Song of Solomon 1:5
New International Version
Dark am I, yet lovely, daughters of Jerusalem, dark like the tents of Kedar, like the tent curtains of Solomon.

New Living Translation
I am dark but beautiful, O women of Jerusalem— dark as the tents of Kedar, dark as the curtains of Solomon’s tents.

English Standard Version
I am very dark, but lovely, O daughters of Jerusalem, like the tents of Kedar, like the curtains of Solomon.

Berean Standard Bible
I am dark, yet lovely, O daughters of Jerusalem, like the tents of Kedar, like the curtains of Solomon.

King James Bible
I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon.

New King James Version
I am dark, but lovely, O daughters of Jerusalem, Like the tents of Kedar, Like the curtains of Solomon.

New American Standard Bible
“I am black and beautiful, You daughters of Jerusalem, Like the tents of Kedar, Like the curtains of Solomon.

NASB 1995
“I am black but lovely, O daughters of Jerusalem, Like the tents of Kedar, Like the curtains of Solomon.

NASB 1977
“I am black but lovely, O daughters of Jerusalem, Like the tents of Kedar, Like the curtains of Solomon.

Legacy Standard Bible
“I am black but lovely, O daughters of Jerusalem, Like the tents of Kedar, Like the curtains of Solomon.

Amplified Bible
“I am deeply tanned but lovely, O daughters of Jerusalem, [I am dark] like the tents of [the Bedouins of] Kedar, Like the [beautiful] curtains of Solomon.

Christian Standard Bible
Daughters of Jerusalem, I am dark like the tents of Kedar, yet lovely like the curtains of Solomon.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Daughters of Jerusalem, I am dark like the tents of Kedar, yet lovely like the curtains of Solomon.

American Standard Version
I am black, but comely, Oh ye daughters of Jerusalem, As the tents of Kedar, As the curtains of Solomon.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
I am black and beautiful, daughters of Jerusalem, like the tents of Qedar and like the curtains of Solomon

Brenton Septuagint Translation
I am black, but beautiful, ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon.

Contemporary English Version
My skin is dark and beautiful, like a tent in the desert or like Solomon's curtains.

Douay-Rheims Bible
I am black but beautiful, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Cedar, as the curtains of Solomon.

English Revised Version
I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Young women of Jerusalem, I am dark and lovely like Kedar's tents, like Solomon's curtains.

Good News Translation
Women of Jerusalem, I am dark but beautiful, dark as the desert tents of Kedar, but beautiful as the draperies in Solomon's palace.

International Standard Version
The daughters of Jerusalem, I'm dark and lovely like the tents of Kedar, like the curtains of Solomon.

JPS Tanakh 1917
I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, As the tents of Kedar, As the curtains of Solomon.

Literal Standard Version
I [am] dark and lovely, daughters of Jerusalem, as tents of Kedar, as curtains of Solomon.

Majority Standard Bible
I am dark, yet lovely, O daughters of Jerusalem, like the tents of Kedar, like the curtains of Solomon.

New American Bible
I am black and beautiful, Daughters of Jerusalem — Like the tents of Qedar, like the curtains of Solomon.

NET Bible
I am dark but lovely, O maidens of Jerusalem, dark like the tents of Qedar, lovely like the tent curtains of Salmah.

New Revised Standard Version
I am black and beautiful, O daughters of Jerusalem, like the tents of Kedar, like the curtains of Solomon.

New Heart English Bible
I am dark, but lovely, you daughters of Jerusalem, like Kedar's tents, like Solomon's curtains.

Webster's Bible Translation
I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon.

World English Bible
I am dark, but lovely, you daughters of Jerusalem, like Kedar’s tents, like Solomon’s curtains.

Young's Literal Translation
Dark am I, and comely, daughters of Jerusalem, As tents of Kedar, as curtains of Solomon.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Bride Confesses Her Love
4Take me away with you—let us hurry! May the king bring me to his chambers. We will rejoice and delight in you; we will praise your love more than wine. It is only right that they adore you. 5I am dark, yet lovely, O daughters of Jerusalem, like the tents of Kedar, like the curtains of Solomon. 6Do not stare because I am dark, for the sun has gazed upon me. My mother’s sons were angry with me; they made me a keeper of the vineyards, but my own vineyard I have neglected.…

Cross References
Psalm 120:5
Woe to me that I dwell in Meshech, that I live among the tents of Kedar!

Song of Solomon 2:7
O daughters of Jerusalem, I adjure you by the gazelles and does of the field: Do not arouse or awaken love until the time is right.

Song of Solomon 2:14
O my dove in the clefts of the rock, in the crevices of the cliff, let me see your face, let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet, and your countenance is lovely.

Song of Solomon 3:5
O daughters of Jerusalem, I adjure you by the gazelles and does of the field: Do not arouse or awaken love until the time is right.

Song of Solomon 3:10
He has made its posts of silver, its base of gold, its seat of purple fabric. Its interior is inlaid with love by the daughters of Jerusalem.

Song of Solomon 4:3
Your lips are like a scarlet ribbon, and your mouth is lovely. Your brow behind your veil is like a slice of pomegranate.

Song of Solomon 5:8
O daughters of Jerusalem, I adjure you, if you find my beloved, tell him I am sick with love.


Treasury of Scripture

I am black, but comely, O you daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon.

black

Isaiah 53:2
For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.

Matthew 10:25
It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household?

1 Corinthians 4:10-13
We are fools for Christ's sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised…

comely

Psalm 90:17
And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.

Psalm 149:4
For the LORD taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation.

