reference to new princijiles wliich he incul- cated, and that He left them to be decided by His Church under the guidance of the Spirit Who should come in His name (but see Hort, Jud. Chr. p. 24).

This intention was shown ahke by what He did and did not conform to in the religious usages around Him. We have noticed that the keeping of the law of Moses was not in ques- tion on the occasion under consideration. But in point of fact His attitude to that law, the res])oct for it which He en- couraged byword and example, His silence as to its approach- ing abrogation, were based on the same principle as the non imposition of new forms.

He intended the rites of the Mosaic law to be set aside or changed only as the result of a new spiritual gro\vth. 3. The practice of the early Church. — The chief instances are before solemn appointments (Ac 13, ' U-^). St Paul alludes to his fasts (2 Co G" 11"). It is somewhat difficult, however, to decide whether he is speaking of voluntary or involuntary ones. Perliaps both are included.

The connexion of words seems rather to sug^ost voluntary fasts in the former passage, and involun- tary ones in the latter. In places TR has an allusion to fasting where it is wanting according U) the best evidence (Mt 17-', Mk 9^, Ac 10™, 1 Co 7°). This corruption of the text may have been due to the increasing value which was set on fasting in the Christian Church with the lapse of time. See further, Feasts and Fasts.

In the Oxyrhynchus fraginent discovered by Orenfell and Hunt, the 2nd Logion contains the words tkt fir, ^firrtu^yivt rir K^rfict, 0u fAn iupr.Ti rr,i i^xftXiix* rev 9uv. The construction and the meaning of the saying are both difficult : Ilarnack (Die jujujut entihckten Spriiche Jesu, 8ff.) contends for a meta- phorical sense of the word ' fast.' Amongst other discussions of the sense of this IjOginn we niav refer to Orenfell and Hunt's nfifiopHnwpjofthe AOriA IlIiOT (lOtT.)

, lledpath(A'j-pn»i(or, Sept. 18U7, p. 225), Heinrici in ThL (2l8t Aug. 1887), Swcte (Kxpol. Times, Sept. 1897, p. 548 f.) V. H. Stanton.