Answering Objections to Islam · Predictions in the Bible
Isaiah 42:11 — Kedar and Sela name the place
Handle with care. Don't overstate Sela. Kedar is well established; the identification of Sela is more debated, so lean on Kedar.
In short
- 1.Genesis 25:13 lists Kedar as the second son of Ishmael
- 2.Ezekiel 27:21 links Arabia and the princes of Kedar together
- 3.Smith's Bible Dictionary: a great tribe of Arabs in the northwest of the peninsula, settled in villages as Isaiah 42:11 says
- 4.Keil-Delitzsch: 'the name Kedar is here the collective name of the Arabic tribes generally'
- 5.Seventh-century BCE Assyrian prisms of Esarhaddon and Assurbanipal name the king of the Arabs as king of Qedar
The claim being examined
Of all the places on earth, Isaiah tells the settlements of Kedar and the people of Sela to rejoice at the servant's coming.
The Islamic position
Kedar is Ishmael's son and the standard biblical name for the Arab tribes — which locates the rejoicing in Arabia.
Analysis
This is the strongest verse in the module because it does not depend on a Muslim reading of anything. Kedar's identity is settled in the Hebrew Bible itself and confirmed by Christian reference works and by Assyrian royal inscriptions naming Qedar as the Arab kingdom. The remaining question is interpretive rather than geographic: whether Isaiah is naming the servant's homeland or simply including Arabia among the nations that will rejoice. Ask that question openly rather than assuming the answer.
Side by side
| Genesis 25:13 | Kedar identified | Kedar is the second son of Ishmael |
|---|---|---|
| Ezekiel 27:21 | Kedar located | Arabia and all the princes of Kedar |
| Assyrian prisms | 7th century BCE | Iauta, king of the land of Qedar — the Arab kingdom |
| Isaiah 42:11 | The prophecy | Let the settlements where Kedar lives rejoice |
From the Bible
Isaiah 42:11
Hebrew
Let the wilderness and its towns raise their voices; let the settlements where Kedar lives rejoice. Let the people of Sela sing for joy; let them shout from the mountaintops.
Read it in their BibleGenesis 25:13
Hebrew
These are the names of the sons of Ishmael: Nebaioth the firstborn of Ishmael, Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam.
Read it in their BibleEzekiel 27:21
Hebrew
Arabia and all the princes of Kedar were your favoured dealers in lambs, rams and goats.
Read it in their BibleSources
Abu Zakariya, Forbidden Prophecies, Ch. 3 · Smith's Bible Dictionary, 'Kedar' · Keil-Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament · Esarhaddon Prism A IV; Assurbanipal Prism B VII · Forbidden Prophecies, Ch. 3, pp. 124-128
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