קֵדְמָה
𐤒𐤃𐤌𐤄
Qedemah
H6929 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Proper noun: Name of an individual, specifically Kedemah, one of the sons of Ishmael as listed in the genealogical records of Genesis. The lexical meaning of the base (not proper noun usage) refers to 'front,' 'east,' or 'direction of the sunrise.' As a proper name, it likely preserves an association with directionality or precedence, but functions as a personal designation in the context of genealogies.
Semantic Range
proper name (personal name: son of Ishmael), directional sense (eastward, to the front, in front, toward the east) in non-proper usage
Root / Etymology
From the root קדם (q-d-m), which fundamentally means 'to be in front, to precede, to be earlier, to be east.' The form Kedemah is likely derived from the same root, carrying over the directional or temporal nuance into a proper name. In proper noun usage, the precise reasoning behind the application as a personal name is uncertain, though parallels exist with other names reflecting geography or status within a lineage.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, קֵדְמָה (Kedemah) appears only as the youngest son of Ishmael (Genesis 25:15; 1 Chronicles 1:31), named among other familial and tribal founders. The base form, קֵדְמָה, unrelated to its use as a name, can mean 'eastward' or 'towards the front,' indicating direction or precedence. The use of descriptive or directional terms as personal or tribal names is common in biblical genealogies, and often reflects a founding ancestor of a clan or people, rather than a general term. The rendering as 'Kedemah' in English translations reflects a proper noun, though the base root's directional sense may have influenced the choice of the name. The base form must be distinguished from the derived personal/tribal name in Israelite naming conventions. The term does not denote a later ethnic or religious identity; its relevance is restricted to the genealogical enumerations of the pre-Israelite, Ishmaelite line.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
lemma קדְמָה missing vowel, corrected to קֵדְמָה; from קָדַם; precedence; Kedemah, a son of Ishmael; Kedemah.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
קדם (q-d-m) — to precede, to come before, to be in front, to go east
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H6917 | קָדוּם | those from before |
| H6921 | קָדִים | the east |
| H6923 | קָדַם | I will go ahead to meet |
| H6924 | קֶדֶם | the front |
| H6925 | קֳדָם | before you |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6929-01 |
וָ/קֵֽדְמָה | vaqedemah | HC/Np |
and Kedemah | Kedemah | 2 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6929-01 |
Genesis 25:15 | וָ/קֵֽדְמָה | vaqedemah | HC/Np |
and Kedemah | Kedemah |
H6929-01 |
1 Chronicles 1:31 | וָ/קֵ֑דְמָה | vaqedemah | HC/Np |
and-Kedemah | Kedemah |