How many times is fasting mentioned in the Bible?
The word fasting appears 17 times in the King James Version, in 17 verses. Counting every form (fasting, fasted, fastings), it appears 36 times in 36 verses across 20 of the 66 books. The World English Bible uses fasting 18 times (39 with every form).
Fasting in the King James Version and the World English Bible
Each form of fasting counted in each translation.
| Form | KJV | WEB |
|---|---|---|
| fasting | 17 | 18 |
| fasted | 15 | 17 |
| fastings | 4 | 4 |
| Total | 36 | 39 |
Which books mention fasting most
Fasting appears in 20 books of the 66 in the King James Version. Acts has the most (5), then 2 Samuel (3) and Psalms (3).
Also in: Jeremiah (1), Joel (1), Zechariah (1), Luke (1), 1 Corinthians (1).
First and last mention of fasting
Then all the children of Israel, and all the people, went up, and came unto the house of God, and wept, and sat there before the LORD, and fasted that day until even, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD.
In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
Where the two translations differ
1 verse matches in the KJV but not in the World English Bible, and 4 verses match only in the World English Bible, usually because the other translation chose a different word there.
Jeremiah 36:6: counted in the KJV only
Therefore go thou, and read in the roll, which thou hast written from my mouth, the words of the LORD in the ears of the people in the LORD’S house upon the fasting day: and also thou shalt read them in the ears of all Judah that come out of their cities.
Therefore you go, and read from the scroll which you have written from my mouth, Yahweh’s words, in the ears of the people in Yahweh’s house on the fast day. Also you shall read them in the ears of all Judah who come out of their cities.
2 Samuel 12:21: counted in the World English Bible only
Then said his servants unto him, What thing is this that thou hast done? thou didst fast and weep for the child, while it was alive; but when the child was dead, thou didst rise and eat bread.
Then his servants said to him, “What is this that you have done? You fasted and wept for the child while he was alive, but when the child was dead, you rose up and ate bread.”
Matthew 6:16: counted in the World English Bible only
Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
“Moreover when you fast, don’t be like the hypocrites, with sad faces. For they disfigure their faces, that they may be seen by men to be fasting. Most certainly I tell you, they have received their reward.
Verses with fasting on our topic pages
19 verses that use fasting in the World English Bible are in our topic collections.
When he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was hungry afterward.
On: Fasting, Temptation
He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing, except by prayer and fasting.”
and she had been a widow for about eighty-four years), who didn’t depart from the temple, worshiping with fastings and petitions night and day.
They gathered together to Mizpah, and drew water, and poured it out before Yahweh, and fasted on that day, and said there, “We have sinned against Yahweh.” Samuel judged the children of Israel in Mizpah.
On: Fasting
They mourned, wept, and fasted until evening, for Saul, and for Jonathan his son, and for the people of Yahweh, and for the house of Israel; because they had fallen by the sword.
On: Fasting
David therefore begged God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night on the ground.
On: Fasting
So we fasted and begged our God for this: and he granted our request.
On: Fasting
When I heard these words, I sat down and wept, and mourned several days; and I fasted and prayed before the God of heaven,
On: Fasting
But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth. I afflicted my soul with fasting. My prayer returned into my own bosom.
On: Fasting
‘Why have we fasted,’ say they, ‘and you don’t see? Why have we afflicted our soul, and you don’t notice?’ “Behold, in the day of your fast you find pleasure, and oppress all your laborers.
On: Fasting
I set my face to the Lord God, to seek by prayer and petitions, with fasting and sackcloth and ashes.
On: Fasting
“Yet even now,” says Yahweh, “turn to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning.”
On: Fasting
Common questions
How many times is fasting in the Old Testament and the New Testament?
In the King James Version, counting every form, 22 of the 36 uses are in the Old Testament and 14 in the New Testament. Fasting appears in 20 books of the 66 in the King James Version. Acts has the most (5), then 2 Samuel (3) and Psalms (3).
Where is fasting first mentioned in the Bible?
The first use in the King James Version is Judges 20:26: "Then all the children of Israel, and all the people, went up, and came unto the house of God, and wept, and sat there before the LORD, and fasted that day until even, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD." The last is 2 Corinthians 11:27.
Read the full collection: Bible Verses About Fasting (28 Verses).
More word counts: remember, dream, music, dance, dog, lion, children, mother, or all 107 words.
Counted by Bible Says About from the full public-domain text of the King James Version (1769 edition) and the World English Bible. Verse text only: headings and psalm titles are left out. A word is a run of letters: a hyphenated name like Beer-sheba counts as two, and an apostrophe stays inside its word (LORD'S is one). Matching ignores capital letters. Data compiled 2026-10-02.