Boy Old Testament Known
Kedar
blackness; sorrow
קֵדָר qe.dar
Kedar (Hebrew: קֵדָר, qe.dar) means “blackness; sorrow”, by traditional interpretation. It appears in 11 verses across 7 books of the Bible. In 2025 it was given to 9 children in the United States. Use is falling away. Appears with Adbeel in Genesis 25.
The bearer in scripture
One person in scripture bears this name.
-
Kedar
son of Ishmael
Scripture against society
The two measures, side by side
At a glance
- Verses
- 11 across 7 books
- Bearers
- 1 one person only
- Testament
- Old
- Era
- Patriarchal
Using it today
Based on 2025 births across the United States.
| Measure | Value | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Given in 2025 | 9 | Falling |
| All-time total | 558 | Since records begin in 1880 |
| Peak | 33 in 1998 | Its highest year on record |
In scripture
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| First appears | Genesis 25:13 |
| Last appears | Ezekiel 27:21 |
| Cross-references | 256 linked passages |
Names connected to this one
- Adbeel co-occurrence Appears with Adbeel in Genesis 25.
- Mibsam co-occurrence Appears with Mibsam in Genesis 25.
- Nebaioth co-occurrence Appears with Nebaioth in Genesis 25.
- Ishmael co-occurrence Appears with Ishmael in Genesis 25.
- Letushim co-occurrence Appears in the same passages as Letushim.
- Leummim co-occurrence Appears in the same passages as Leummim.
- Asshur co-occurrence Appears in the same passages as Asshur.
- Asshurim co-occurrence Appears in the same passages as Asshurim.
Origin & meaning
A man of the Arabs living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.25.13;
son of: Ishmael (H3458);
brother of: Nebaioth (H5032), Adbeel (H0110), Mibsam (H4017), Mishma (H4927), Dumah (H1746), Massa (H4854), Hadad (H2301), Tema (H8485), Jetur (H3195), Naphish (H5305), Kedemah (H6929) and Mahalath (H4258)
§ Kedar = "dark"
1) a son of Ishmael
n pr people
2) the descendants of Kedar
Kedar was a son of Ishmael and the eponymous ancestor of a nomadic Arab tribe known for their tents and flocks.
The biblical story
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.
Key verses
Kedar appears in 11 verses. Here are some of the most notable:
-
And these are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, according to their generations: the firstborn of Ishmael, Nebajoth; and Kedar, and Adbeel, and Mibsam,
Genesis 25:13 -
These are their generations: The firstborn of Ishmael, Nebaioth; then Kedar, and Adbeel, and Mibsam,
1 Chronicles 1:29 -
Woe is me, that I sojourn in Mesech, that I dwell in the tents of Kedar!
Psalms 120:5 -
I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon.
Song of Solomon 1:5 -
For thus hath the Lord said unto me, Within a year, according to the years of an hireling, and all the glory of Kedar shall fail:
Isaiah 21:16
Show all 11 references
Genesis (1)
- Genesis 25:13
1 Chronicles (1)
- 1 Chronicles 1:29
Psalms (1)
- Psalms 120:5
Song of Solomon (1)
- Song of Solomon 1:5
Isaiah (4)
- Isaiah 21:16
- Isaiah 21:17
- Isaiah 42:11
- Isaiah 60:7
Jeremiah (2)
- Jeremiah 2:10
- Jeremiah 49:28
Ezekiel (1)
- Ezekiel 27:21