Kedar is first mentioned inGenesis 25:13and1 Chronicles 1:29as 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 (Song of Solomon 1:5) and their large flocks of sheep and goats (Isaiah 60:7;Ezekiel 27:21). They were skilled archers and warriors (Isaiah 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 (PsalmIsaiah 120:5). The prophet Jeremiah uses Kedar as an example of a distant and powerful nation.
Kedar
IshmaelEnglishA man of the Arabs living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.25.13.