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.

JEREMIAH 49:28KJV
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Jeremiah 49:28 (KJV)

What does Jeremiah 49:28 mean?

Jeremiah 49:28 announces a message from God about the coming attack on the people of Kedar and the kingdoms of Hazor by Nebuchadrezzar, the king of Babylon. The verse commands an assault on Kedar, describing how the men of the east will be plundered.

In this verse, the prophet Jeremiah is relaying God’s warning to two groups—Kedar, a nomadic Arab tribe, and Hazor, likely a group of settlements or regions in the desert. The historical setting is the time when Babylon, under Nebuchadrezzar, was expanding its empire and threatening neighboring peoples. The verse uses direct language to show that this invasion is not just a political move but is presented as God’s declared judgment.

The Hebrew behind Jeremiah 49:28

  • קֵדָר (qēdār, "Kedar"): Refers to a nomadic tribe known for living in tents in the Arabian desert. Mentioning Kedar highlights that even distant, mobile peoples are not beyond Babylon’s reach.
  • חֲצוֹר (ḥaṣôr, "Hazor"): Here, Hazor likely refers to desert settlements rather than the well-known city in northern Israel. This shows the prophecy is aimed at desert-dwelling communities.
  • נְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּר (nəḇūḵaḏreʾṣṣar, "Nebuchadrezzar"): The specific naming of the Babylonian king grounds the prophecy in a real historical threat.
  • שָׁדּוּ (šādū, "spoil"): This word means to plunder or take by force, emphasizing the total loss and devastation that will come upon these peoples.

Why Jeremiah 49:28 matters

  • Jeremiah 49:28 clarifies that God’s judgment, through Babylon, extends even to remote and nomadic groups, not just established kingdoms.
  • The verse connects to a larger section where Jeremiah delivers oracles against various nations, showing that God’s authority is not limited to Israel.
  • Understanding the specific groups mentioned (Kedar and Hazor) helps readers see the wide scope of Babylon’s campaigns and the far-reaching consequences of empire-building in the ancient world.

Where else these words appear

“Kedar” Hebrew H6938 · used in 11 verses

  • 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,
  • Song of Solomon 1:5 I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon.
  • Isaiah 42:11 Let the wilderness and the cities thereof lift up their voice, the villages that Kedar doth inhabit: let the inhabitants of the rock sing, let them shout from the top of the mountains.

“Hazor” Hebrew H2674 · used in 17 verses

  • Joshua 11:1 And it came to pass, when Jabin king of Hazor had heard those things, that he sent to Jobab king of Madon, and to the king of Shimron, and to the king of Achshaph,
  • Joshua 15:23 And Kedesh, and Hazor, and Ithnan,
  • 1 Samuel 12:9 And when they forgat the LORD their God, he sold them into the hand of Sisera, captain of the host of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab, and they fought against them.

“spoil” Hebrew H7703 · used in 47 verses

  • Judges 5:27 At her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay down: at her feet he bowed, he fell: where he bowed, there he fell down dead.
  • Jeremiah 4:20 Destruction upon destruction is cried; for the whole land is spoiled: suddenly are my tents spoiled, and my curtains in a moment.
  • Jeremiah 48:32 O vine of Sibmah, I will weep for thee with the weeping of Jazer: thy plants are gone over the sea, they reach even to the sea of Jazer: the spoiler is fallen upon thy summer fruits and upon thy vintage.

“Nebuchadrezzar” Hebrew H5019 · used in 59 verses

  • 2 Kings 24:1 In his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant three years: then he turned and rebelled against him.
  • Jeremiah 25:1 The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, that was the first year of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon;
  • Jeremiah 43:10 And say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will send and take Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will set his throne upon these stones that I have hid; and he shall spread his royal pavilion over them.