The Hebrew verb yasar means to discipline, instruct, correct, or chasten. It encompasses both the verbal correction of instruction and the physical discipline of chastisement. Related to musar (discipline/instruction), it describes the process by which wisdom is formed through correction.
Biblical discipline (yasar) is never punitive for its own sake — it is always purposeful and redemptive. Proverbs 3:11-12 grounds it in the love of God: 'the LORD disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.' This is quoted in Hebrews 12:6, applying it directly to believers. Yasar is the process by which the raw material of human character is shaped into the image of God.