Kedar is a significant figure and region mentioned in the Bible, primarily associated with the descendants of Ishmael, the son of Abraham and Hagar. Kedar is often referenced in the context of the nomadic tribes of the Arabian Peninsula and is known for its pastoral lifestyle, wealth in livestock, and trade in goods such as wool and leather.

Genealogy and Historical Context

Kedar is listed as the second son of Ishmael in the genealogical records of Genesis. In Genesis 25:13 , it states: "These are the names of the sons of Ishmael, listed in the order of their birth: Nebaioth the firstborn of Ishmael, Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam." As a descendant of Ishmael, Kedar is part of the fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham that Ishmael would become a great nation (Genesis 17:20).

Geographical and Cultural Significance

The descendants of Kedar are traditionally associated with the Arabian Desert, particularly the northwestern part of the Arabian Peninsula. The region of Kedar is often depicted as a land of tents and flocks, indicative of a nomadic lifestyle. Isaiah 21:16-17 provides insight into the martial prowess and eventual decline of Kedar: "For this is what the Lord has said to me: 'Within one year, as a hired worker would count it, all the glory of Kedar will come to an end. The remaining archers, the warriors of Kedar, will be few.'"

Economic and Trade Influence

Kedar was renowned for its trade, particularly in sheep and goats, which were highly valued in the ancient Near East. Ezekiel 27:21 highlights Kedar's role in commerce: "Arabia and all the princes of Kedar were your customers, trading in lambs, rams, and goats." This passage underscores Kedar's economic interactions with other nations and its contribution to the wealth of trading cities like Tyre.

Prophetic and Poetic References

The biblical prophets often used Kedar as a symbol of distant lands and peoples. In Isaiah 42:11 , the prophet calls for praise from the inhabitants of Kedar: "Let the desert and its cities raise their voices, the villages that Kedar inhabits. Let the people of Sela sing for joy; let them shout from the mountaintops." This verse illustrates the inclusion of Kedar in the broader call to worship the Lord, emphasizing the reach of God's message beyond Israel.

Symbolism and Theological Implications

Kedar is sometimes used symbolically to represent the Gentile nations and their eventual inclusion in God's redemptive plan. The imagery of Kedar's tents is employed in the Song of Solomon 1:5 to convey beauty and contrast: "I am dark yet lovely, O daughters of Jerusalem, like the tents of Kedar, like the curtains of Solomon." This metaphor highlights the richness and allure associated with Kedar, despite its seemingly humble appearance.

Conclusion

Kedar's presence in the biblical narrative serves as a testament to the fulfillment of God's promises to Abraham and Ishmael. Through its historical, economic, and symbolic roles, Kedar provides a glimpse into the interconnectedness of the ancient world and the unfolding of God's plan for all nations.Kedar

blackness; sorrow

Kedar

(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.

Kedar

A son of Ishmael, Genesis 25:13, the father of the Kedarenians or Cedrei, mentioned by Pliny, who dwelt in the neighborhood of the Nabatheans, in Arabia Deserta. They were a numerous and powerful tribe, not of the best reputation, Psalm 120:5, and their name is sometimes put for the whole of Arabia Desert and its wandering inhabitants, Isaiah 21:16,17 42:11. Their black camel's hair tents are a picturesque feature in a landscape, So 1:5.

Dark-skinned, the second son of Ishmael (Genesis 25:13).

It is the name for the nomadic tribes of Arabs, the Bedouins generally (Isaiah 21:16; 42:11; 60:7; Jeremiah 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 (Psalm 120:5). The Kedarites suffered at the hands of Nebuchadnezzar (Jeremiah 49:28, 29).

KEDAR

ke'-dar (qedhar; Kedar): Second in order of the sons of Ishmael (Genesis 25:13 parallel 1 Chronicles 1:29). The name occurs as typical of a distant eastern country in opposition to the lands of the Mediterranean (Jeremiah 2:10). The author of Second Isaiah introduces this tribe in company with Nebaioth, and both are represented as owners of flocks (Isaiah 60:7). Evidence of their nomadic habits appears in Jeremiah 49:28, 29, where they are classed among the Bene-Qedhem, and mention is made of their flocks, camels, tents, curtains and furniture. They are spoken of (Isaiah 42:11) as dwelling in chatserim ("villages"), from which it would appear that they were a somewhat settled tribe, corresponding to the Arabic chadariya or "town-dwellers," as distinct from wabariya or "nomads." Ezekiel (27:21) gives another hint of their pastoral nature where, in his detailed picture of the wealth of Tyre, Kedar and Arabia provide the Tyrians with lambs, rams and goats. The fame of the tribe is further reflected in Isaiah 21:16, 17 (the only allusion to their might in war), and in the figurative references to their tents (Psalm 120:5 Songs 1:5). In this last passage where the tents are made symbolic of dark beauty, the word qadhar ("to be black") may have been in the writer's mind.

The settlements of Kedar were probably in the Northwest of Arabia, not far from the borders of Palestine. Assyrian inscriptions have thrown light upon the history of the tribe. There Kedar is mentioned along with the Arabs and Nebaioth, which decides its identity with Kedar of the Old Testament, and there is found also an account of the conflicts between the tribe and King Assurbanipal (see Margoliouth in HDB).

