What does צוּם (ṣûm) mean in the Bible?
צוּם (ṣûm): Fasting as voluntary self-denial through covering the mouth; physical discipline expressing repentance or mourning before God
Hebrew · H6684
צוּם
To cover over (the mouth), i.e. to fast
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צוּם H6684
Pronunciation ṣûm
What does צוּם (ṣûm) mean in the Bible?
צוּם (ṣûm): Fasting as voluntary self-denial through covering the mouth; physical discipline expressing repentance or mourning before God
Full entry for צוּם (H6684) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H6684?
The BSB source-word alignment has 21 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include and fasted (3), fast (2), they fasted (2), you fasted (2), . . . (1).
Where does צוּם (ṣûm) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Judges 20:26. Its strongest book concentrations include 2 Samuel (5), Isaiah (3), Zechariah (3), 1 Samuel (2).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It and fasted 3× 2 Samuel 1:12, 1 Kings 21:27, 1 Chronicles 10:12
fast 2× 2 Samuel 12:23, Isaiah 58:4
they fasted 2× Judges 20:26, 1 Samuel 7:6
you fasted 2× 2 Samuel 12:21, Zechariah 7:5
. . . 1× Zechariah 7:5
and fast 1× Esther 4:16
and they fasted 1× 1 Samuel 31:13
fasted 1× 2 Samuel 12:16
fasting 1× Nehemiah 1:4
have we fasted 1× Isaiah 58:3
I fasted 1× 2 Samuel 12:22
So we fasted 1× Ezra 8:23
that you fasted 1× Zechariah 7:5
they may fast 1× Jeremiah 14:12
will fast 1× Esther 4:16
You fast 1× Isaiah 58:4
Show sample aligned rows
Judges 20:26 וַיָּצ֥וּמוּ to they fasted Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural 1 Samuel 7:6 וַיָּצ֙וּמוּ֙ to they fasted Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural 1 Samuel 31:13 וַיָּצֻ֖מוּ to and they fasted Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural 2 Samuel 1:12 וַיָּצֻ֖מוּ to and fasted Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural 2 Samuel 12:16 וַיָּ֤צָם to fasted Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular 2 Samuel 12:21 צַ֣מְתָּ to you fasted Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular 2 Samuel 12:22 צַ֖מְתִּי to I fasted Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular 2 Samuel 12:23 צָ֔ם to fast Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular 1 Kings 21:27 וַיָּצ֑וֹם to and fasted Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular 1 Chronicles 10:12 וַיָּצ֖וּמוּ to and fasted Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Judges 20:26
Aligned rows 21
Books represented 11
Judges 1 1 Samuel 2 2 Samuel 5 1 Kings 1 1 Chronicles 1 Ezra 1 Nehemiah 1 Esther 2 Isaiah 3 Jeremiah 1 Zechariah 3
Source forms
וַיָּצֻ֖מוּ 2x way·yā·ṣu·mū 1 Samuel 31:13, 2 Samuel 1:12
אָצ֣וּם 1x ’ā·ṣūm Esther 4:16
הֲצ֥וֹם 1x hă·ṣō·wm Zechariah 7:5
וַיָּצ֑וֹם 1x way·yā·ṣō·wm 1 Kings 21:27
וַיָּצ֥וּמוּ 1x way·yā·ṣū·mū Judges 20:26
וַיָּצ֙וּמוּ֙ 1x way·yā·ṣū·mū 1 Samuel 7:6
וַיָּצ֖וּמוּ 1x way·yā·ṣū·mū 1 Chronicles 10:12
וַיָּ֤צָם 1x way·yā·ṣām 2 Samuel 12:16
Parsing patterns
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural 5x Judges 20:26, 1 Samuel 7:6, 1 Samuel 31:13, 2 Samuel 1:12
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular 2x 2 Samuel 12:16, 1 Kings 21:27
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural 2x Isaiah 58:4
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular 2x 2 Samuel 12:23, Nehemiah 1:4
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common plural | third person feminine singular 1x Ezra 8:23
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural 1x Esther 4:16
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular 1x Esther 4:16
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural 1x Jeremiah 14:12
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Fasting as voluntary self-denial through covering the mouth; physical discipline expressing repentance or mourning before God
Strong's H6684
Lexical occurrences 21 verses Word forms 1 form 10 references Verse guides 0 guides
Study link Nehemiah 9:1-5 Source Gloss
to cover over (the mouth), i.e. to fast
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Fasting as voluntary self-denial through covering the mouth; physical discipline expressing repentance or mourning before God
to cover over (the mouth), i.e. to fast BDB: abstain from food Usage: × at all, fast.
Grammatical Forms
How the stem changes the meaning of this verb across the biblical text.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Form groups 1 Aligned forms 10
Qal basic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense 10×
Imperfect Isa 58:4 · Esth 4:16 · Jer 14:12 4×
Perfect 2Sam 12:21 · 2Sam 12:22 · Isa 58:3 · Zech 7:5 4×
Participle active 2Sam 12:23 · Neh 1:4 2×
Selected Scripture Witness
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
abstaining from food as an act of repentance and religious observance
Showing 1 selected witness from 21 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
צוּם is a primitive root - no further derivation.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain