Albert Barnes Commentary Song Of Solomon 1:5-8

"I am black, but comely, Oh ye daughters of Jerusalem, As the tents of Kedar, As the curtains of Solomon. Look not upon me, because I am swarthy, Because the sun hath scorched me. My mother`s sons were incensed against me; They made me keeper of the vineyards; [But] mine own vineyard have I not kept. Tell me, O thou whom my soul loveth, Where thou feedest [thy flock], Where thou makest [it] to rest at noon: For why should I be as one that is veiled Beside the flocks of thy companions? If thou know not, O thou fairest among women, Go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock, And feed thy kids beside the shepherds` tents." — Song Of Solomon 1:5-8 (ASV)

The Targumist and other Jewish interpreters understand this section to foreshadow the condition of Israel in the wilderness. In a similar way, some Christian commentators see it as representing the Gentile Church at the time of her first conversion.

I am black, but comely... (Song of Solomon 1:5). The bride is dark-hued, like the tents of Kedar with their black goats’ hair coverings—rough and weather-stained—but beautiful like the rich hangings that adorn the pavilion of Solomon. Kedar was the name of an Arab tribe (Genesis 25:13; Psalms 120:5), and the word itself means “dark” or “black.” It is possible that “tents of Kedar” poetically represent shepherds’ tents in general (Isaiah 60:7).

Look not upon me... (Song of Solomon 1:6). She asks others not to look at her in wonder or scorn because of her dark complexion. It was acquired through forced but honest toil, for the sun hath looked upon me—or, as the original implies, “glared upon me” with its burning eye. The specific Hebrew word for “looked” is found twice in the book of Job (Job 20:9; Job 28:7) and, in the latter case, indicates the piercing glance of a bird of prey.

The verse continues: My mother’s children were angry with me; they made me the keeper of the vineyards; but mine own vineyard have I not kept. The phrase “my mother’s sons” is a more affectionate designation than “brothers” and implies the most intimate relationship. Their anger was perhaps a form of jealous care for their sister’s safety (compare to Song of Solomon 8:12). By engaging her in rustic labors, they protected her from idleness and temptation, even though it resulted in a temporary loss of her outward beauty. Her “own vineyard” is a figurative expression for herself or her beauty.

The phrase whom my soul loveth (Song of Solomon 1:7) recurs several times and expresses a great intensity of affection. When she asks where he “feeds” his flock, she is asking where he pursues his work as a shepherd; in this way, she speaks figuratively of the Son of David (compare to Song of Solomon 2:16; Song of Solomon 6:3; Psalms 23:1). The word for “rest” means to lie down, a term properly used for the resting of four-footed animals, so “your flock” is easily understood in this context (Psalms 23:2; Jeremiah 50:6). To be as “one that turns aside” means to be like one who goes astray like an outcast.

In Song of Solomon 1:8, the speakers are the chorus, not the king. Their meaning seems to be: If your beloved is indeed a shepherd, then seek him over there among the other shepherds; but if he is a king, you will find him here in his royal dwelling.