Meaning of Sheep of Kedar in Isaiah 42
Isaiah 42:11 states, "Let the wilderness and its cities raise their voices, with the villages that Kedar inhabits. Let the inhabitants of Sela sing. Let them shout from the top of the mountains!" [3]. This verse is part of a larger prophetic passage in Isaiah that describes the coming of a servant of the Lord and the universal praise that will follow his work. The mention of "Kedar" and its "sheep" (though "sheep" is not in Isaiah 42:11, it is associated with Kedar in other passages like Isaiah 60:7) refers to specific nomadic tribes and their pastoral lifestyle, which are used symbolically within the prophetic context.
Kedar was the second son of Ishmael (Genesis 25:13; 1 Chronicles 1:29) [1, 2]. The name "Kedar" itself means "dark-skinned" [1, 2] or "blackness" [7]. The Kedarites were a prominent tribe of Arabs, often identified with the Bedouins, who inhabited the northwest of the Arabian Peninsula, bordering Palestine [1, 2]. They were known for their nomadic, wandering life, dwelling in black hair-tents (Song of Solomon 1:5) [1, 9]. The phrase "to dwell in the tents of Kedar" could also signify being cut off from the worship of the true God (Psalm 120:5) [1].
In Isaiah 42:11, Kedar represents the nomadic peoples of the Arabian desert [9]. The prophet envisions a time when even these remote and often hostile regions will join in praise. Abraham Ibn Ezra, a Jewish rationalist commentator, suggests that Kedar, living in the plain, signifies "continental people" who were not seagoing [6]. Rashi, a prominent Jewish rabbinic commentator, interprets "the villages that Kedar inhabits" to mean that the desert of Kedar, where people currently dwell in tents, will become permanent cities and villages, indicating a transformation [8]. The Jamieson, Fausset & Brown commentary, representing a Presbyterian viewpoint, notes that Kedar is used generally for this class of nomadic people [9].
The "sheep of Kedar" are mentioned in Isaiah 60:7, where it says, "All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered unto thee, the rams of Nebaioth shall minister unto thee." Here, Kedar and Nebaioth (another son of Ishmael) are used collectively to represent Arabian tribes [5, 10]. John Gill, a Baptist/Reformed commentator, interprets this as a prophecy of the conversion of these peoples, specifically mentioning "Turks and Saracens," who will come with their sheep and rams, not for sacrifice, but as an offering of themselves [5]. This imagery suggests a future ingathering of diverse peoples, including those from traditionally distant or opposing cultures, into the worship of God. The care of a shepherd over his flock is a frequent biblical metaphor for God's care over his people (Psalm 23:1-2; Isaiah 40:11) [4].
The broader context of Isaiah 42 is a prophecy concerning the Servant of the Lord, who will bring justice to the nations (Isaiah 42:1). The call for the wilderness, Kedar, and Sela (Petra, a city in Edom known for its rock-cut dwellings [9]) to sing and shout from the mountaintops signifies a universal outpouring of praise and recognition of God's redemptive work, extending even to those outside of Israel [3, 9]. This demonstrates the expansive nature of God's salvation, reaching beyond traditional boundaries to include all peoples and places.
Sources
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Kedar — Dark-skinned, the second son of Ishmael (Gen. 25:13). It is the name for the nomadic tribes of Arabs, the Bedouins generally (Isa. 21:16; 42:11; 60:7; Jer. 2:10; Ezek. 27:21), who dwelt in the north-west of Arabia. They lived in black hair-tents (Cant. 1:5). To "dwell in the tents of Kedar" was to be cut off from the worship of the true God (Ps. 120:5). The Kedarites suffered at the hands of Nebuchadnezzar (Jer. 49:28, 29).”
- Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Kedar — (dark-skinned), the second in order of the sons of Ishmael, (Genesis 25:13; 1 Chronicles 1:29) and the name of a great tribe of Arabs settled on the northwest of the peninsula and on the confines of Palestine. The "glory of Kedar" is recorded by the prophet Isaiah, (Isaiah 21:13-17) in the burden upon Arabia; and its importance may also be inferred from the "princes of Kedar" mentioned by Ezekiel, (Ezekiel 27:21) as well as the pastoral character of the tribe. They appear also to have been, like the wandering tribes of the present day, "archers" and "mighty me”
- Isaiah “Let the wilderness and its cities raise their voices, with the villages that Kedar inhabits. Let the inhabitants of Sela sing. Let them shout from the top of the mountains! -- Isaiah 42:11”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Sheep — Are of different varieties. Probably the flocks of Abraham and Isaac were of the wild species found still in the mountain regions of Persia and Kurdistan. After the Exodus, and as a result of intercourse with surrounding nations, other species were no doubt introduced into the herds of the people of Israel. They are frequently mentioned in Scripture. The care of a shepherd over his flock is referred to as illustrating God's care over his people (Ps. 23:1, 2; 74:1; 77:20; Isa. 40:11; 53:6; John 10:1-5, 7-16). "The sheep of Palestine are longer in the head than”
- Isaiah (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Isaiah 60:7: All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered unto thee, the rams of Nebaioth shall minister unto thee,.... Nebaioth and Kedar were the sons of Ishmael, Gen 25:13, Ishmael's twelve sons, of which Nebaioth was the eldest, inhabited all the country from Euphrates to the Red sea, calling it the Nabatene country, as Josephus (b) says; these design the Turks and Saracens, who shall now be converted. The Targum is, "all the sheep of the Arabians shall be gathered unto thee;'' that is, these shall come with their sheep and rams, not to be offered up in sacrifice, for such sa”
- Sefaria (Jewish (Rationalist)) “Abraham Ibn Ezra on Isaiah 42:11: Every plain and the cities thereof, all villages which are inhabited by Kedar, etc.; the tribe of Kedar always lived in the plain. 19 The name of Kedar may therefore fairly be used to signify the continental people. They were, in fact, never known as a seagoing nation. The inhabitants of the rock, the nations that live in the rocks.”
- Jeremiah (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Jeremiah 49:28: Kedar--son of Ishmael (Gen 25:13). The Kedarenes led a wandering predatory life in Arabia-PetrÃ&brvbra, as the Bedouin Arabs (Ch2 21:16-17; Psa 120:5). Kedar means "blackness" (Sol 1:5). Hazor--not the city in Palestine, but a district in Arabia-PetrÃ&brvbra. "Kingdoms" refer to the several combinations of clans, each under its own sheik. men of the east--Kedar and Hazor were east of Judea (Jdg 6:3; Job 1:3).”
- Sefaria (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Rashi (Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki) on Isaiah 42:11: Kedar shall be inhabited with villages (Connected to “The desert...shall raise.” The desert of Kedar, where they now dwell in tents, shall raise their voice and sing. It is like: And the villages with which Kedar is settled.) The desert of Kedar, where they now dwell in tents, will be permanent cities and villages.”
- Isaiah (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Isaiah 42:11: cities--in a region not wholly waste, but mainly so, with an oasis here and there. Kedar--in Arabia-Deserta (Isa 21:16; Gen 25:13). The Kedarenians led a nomadic, wandering life. So Kedar is here put in general for that class of men. rock--Sela, that is, Petra, the metropolis of Idumea and the Nabathoean Ishmaelites. Or it may refer in general to those in Arabia-PetrÃ&brvbra, who had their dwellings cut out of the rock. the mountains--namely, of Paran, south of Sinai, in Arabic PetrÃ&brvbra [VITRINGA].”
- Isaiah (Lutheran) “Keil & Delitzsch on Isaiah 21:16: Thus does the approaching fate of Arabia present itself in picture before the prophet's eye, whilst it is more distinctly revealed in Isa 21:16, Isa 21:17 : "For thus hath the Lord spoken to me, Within a year, as the years of a hired labourer, it is over with all the glory of Kedar. And the remnant of the number of bows of heroes of the Kedarenes will be small: for Jehovah, the God of Israel, hath spoken." The name Kedar is here the collective name of the Arabic tribes generally. In the stricter sense, Kedar, like Nebaioth, which is associated with it, as a no”