Lexical Summary
musar: Discipline, instruction, correction, chastisement
Original Word:מוּסָר
Part of Speech:Noun Masculine
Transliteration:muwcar
Pronunciation:moo-sar'
Phonetic Spelling:(moo-sawr')
KJV: bond, chastening ((-eth)), chastisement, check, correction, discipline, doctrine, instruction, rebuke
NASB:instruction, discipline, chastening, correction, punishment, chastise, disciplines
Word Origin:[fromH3256 (יָסַר - chasten)]
1. (properly) chastisement
2. (figuratively) reproof, warning or instruction
3. also restraint
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
bond, chastening eth, chastisement, check, correction, discipline
Fromyacar; properly, chastisement; figuratively, reproof, warning or instruction; also restraint -- bond, chastening ((-eth)), chastisement, check, correction, discipline, doctrine, instruction, rebuke.
see HEBREWyacar
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
yasarDefinitiondiscipline, chastening, correction
NASB Translationchastening (3), chastise (1), correction (3), discipline (18), disciplines (1), instruction (20), punishment (2), reproof (1), warning (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
Proverbs 15:10 (of the moral nature), ; —
Jeremiah 2:30 31t. (Ezekiel 5:15 strike out Co); construct
Deuteronomy 11:2 14t. (for
Job 12:28 see ); suffix
Proverbs 8:10;
Isaiah 26:16;
Job 33:16 (for Di SS); —
discipline, correction, of God,
Deuteronomy 11:2 the
discipline of (of Y.'s wonders, as exercising a disciplinary, educating influence upon Israel, compare Dr);
Jeremiah 17:23;
Jeremiah 32:33;
Jeremiah 35:13;
Zephaniah 3:2,7;
Psalm 50:17;
Job 33:16;
Job 36:10; the
correction of (i.e. which lead-eth to) my shame
Job 20:3.
thediscipline of unreal gods is wood (is like themselves, destitute of true moral force)Jeremiah 10:8;Ezekiel 5:15 =warning example (?) Ew Sm ("" ; strike out CO).
,discipline in the school of wisdom:Ezekiel 1:2,7;Ezekiel 23:23;discipline of wisdomEzekiel 15:33;Ezekiel 1:3;Ezekiel 6:23;Ezekiel 23:12apply thy mind to discipline;Ezekiel 19:20;Ezekiel 1:3;Ezekiel 8:10;Ezekiel 24:32 (compare Jeremiah above);Ezekiel 23:23;Ezekiel 8:23;Ezekiel 19:27;Ezekiel 10:17;Ezekiel 12:1;Ezekiel 4:13; the reverseEzekiel 5:12;Ezekiel 13:18;Ezekiel 15:32;Ezekiel 1:7;for lack of disciplineEzekiel 5:23 ("" );Ezekiel 16:22the discipline of fools is folly; of paternal discipline, correction,Proverbs 1:8;Proverbs 4:1;Proverbs 13:1.
,chastening, chastisement:a. of God,Proverbs 3:11chastening of Yahweh;Job 5:17;Isaiah 26:16;Isaiah 53:5chastisement of (i.e. leading to)our peace was upon him;Jeremiah 2:30;Jeremiah 5:3;Jeremiah 7:28;Jeremiah 30:14chastisement of a cruel one, , but readcruel chastisement, Gf and especially Gie;Hosea 5:2I am a chastisement for them all.
,Proverbs 15:5;Proverbs 23:13;Proverbs 13:24;Proverbs 22:15;Proverbs 7:22chastisement of a fool;Proverbs 15:10grievous chastisement.
Topical Lexicon
Overview and Semantic Rangeמוּסָר brings together the ideas of discipline, correction, chastening, rebuke, and formative instruction. It may be administered by parents (Proverbs 1:8), sages (Proverbs 8:33), kings (Proverbs 29:15), or by the LORD Himself (Job 5:17;Proverbs 3:11-12). Always implicit is the goal of shaping character toward covenant fidelity and reverent wisdom rather than mere punishment.
Occurrences across the Old Testament
Approximately fifty appearances span Wisdom Literature (especially Proverbs), the Prophets, and selected Psalms and historical reflections:
• Wisdom corpus: Proverbs (roughly thirty instances),Job 5:17;Ecclesiastes 7:5.
• Psalms: 50:17; 94:12; 118:18.
• Major Prophets:Isaiah 26:16; 53:5;Jeremiah 2:30; 5:3; 7:28; 17:23; 32:33.
• Minor Prophets:Zephaniah 3:2, 3:7.
