Arabian living at the time of the Patriarchs
Kedar was a son of Ishmael and the eponymous ancestor of a nomadic Arab tribe known for their tents and flocks.
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Kedar is first mentioned in Gen.25.13 and 1Ch.1.29 as one of the twelve sons of Ishmael, the son of Abraham. He is the eponymous ancestor of the Kedarites, a nomadic Arab tribe that inhabited the desert regions of northern Arabia.
The Kedarites were known for their black tents (Sng.1.5) and their large flocks of sheep and goats (Isa.60.7; Ezk.27.21). They were skilled archers and warriors (Isa.21.16-17) and were one of the major Arab tribes in the ancient Near East.
In the Bible, Kedar is often used as a representation of the nomadic tribes of the desert. The psalmist laments living among the tents of Kedar, symbolizing a hostile and foreign environment (Psalm Isa.120.5). The prophet Jeremiah uses Kedar as an example of a distant and powerful nation.
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Dark-skinned, the second son of Ishmael (Gen. 25:13). It is the name for the nomadic tribes of Arabs, the Bedouins generally (Isa. 21:16; 42:11; 60:7; Jer. 2:10; Ezek. 27:21), who dwelt in the north-west of Arabia. They lived in black hair-tents (Cant. 1:5). To “dwell in the tents of Kedar” was to be cut off from the worship of the true God (Ps. 120:5). The Kedarites suffered at the hands of Nebuchadnezzar (Jer. 49:28, 29).
(dark-skinned), the second in order of the sons of Ishmael, (Genesis 25:13; 1 Chronicles 1:29) and the name of a great tribe of Arabs settled on the northwest of the peninsula and on the confines of Palestine. The “glory of Kedar” is recorded by the prophet Isaiah, (Isaiah 21:13-17) in the burden upon Arabia; and its importance may also be inferred from the “princes of Kedar” mentioned by Ezekiel, (Ezekiel 27:21) as well as the pastoral character of the tribe. They appear also to have been, like the wandering tribes of the present day, “archers” and “mighty men.” (Isaiah 21:17) comp. Psal 120:5 That they also settled in villages or towns we find from Isaiah. (Isaiah 42:11) The tribe seems to have been one of the most conspicuous of all the Ishmaelite tribes, and hence the rabbins call the Arabians universally by this name.
KE'DAR (dark-skinned), second son of Ishmael. Gen 25:13. From him descended the leading tribes of Arabia and of the land east of Palestine. They and the country bear the name of Kedar. Isa 21:16; Jer 49:28. They were nomads, living in black hair-tents. Cant. Jer 1:5, as the modern Bedouins do, or in villages, Isa 42:11, and were rich in flocks and herds, and noted as archers and mighty men. Ptolemy calls them Darrse, and Pliny, Cedrie. The rabbins call the Arabs, Kedar. Tradition makes Mohammed a descendant of Kedar. They suffered much from the invasion of Nebuchadnezzar.
KE'DAR (dark-skinned), second son of Ishmael. Gen 25:13. From him descended the leading tribes of Arabia and of the land east of Palestine. They and the country bear the name of Kedar. Isa 21:16; Jer 49:28. They were nomads, living in black hair-tents. Cant. Jer 1:5, as the modern Bedouins do, or in villages, Isa 42:11, and were rich in flocks and herds, and noted as archers and mighty men. Ptolemy calls them Darrse, and Pliny, Cedrie. The rabbins call the Arabs, Kedar. Tradition makes Mohammed a descendant of Kedar. They suffered much from the invasion of Nebuchadnezzar.
Easton (1897), Smith (1863), Hitchcock (1869), Hastings (1898) and Schaff are in the public domain. Parsed text: neuu-org/bible-dictionary-dataset (CC BY 4.0). Headwords and whitespace normalised for this site.
11 verses in 7 books · English text: BSB (change it from the menu at the top) · Strong’s H6938
These are the names of the sons of Ishmael in the order of their birth: Nebaioth the firstborn of Ishmael, then Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam,
These are their genealogies: Nebaioth the firstborn of Ishmael, then Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam,
Woe to me that I dwell in Meshech, that I live among the tents of Kedar!
I am dark, yet lovely, O daughters of Jerusalem, like the tents of Kedar, like the curtains of Solomon.
For this is what the Lord says to me: “Within one year, as a hired worker would count it, all the glory of Kedar will be gone.
The remaining archers, the warriors of Kedar, will be few.” For the LORD, the God of Israel, has spoken.
Let the desert and its cities raise their voices; let the villages of Kedar cry aloud. Let the people of Sela sing for joy; let them cry out from the mountaintops.
All the flocks of Kedar will be gathered to you; the rams of Nebaioth will serve you and go up on My altar with acceptance; I will adorn My glorious house.
Cross over to the coasts of Cyprus and take a look; send to Kedar and consider carefully; see if there has ever been anything like this:
Concerning Kedar and the kingdoms of Hazor, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon defeated, this is what the LORD says: “Rise up, advance against Kedar, and destroy the people of the east!
Arabia and all the princes of Kedar were your customers, trading in lambs, rams, and goats.
Names, family links and references: STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). Short descriptions were drafted with AI assistance by STEPBible. Family links follow STEPBible’s scholarly decisions where genealogies are ambiguous.