What does יָסַר (yasar) mean in the Bible?
יָסַר (yasar): Discipline that corrects through painful consequence, moving from physical punishment toward moral instruction and reformation.
Hebrew · H3256
יָסַר
To chastise , literally (with blows) or figuratively (with words); hence, to instruct
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יָסַר H3256
Pronunciation yasar
What does יָסַר (yasar) mean in the Bible?
יָסַר (yasar): Discipline that corrects through painful consequence, moving from physical punishment toward moral instruction and reformation.
Full entry for יָסַר (H3256) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H3256?
The BSB source-word alignment has 43 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include scourged (4), . . . (2), Discipline (2), will scourge (2), Yet I will discipline you (2).
Where does יָסַר (yasar) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Leviticus 26:18. Its strongest book concentrations include Psalms (9), Jeremiah (7), Deuteronomy (5), Proverbs (5).
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 scourged 4× 1 Kings 12:11, 1 Kings 12:14, 2 Chronicles 10:11, 2 Chronicles 10:14
. . . 2× Psalms 118:18, Jeremiah 31:18
Discipline 2× Proverbs 19:18, Proverbs 29:17
will scourge 2× 1 Kings 12:11, 1 Kings 12:14
Yet I will discipline you 2× Jeremiah 30:11, Jeremiah 46:28
You discipline 2× Psalms 39:11, Psalms 94:12
accept My discipline 1× Leviticus 26:23
and punish him 1× Deuteronomy 22:18
be admonished 1× Psalms 2:10
be corrected 1× Proverbs 29:19
Be forewarned 1× Jeremiah 6:8
Correct me 1× Jeremiah 10:24
discipline me 1× Psalms 6:1
disciplined me severely 1× Psalms 118:18
disciplines 1× Deuteronomy 8:5
disciplines you 1× Deuteronomy 8:5
He who admonishes 1× Psalms 94:10
He who corrects 1× Proverbs 9:7
I will chasten them 1× Hosea 10:10
I will chastise them 1× Hosea 7:12
instructing me 1× Isaiah 8:11
instructs 1× Isaiah 28:26
instructs me 1× Psalms 16:7
or discipline me 1× Psalms 38:1
taught him 1× Proverbs 31:1
to discipline you 1× Deuteronomy 4:36
to punish 1× Leviticus 26:18
trained 1× Hosea 7:15
was the director 1× 1 Chronicles 15:22
when disciplined 1× Deuteronomy 21:18
will be admonished 1× Ezekiel 23:48
will discipline you 1× Jeremiah 2:19
will punish 1× Leviticus 26:28
You disciplined me severely 1× Jeremiah 31:18
you have instructed 1× Job 4:3
Show sample aligned rows
Leviticus 26:18 לְיַסְּרָ֣ה to to punish Preposition-l | Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct | third person feminine singular Leviticus 26:23 תִוָּסְר֖וּ to accept My discipline Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural Leviticus 26:28 וְיִסַּרְתִּ֤י to will punish Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular Deuteronomy 4:36 לְיַסְּרֶ֑ךָּ to to discipline you Preposition-l | Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct | second person masculine singular Deuteronomy 8:5 יְיַסֵּ֥ר to disciplines Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine singular Deuteronomy 8:5 מְיַסְּרֶֽךָּ׃ to disciplines you Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular Deuteronomy 21:18 וְיסְּר֣וּ to when disciplined Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural Deuteronomy 22:18 וְיִסְּר֖וּ to and punish him Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural 1 Kings 12:11 יִסַּ֤ר to scourged Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular 1 Kings 12:11 אֲיַסֵּ֥ר to will scourge Verb - Piel - Imperfect - first person common singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Leviticus 26:18
Aligned rows 43
Books represented 12
Leviticus 3 Deuteronomy 5 1 Kings 4 1 Chronicles 1 2 Chronicles 2 Job 1 Psalms 9 Proverbs 5 Isaiah 2 Jeremiah 7 Ezekiel 1 Hosea 3
Source forms
יִסַּ֤ר 4x yis·sar 1 Kings 12:11, 1 Kings 12:14, 2 Chronicles 10:11, 2 Chronicles 10:14
אֲיַסֵּ֥ר 2x ’ă·yas·sêr 1 Kings 12:11, 1 Kings 12:14
וְיִסַּרְתִּ֙יךָ֙ 2x wə·yis·sar·tî·ḵā Jeremiah 30:11, Jeremiah 46:28
יַסֵּ֣ר 2x yas·sêr Proverbs 19:18, Proverbs 29:17
תְיַסְּרֵֽנִי׃ 2x ṯə·yas·sə·rê·nî Psalms 6:1, Psalms 38:1
אַיְסִרֵ֕ם 1x ’ay·si·rêm Hosea 7:12
הִ֝וָּסְר֗וּ 1x hiw·wā·sə·rū Psalms 2:10
הִוָּסְרִי֙ 1x hiw·wā·sə·rî Jeremiah 6:8
Parsing patterns
Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular 4x 1 Kings 12:11, 1 Kings 12:14, 2 Chronicles 10:11, 2 Chronicles 10:14
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular | second person masculine singular 2x Jeremiah 30:11, Jeremiah 46:28
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural 2x Deuteronomy 21:18, Deuteronomy 22:18
Verb - Piel - Imperative - masculine singular 2x Proverbs 19:18, Proverbs 29:17
Verb - Piel - Imperfect - first person common singular 2x 1 Kings 12:11, 1 Kings 12:14
Verb - Piel - Imperfect - second person masculine singular | first person common singular 2x Psalms 6:1, Psalms 38:1
Verb - Piel - Perfect - second person masculine singular 2x Job 4:3, Psalms 39:11
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular 1x Jeremiah 31:18
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Discipline that corrects through painful consequence, moving from physical punishment toward moral instruction and reformation.
Strong's H3256
Lexical occurrences 43 verses Word forms 3 forms 19 references Verse guides 0 guides
Study link Hosea 10:9-15 Source Gloss
to chastise , literally (with blows) or figuratively (with words); hence, to instruct
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Discipline that corrects through painful consequence, moving from physical punishment toward moral instruction and reformation.
to chastise, literally (with blows) or figuratively (with words); hence, to instruct BDB: discipline Usage: bind, chasten, chastise, correct, instruct, punish, reform, reprove, sore, teach.
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 3 Aligned forms 19
Piel intensive active — emphasizes thoroughness or repeated action 13×
Perfect 1Kgs 12:11 · 1Kgs 12:14 · 2Chr 10:11 · 2Chr 10:14 · Job 4:3 · Ps 39:12 · Hos 7:15 7×
Imperfect 1Kgs 12:11 · 1Kgs 12:14 · Deut 8:5 3×
Sequential imperfect Prov 19:18 · Prov 29:17 2×
Infinitive absolute Ps 118:18 1×
Qal basic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense 2×
Infinitive absolute 1Chr 15:22 1×
Participle active Prov 9:7 1×
Niphal passive or reflexive — the subject receives or experiences the action 4×
Sequential imperfect Jer 6:8 · Ps 2:10 2×
Imperfect Lev 26:23 · Prov 29:19 2×
Selected Scripture Witness
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Old Testament Witnesses
to discipline
Showing 1 selected witness from 43 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
יָסַר is a primitive root - no further derivation.
Why This Word Matters
Expresses corrective covenant judgment. Hosea 10:9-15
Canonical Themes
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
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