Of the Ishmaelite tribes, Kedar must have been one of the most important, and thus in later times the name came to be applied to all the wild tribes of the desert. It is through Kedar (Arabic, keidar) that Muslim genealogists trace the descent of Mohammed from Ishmael.

A. S. Fulton

6938. Qedar -- perhaps "swarthy," a son of Ishmael, also his desc.
... perhaps "swarthy," a son of Ishmael, also his desc. Transliteration: Qedar Phonetic
Spelling: (kay-dawr') Short Definition: Kedar. ... NASB Word Usage Kedar (12). ...
/hebrew/6938.htm - 6k

I am Black, but Comely, O Ye Daughters of Jerusalem, as the Tents ...
... COMMENTARY. CHAPTER I. 4. I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem,
as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/guyon/song of songs of solomon/4 i am black but.htm

Psalm CXX.
... "I have had my habitation among the tents of Kedar." Since this is a Hebrew
word, beyond doubt ye have not understood it. What meaneth ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/augustine/exposition on the book of psalms/psalm cxx.htm

The Second Rule of Tichonius.
... An example of this is that passage in the Song of Solomon, "I am black, but comely,
as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon." [1900] For it is not ...
/.../on christian doctrine in four books /chapter 32 the second rule of.htm

Chapter i
... thee, remembering thy breasts are better than wine, the upright love thee.5. I am
black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/guyon/song of songs of solomon/chapter i.htm

Letter cviii. To Eustochium.
... was absent from the Lord [2732] and would constantly complain with tears:""Woe is
me that I sojourn in Mesech, that I dwell in the tents of Kedar; my soul ...
/.../jerome/the principal works of st jerome/letter cviii to eustochium.htm

A Believer's Privilege at Death
... It made David cry out, Woe is me, that I sojourn in Mesech, that I dwell in the
tents of Kedar.' Psalm 120: Kedar was Arabia, where were Ishmael's posterity. ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/watson/a body of divinity/2 a believers privilege at.htm

Letter xxxix. To Paula.
... Our one longing should be that expressed by the psalmist: "Woe is me that my pilgrimage
is prolonged, that I have dwelt with them that dwell in Kedar, that my ...
/.../jerome/the principal works of st jerome/letter xxxix to paula.htm

Chapter xxv
... These are the names of the sons of Ishmael named according to their generations:
the first-born of Ishmael Nebaioth; and Kedar and Abdeel and Mibsam, and ...
//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xxv.htm

The Heinous Sin of Profane Cursing and Swearing
... of David's complaining and crying out, "Woe is me, that I am constrained to dwell
with Mesech, and to have my habitation amongst the tents of Kedar;" that is ...
/.../whitefield/selected sermons of george whitefield/the heinous sin of profane.htm

The Unsatisfied Life and Its Remedy
... "Nay, black as the tents of Kedar,'" she continues. ... Black as the tents of Kedar?
And still more strong are the Bridegroom's words in chapter iv.7:-. ...
/.../taylor/union and communion/section i the unsatisfied life.htm

Kedar (11 Occurrences)
... 1:5). To "dwell in the tents of Kedar" was to be cut off from the worship of the
true God (Psalm 120:5). The Kedarites suffered at the hands of Nebuchadnezzar ...
/k/kedar.htm - 13k

Kedar's (1 Occurrence)
...Kedar's (1 Occurrence). Song of Songs 1:5 I am dark, but lovely, you daughters of
Jerusalem, like Kedar's tents, like Solomon's curtains. (WEB). ...
/k/kedar's.htm - 6k

Nebaioth (5 Occurrences)
... Isaiah 60:7 mentions the tribe Nebaioth with Kedar, with an allusion to its pastoral
nature: "the rams of Nebaioth" are to serve the ideal Zion as sacrificial ...
/n/nebaioth.htm - 9k

East (228 Occurrences)
... In Jeremiah 49:28 the inhabitants of Kedar are called "the children of the east,"
and in later Jewish literature, Kedar is identified with the Arabs (see KEDAR...
/e/east.htm - 51k

Neba'ioth (4 Occurrences)
... 25:13 And these are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, according
to their generations: the first-born of Ishmael, Nebaioth; and Kedar, and Adbeel ...
/n/neba'ioth.htm - 7k

Ish'mael (40 Occurrences)
... 25:13 And these are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, according
to their generations: the first-born of Ishmael, Nebaioth; and Kedar, and Adbeel ...
/i/ish'mael.htm - 18k

Devastate (8 Occurrences)
... (See NAS NIV). Jeremiah 49:28 Of Kedar, and of the kingdoms of Hazor, which
Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon struck. Thus says Yahweh ...
/d/devastate.htm - 8k

Mibsam (3 Occurrences)
... are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, according to the order of
their birth: the firstborn of Ishmael, Nebaioth, then Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam ...
/m/mibsam.htm - 7k

Adbeel (2 Occurrences)
... are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, according to the order of
their birth: the firstborn of Ishmael, Nebaioth, then Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam ...
/a/adbeel.htm - 7k

What does it mean that the Shulammite had dark skin (Song of Solomon 1:6)? | GotQuestions.org

Who are the descendants of Ishmael? | GotQuestions.org

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