Who must rise up against Kedar and Hazor?
The people of Kedar were descendants of Ishmael (Genesis 25:13) who settled in the vast desert region east of the Jordan River beyond the nations of Ammon, Moab and Edom. The Lord refers to them as the people of the east,
which is a common way of speaking about the tribes who lived in the desert east of Aram and in the north of Arabia. The location of Hazor is less certain and seems to be an area where these desert tribes were settled in villages.1 These nomadic Arab tribes had a reputation of attacking the more settled nations around them.
Other than the oracles against Egypt (Jeremiah 46:2, Jeremiah 46:13, Jeremiah 46:26), this is the only time that Nebuchadnezzar is named as the invading enemy. After his rise to power Nebuchadnezzar attacked these Arab desert dwellers in 599 BC, the year before he attacked Judah. This is the most likely setting for this oracle.2
The Lord’s sovereignty is plainly in view. He is the one who commands Nebuchadnezzar and his army to rise up
against these Arab nations.
28 Sur Kédar et les royaumes de Hatsor, que battit Nebucadnetsar, roi de Babylone.Ainsi parle l'Eternel: Levez-vous, montez contre Kédar, Et détruisez les fils de l'Orient!