Look Not Upon Me, Because I am Black - Song of Songs 1:6

In the book of Song of Songs, Solomon shared how the bride said, “I am black, but comely, O you daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon”, and in chapter one and verse six of Song of Songs Solomon shared how the bride said, “look not upon me, because I am black” where we read,

Look not upon me, because I am black, because the sun has looked upon me: my mother's children were angry with me; they made me the keeper of the vineyards; but my own vineyard have I not kept.

The verse begins, “Look not upon me, because I am black, because the sun has looked upon me: my mother's children were angry with me;” Solomon began with the words, “look not upon me” or “do not gaze, inspect and consider me, the bride”, “because I am black” which means “since and on account that I, the bride, exist as swarthy and dark colored”, “because the sun” or “since and on account that the sun in the sky” “has looked upon me” which means “has gazed, seen, caught sight of and scanned me, the bride”: “my mother's children” or “my, the bride's, offspring and progeny belonging to her immediate female progenitor and ancestor” “were angry with me” which means “existed as burning with wrath, hot, scorched, charred and burned with me, the bride”. Solomon shared how the bride told the young maidens of Jerusalem not to gaze upon her because her skin was dark on account that the sun in the sky shined down upon her. She said the offspring of her female progenitor were filled with wrath against her. 

The verse continues, “they made me the keeper of the vineyards; but my own vineyard have I not kept.” Solomon added the words, “they made me” or “they, the offspring of the bride's mother, set, placed, appointed and directed me, the bride” “the keeper of the vineyards” which means “the guard, reserve and maintainer pertaining to the garden of fertile vines”; “but my own vineyard” or “however, nonetheless, notwithstanding and moreover my, the bride's, own personal garden of fertile vines” “have I not kept” which means “have I, the bride, in no way or manner guarded, reserved or maintained”. Solomon shared how the bride told of how her step sisters caused her to be the maintainer of the garden of vines, and this caused her to be unable to maintain her own garden. 

When we consider the words in this verse, we learn through Solomon why the bride was darker in color from the sun. Her mother's children made her maintain the garden of fertile vines. Perhaps this was because she was a “step-child” or some other relationship that was disfavored, but whichever the case, she made her way in the sun by maintaining “gardens of vines” of others and not her own. God knows the condition of every person in the world, and because He loves us, He sent His Son Jesus to die on the cross for all mankind. Regardless of our background or reasons for being disfavored by others, when we believe and trust in Jesus as our personal “Savior and Lord”, He will forgive our sins, grant us everlasting life and reveal Himself to us as we live in a beautiful state before His eyes.

Next time Solomon shares how the bride says, “tell me, O You whom my soul loves, where you feed”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

See more devotionals on the website "thewordfortodaywithray.com" or look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".