Protos

Who was Kedar in the Bible?

Arabian, in the age of the patriarchs

Kedar is first mentioned in Gen.25.13 and 1Ch.1.29 as one of the twelve sons of Ishmael, the son of Abraham. Kedar appears in 11 verses across 7 books of the Bible.

What does the Bible say about Kedar?

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.

Definition text: STEPBible · Tyndale House Cambridge. Licensed CC BY 4.0. Lightly edited for length and formatting.

Compiled by Protos: the verse list on this page. Where one name belongs to more than one person or place, each of them gets a separate entry.

Where does Kedar appear in the Bible?

Kedar is referenced in 11 verses across 7 books. Every passage below is about this one, not just every verse the word turns up in.

Isaiah 4Jeremiah 21 Chronicles 1Ezekiel 1Genesis 1Psalms 1Song of Songs 1

What else appears in these passages?

These turn up in the same passages as Kedar.

NebaiothIshmaelArabiaLORDGloryCities

Common questions

How many times does the Bible mention Kedar?

Kedar appears in 11 verses across 7 books, most often in Isaiah, which accounts for 4 of them.

Which books of the Bible mention Kedar?

Isaiah, Jeremiah, 1 Chronicles, Ezekiel, Genesis, Psalms, Song of Songs.

Where can I read every verse about Kedar?

This page lists 11 of them. Protos carries all 11, and opens this entry on the verse you are reading rather than in a separate tab.

Read it in context

Read Isaiah with Kedar explained on the verse.

Tap any name, place, or word you do not recognize and the background opens on the verse you are reading. No second tab, no search, no losing your place.

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