קֵדָר
𐤒𐤃𐤓
Qedar
H6938 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
The proper name Qedar refers primarily to a son of Ishmael and, by extension, to his descendants forming a noteworthy nomadic tribal group in North Arabian and/or northwestern Arabian regions. It also designates the territory, tents, or people associated with this group. The term became a representative epithet for desert-dwelling peoples known for their black tents and nomadic lifestyle.
Semantic Range
Qedar (proper name of Ishmael's son and tribe), descendants of Ishmaelite Qedar, nomadic Arabian tribes, their territory or tents, desert-dwellers; figurative references to the wilderness or to those living in hardship or outside settled society
Root / Etymology
From the root קדר (q-d-r), meaning 'to be dark, grow dark, mourn.' The name Qedar is likely derived from the sense 'darkness,' reflecting either physical appearance or the color of tents; however, as a proper name, the meaning became associated with the tribal identity, not necessarily with the literal attribute of darkness.
Historical & Contextual Notes
Qedar is first mentioned in the Hebrew Bible as a son of Ishmael (Genesis 25:13; 1 Chronicles 1:29), marking him as an eponymous ancestor of a significant north Arabian tribe. By the monarchic and especially later periods, 'Qedar' designates a powerful federation of nomadic or semi-nomadic pastoralists in the northern Arabian and Transjordanian deserts (see Isaiah 21:16-17, Jeremiah 49:28-33, Ezekiel 27:21). Qedarites were well known both for their wilderness dwelling—symbolized by their 'tents of Qedar' (Song of Songs 1:5)—and as traders, especially of livestock and goods like sheep, goats, and camels. The biblical depiction frequently highlights both their ethnic identity as Ishmaelites and their migratory lifestyle. In later prophecies and poetic texts, 'Qedar' can function as a synecdoche for Arabian desert peoples generally. The association with 'darkness' or 'dusky' refers linguistically to the root but in context mostly signifies their black goat-hair tents, not necessarily skin tone. Classical translations sometimes use 'Bedouin,' an interpretive rendering modern scholars might consider anachronistic, as the term 'Bedouin' developed much later.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from קָדַר; dusky (of the skin or the tent); Kedar, a son of Ishmael; also (collectively) Bedouin (as his descendants or representatives); Kedar.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
קדר (q-d-r) — to be dark, to mourn, to become gloomy
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H6937 | קָדַר | I will darken them |
| H6939 | קִדְרוֹן | Kidron Ravine |
| H6940 | קַדְרוּת | gloomy darkness |
| H6941 | קְדֹרַנִּית | in mourning-blackness |
Word Forms
3 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6938-02 |
קֵדָֽר | qedar | HNp |
Kedar | Qedar | 8 |
H6938-03 |
וְ/קֵדָ֥ר | veqedar | HC/Np |
and Kedar | and Qedar | 3 |
H6938-01 |
לְ/קֵדָ֣ר | leqedar | HR/Np |
to Kedar | to Qedar | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
12 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6938-03 |
Genesis 25:13 | וְ/קֵדָ֥ר | veqedar | HC/Np |
and Kedar | and Qedar |
H6938-02 |
Isaiah 21:16 | קֵדָֽר | qedar | HNp |
of Kedar | Qedar |
H6938-02 |
Isaiah 21:17 | קֵדָ֖ר | qedar | HNp |
of Kedar | Qedar |
H6938-02 |
Isaiah 42:11 | קֵדָ֑ר | qedar | HNp |
Kedar | Qedar |
H6938-02 |
Isaiah 60:7 | קֵדָר֙ | qedar | HNp |
of Kedar | Qedar |
H6938-03 |
Jeremiah 2:10 | וְ/קֵדָ֛ר | veqedar | HC/Np |
and Kedar | and Qedar |
H6938-01 |
Jeremiah 49:28 | לְ/קֵדָ֣ר | leqedar | HR/Np |
to Kedar | to Qedar |
H6938-02 |
Jeremiah 49:28 | קֵדָ֔ר | qedar | HNp |
Kedar | Qedar |
H6938-02 |
Ezekiel 27:21 | קֵדָ֔ר | qedar | HNp |
Kedar | Qedar |
H6938-02 |
Psalms 120:5 | קֵדָֽר | qedar | HNp |
Kedar | Qedar |