Isaiah 61:10
I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.

o ye

Psalm 45:9
Kings' daughters were among thy honourable women: upon thy right hand did stand the queen in gold of Ophir.

Luke 13:34
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not!

Galatians 4:26
But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.

as the tents

Psalm 120:5
Woe is me, that I sojourn in Mesech, that I dwell in the tents of Kedar!

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Black Curtains Dark Daughters Fair Form Jerusalem Kedar Kedar's Lovely Solomon Solomon's Tent Tents
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Black Curtains Dark Daughters Fair Form Jerusalem Kedar Kedar's Lovely Solomon Solomon's Tent Tents
Song of Solomon 1
1. the church's love unto Christ
5. She confesses her deformity
7. and prays to be directed, to his flock
8. Christ directs her to the shepherd's tents
9. and showing his love to her
11. gives her gracious promises
12. the church and Christ congratulate one another














(5) As the tents of Kedar--i.e., Dark as the Kedareen tents of black goats' hair, beautiful as the royal pavilions with their rich hangings. For a similar style of parallelism, comp. Isaiah 15:3 : "On her housetops, and to her open streets, every one howleth, descendeth with weeping." For Kedar, see Genesis 25:13.

As the poet puts this description of the lady's complexion into her own mouth, we must understand it as a little playful raillery, which is immediately redeemed by a compliment. It also prepares the way for the reminiscence of an interesting passage in her early life. See next verse.

Verse 5. - I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon. The word "black" (שְׁחורָה) does not necessarily mean that the skin is black, but rather sunburnt, dark brown, as in Lamentations 4:8, where the same word signifies the livid or swarthy appearance of one who has suffered long from famine and wretchedness. There is certainly no reason to take the word as an argument for the bride being Pharaoh's daughter; but it points to what is confirmed by the rest of the poem - the rustic birth and northern blood of the bride. She has been living in the fields, and is browned with the ruddy health of a country life. The best explanation of the words is that they are drawn out by the fact that the bride is surrounded by her ladies. Some think that they look askance at her, or with indignation at the boldness of her words; but that is quite unnecessary, and would be inconsistent with the dignity of the bride. The country maiden feels the greatness of the honour, that she is chosen of the king, and with simple modesty, in the presence of courtly ladies around her, sets forth her claim. The simile is not uncommon in poetry, as in Theocritus and Virgil. Comely; i.e. attractive, agreeable. Kedar (whether from the Arabic, meaning "powerful," or from the Hebrew, "black") designates the tribes of the North Arabian descendants of Ishmael (Genesis 25:13; Isaiah 21:17), Kedareens, referred to by Pliny, and remaining in Arabia until the time of the Mohammedans. The Bedouin still calls his tent his "hair house;" it is covered with goat's-hair cloth, mostly black or grey. Whether the reference is to the colour of the goat's hair or to the tents being browned or blackened by the heat of the sun, we cannot doubt that the allusion is to the complexion, and the rest of the simile would then be applicable to the lovely shape and features of the maiden, the curtains of Solomon being the curtains of a pavilion, or pleasure tent, spread out like "a shining butterfly," i.e. the beautiful cloth or tapestry which formed the sides of the tent or the tent coverings, the clothing of the framework, or tent hangings (see Isaiah 54:2; Exodus 26:36; 2 Samuel 7; 1 Chronicles 17:1, etc.). Egyptian hangings were particularly prized. The custom prevailed among Eastern monarchs of sojourning once in the year in some lovely rural district, and at such times their tents would be very magnificent. The LXX. has, ὡς δεῥῤείς Σολομὼν, "as the skins of Solomon;" but this is a mistake. The word is derived from a root "to tremble," i.e. "to glitter in the sun." Those who desire to find an allegorical interpretation think there is an evident allusion here to the sojourn of Israel in the wilderness, or the admission of the Gentiles into the covenant; but there is no reason for any such strain upon the meaning. The simile is merely poetical. The soul realizes its own acceptance before God, but ascribes that acceptance to his grace. "The bride, the Lamb's wife," sees the beauty of the Lord reflected in herself, and rejoices in her own attractions for his sake. There is no immodesty in the consciousness of merit so long as that merit is ascribed to him from whom it comes. There is often more pride in the assumption of humility than in the claim to be acknowledged. The same apostle who declared himself less than the least of all saints also maintained that he was not a whit behind the very chiefest apostles.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
I
אֲנִי֙ (’ă·nî)
Pronoun - first person common singular
Strong's 589: I

am dark
שְׁחוֹרָ֤ה (šə·ḥō·w·rāh)
Adjective - feminine singular
Strong's 7838: Dusky, jetty

yet lovely,
וְֽנָאוָ֔ה (wə·nā·wāh)
Conjunctive waw | Adjective - feminine singular
Strong's 5000: Suitable, beautiful

O daughters
בְּנ֖וֹת (bə·nō·wṯ)
Noun - feminine plural construct
Strong's 1323: A daughter

of Jerusalem,
יְרוּשָׁלִָ֑ם (yə·rū·šā·lim)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 3389: Jerusalem -- probably 'foundation of peace', capital city of all Israel

like the tents
כְּאָהֳלֵ֣י (kə·’ā·ho·lê)
Preposition-k | Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 168: A tent

of Kedar,
קֵדָ֔ר (qê·ḏār)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 6938: Kedar -- perhaps 'swarthy', a son of Ishmael, also his desc

like the curtains
כִּירִיע֖וֹת (kî·rî·‘ō·wṯ)
Preposition-k | Noun - feminine plural construct
Strong's 3407: A hanging

of Solomon.
שְׁלֹמֹֽה׃ (šə·lō·mōh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 8010: Solomon -- David's son and successor to his throne


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