Relationship to Covenant Life
Divine מוּסָר is covenantal in tone. Blessing and curse motifs intertwine: “Blessed is the man You discipline, O LORD, and teach from Your law” (Psalm 94:12). Conversely, national refusal of מוּסָר invites judgment: “This is the nation that did not obey the voice of the LORD their God or accept correction” (Jeremiah 7:28). Thus, discipline safeguards covenant continuity while its rejection threatens exile and devastation.
Parental and Pedagogical Dimension
Parental exhortations in Proverbs establish home life as the seedbed of covenant obedience:
• “My son, do not despise the discipline of the LORD, and do not loathe His correction” (Proverbs 3:11).
• “Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline drives it far from him” (Proverbs 22:15).
Such passages assume parents mirror God’s formative purposes, blending firmness and love (compareHebrews 12:5-11 for later resonance).
Prophetic and Exilic Contexts
Pre-exilic prophets frame national calamities as intensified מוּסָר meant to produce repentance: “In vain I struck your sons; they accepted no discipline” (Jeremiah 2:30). Even after Jerusalem’s fall the objective remained restorative: “Surely you will fear Me, accept correction… but they were quick to act corruptly” (Zephaniah 3:7). Exilic suffering, therefore, functions as extended covenant discipline rather than permanent rejection.
Wisdom Literature Emphasis
Proverbs regularly pairs מוּסָר with “knowledge,” “understanding,” and “fear of the LORD,” insisting that wisdom cannot be grasped without receptivity to correction. “He who ignores discipline despises himself, but whoever heeds correction gains understanding” (Proverbs 15:32). Wisdom’s personified call (Proverbs 1:23-25) shows that to refuse discipline is to refuse life.
Contrast with Folly and Rebellion
Fools and scoffers are defined by their allergy to מוּסָר. “How long, O simple ones, will you love your simple ways? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge?” (Proverbs 1:22). Refusal results in calamity when wisdom’s protective boundary is withdrawn (Proverbs 1:26-33). Thus, discipline is a mercy; rejection of it is self-destructive.
Messianic and Eschatological Echoes
Isaiah 53:5 links מוּסָר with redemptive suffering: “The chastisement that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.” The Servant bears covenant discipline in place of the guilty, achieving peace and opening a path for renewed obedience. Eschatologically,Zechariah 13:9 (using the cognate verb) hints at a refined remnant responding to divine correction, previewing the final restoration when discipline has done its full work.
Practical Ministry Implications
1. Pastoral care should reflect God’s pattern—discipline aimed at restoration, never humiliation (Galatians 6:1 parallels the concept).
2. Preaching that omits corrective elements deprives hearers of an essential means of grace.
3. Parental training must couple admonition with instruction, modeling the balance ofProverbs 29:17: “Discipline your son, and he will give you rest; he will bring delight to your soul.”
4. Church discipline, wisely exercised (Matthew 18:15-17), continues the biblical trajectory of מוּסָר, safeguarding the testimony of the gospel and the holiness of the congregation.
New Testament Resonance
Though Greek terms shift, the thematic continuity is evident: παιδεία (paideia) inHebrews 12:5-11 quotesProverbs 3:11-12 verbatim, affirming that God’s fatherly discipline “produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.”Revelation 3:19 echoes the prophetic pattern: “Those I love, I rebuke and discipline. Therefore be earnest and repent.” Thus, מוּסָר remains a living category, fulfilled and embodied in the redemptive work of Christ and the ongoing sanctifying ministry of the Spirit.
Forms and Transliterations
בַּמּוּסָ֣ר במוסר וּ֝מוּסָ֗ר וּמוּסַ֖ר וּמוּסַ֥ר וּמוּסָ֑ר וּמוּסָ֣ר ומוסר לַמּוּסָ֑ר לַמּוּסָ֣ר למוסר מ֝וּסָ֗ר מ֣וּסַר מ֭וּסָר מוּסַ֖ר מוּסַ֣ר מוּסַ֤ר מוּסַ֥ר מוּסָ֑ר מוּסָ֔ר מוּסָ֖ר מוּסָ֛ר מוּסָ֣ר מוּסָ֥ר מוּסָֽר׃ מוּסָרְךָ֖ מוּסָרִ֥י מוסר מוסר׃ מוסרי מוסרך bam·mū·sār bammuSar bammūsār lam·mū·sār lammuSar lammūsār mū·sā·rə·ḵā mū·sā·rî mū·sar mū·sār muSar mūsar mūsār musareCha mūsārəḵā musaRi mūsārî Musor ū·mū·sar ū·mū·sār umuSar ūmūsar ūmūsār
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