How many times is Kedar mentioned in the Bible?
The word Kedar appears 12 times in the King James Version, in 11 verses. It is found in 7 of the 66 books. The World English Bible uses Kedar 11 times (12 with every form).
Kedar in the King James Version and the World English Bible
Each form of Kedar counted in each translation.
| Form | KJV | WEB |
|---|---|---|
| Kedar | 12 | 11 |
| Kedar's | not counted | 1 |
| Total | 12 | 12 |
What the name Kedar means
Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary glosses Kedar as "blackness; sorrow".
This is the 1869 traditional meaning; modern scholars often read names differently.
See every name and place with its meaning and count on Bible names and their meanings.
Source: Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary (1869), checked 2026-10-24.
Which books mention Kedar most
Kedar appears in 7 books of the 66 in the King James Version. Isaiah has the most (4), then Jeremiah (3) and Genesis (1).
First and last mention of Kedar
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,
Arabia, and all the princes of Kedar, they occupied with thee in lambs, and rams, and goats: in these were they thy merchants.
The verse that uses it most is Jeremiah 49:28, 2 times:
Concerning Kedar, and concerning the kingdoms of Hazor, which Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon shall smite, thus saith the LORD; Arise ye, go up to Kedar, and spoil the men of the east.
Common questions
How many times is Kedar in the Old Testament and the New Testament?
In the King James Version, counting every form, 12 of the 12 uses are in the Old Testament and 0 in the New Testament. Kedar appears in 7 books of the 66 in the King James Version. Isaiah has the most (4), then Jeremiah (3) and Genesis (1).
Where is Kedar first mentioned in the Bible?
The first use in the King James Version is Genesis 25:13: "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," The last is Ezekiel 27:21.
What does the name Kedar mean in the Bible?
Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary glosses Kedar as "blackness; sorrow".
More word counts: Gerar, Joash, fruit, charity, pestilence, Dathan, Jezreel, lily, or all 635 words.
Counted by Bible Says About from the full public-domain text of the King James Version (1769 edition) and the World English Bible. Verse text only: headings and psalm titles are left out. A word is a run of letters: a hyphenated name like Beer-sheba counts as two, and an apostrophe stays inside its word (LORD'S is one). Matching ignores capital letters. Data compiled 2026-10-24.