II. To these persons she gives a character of herself
II. To these persons she gives a character of herself
1st, She makes a concession that she was black.
2dly, Notwithstanding asserts that she is comely. And,
3dly, Uses some similes to express both by, "as the tents of Kedar, the curtains of Solomon."
1st, She ingenuously and frankly acknowledges that she was black. This is not to be understood literally of Pharaoh's daughter, whom Solomon had married; and whose mother, Grotius conjectures, might be an Arabian, and so these words be expressive of her natural complexion; but this is not intended, nor, perhaps, is there so much as an allusion to it; but rather to a shepherdess, or keeper of vineyards, made black by lying in the fields, as the following verse seems to intimate. The Targum applies it to the people of Israel, when they made the calf, and says, that then "their faces became as black as the Ethiopians, that dwell in the tents of Kedar; but when they returned, by repentance, and were forgiven, the brightness of the glory of their countenances was increased, as the angels:" but the words are expressive of the spiritual estate and complexion of the church of Christ, and of all believers in him; who may be said to be black, and comely; black by sin, comely by grace:[3341] Black,
1. Upon the account of the many spots, blemishes, and infirmities; for though they are fair and spotless, as considered in Christ, yet they are black and full of spots, as considered in themselves; sin dwells in them and they are sometimes overcome, and carried captive by it; it is always present with them; this body of sin and death, they carry about as their burden; neither will they be rid of it in this life; for "if we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us"; the most holy and righteous man on earth is not without it; every one is both disturbed and defiled with it, and therefore in this sense may be said to be black; and so the[3342] Jewish doctors expound it, of the sinful actions and evil works of the congregation of Israel.
2. The church of Christ may be said to be black, oftentimes on the account of those swarms of hypocrites and heretics that appear in it; there have always been more or less of them in the church, in all ages, which have been "spots in their feasts of charity." There was a Cain in Adam's family, a Ham in Noah's, an Ishmael in Abraham's, an Esau in Isaac's, and a Judas among Christ's disciples; these goats have always been among Christ's sheep, these tares grow up among his wheat, and will do so, till he shall divide the sheep from the goats, and take his fan in his hand, and thoroughly purge his floor. Now upon the account of these, and the several heresies, schisms, and divisions, which frequently arise, and are made in the church of Christ, she may be said to be black: And also,
3. By reason of the persecutions and reproaches of the world, which the church of Christ, and all believers in him sustain; for they that "will live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer persecution" of one kind or another; if not confiscation of goods, fines, imprisonments, racks, tortures, yea death itself, which in some ages of the world, have been the lot of God's children, yet, at least, loss of their good name, credit, and reputation; for if they are loved by Christ, they must expect to be hated by men; if they have peace in him, in the world they must have tribulation; they may be sure of being vilified by the world, and backbited and reproached by carnal professors; and this is what the church seems to ascribe her blackness to, in the following verse. So in Zohar,[3343] this blackness is, by the Jews, expounded of the captivity of the people of Israel.
4. She may be said to be black, with sorrow and mourning; black color not only being the habit of mourners, but does also, in scripture, express grief and sorrow itself. See Jeremiah 8:21 and Jeremiah 14:2. The sins and corruptions of God's people, oftentimes put them in this mourning habit; as David says, when he was under a sense of his manifold iniquities, "I go mourning all the day long," (Psalm 38:6) or nearer the Hebrew, "I go in black all the day long;"[3344] the coldness, hypocrisy, and formality of professors, give them much uneasiness: the many errors and heresies among them, and the persecutions and reproaches, both of the world and carnal professors, produce this black hue and mournful color.
5. They are black in the eyes of the world, which indeed is no wonder; for the men of the world see no beauty nor comeliness in Christ himself, and therefore not any in his people; they being, in their eyes, mean, abject, and contemptible, despised by them, and accounted as the refuse and "off-scouring of all things." But notwithstanding all this she could say,
2dly, That she was comely, that is, beautiful and desireable,[3345] having graceful features, and a just symmetry and proportion. Now the church, and every believer in Christ, may be said to be comely.
1. By the imputation of Christ's righteousness, whereby they are justified from all sin, and stand spotless and irreprovable in God's sight; their own righteousness is as filthy rags, and rather detracts from, than adds to their comeliness; but Christ's righteousness being that "fine linen, clean, and white," with which being arrayed, they are "adorned as a bride for her husband," they appear perfectly comely through the comeliness which Christ has put upon them; they are no ways comely in themselves, but in Christ they are a perfection of beauty.
2. By the sanctifying grace of the Spirit, whereby they are made new creatures; Christ is formed in their hearts, and they are conformed to him, who is the "first born among many brethren;" his image is impressed upon them, and all the parts of the new man are in a just proportion in them, though not grown up to their perfection; and thus being made partakers of the divine nature, and appearing in the beauties of holiness, they are all glorious and comely within.
3. Believers are so in their church-state, having fellowship with Christ, and with one another, walking together in, and according to the commands and ordinances of Christ Jesus: a church of Christ, in gospel order, is beautiful for situation; all her tabernacles are amiable and lovely; and enjoying the presence of Christ in them, is "beautiful as Tirzah, comely as Jerusalem, and terrible as an army with banners." O how comely are the saints in their goings in Zion! a more lovely sight than this can scarce be seen; they are then like a "company of horses in Pharaoh's chariots."
4. However black believers may be in the eyes of the world, they are certainly comely in the eyes of Christ; who often, in this song, calls his church his "fair one," and "the fairest among women;" however undesirable she was to others, she was very desirable to him; her eyes, cheeks, lips, teeth, head, hair, neck, etc. are commended and praised by him; so much beauty and comeliness appeared in her, that his heart was even ravished with her; and so long as he thinks her comely, it matters not what opinion others entertain of her.
3dly, She makes use of some similes to express both her blackness and her comeliness, "as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon." Some think[3346] that these refer to both parts of her character; and suppose that the tents of Kedar, though they were mean and abject without, yet were full of wealth and riches within; and a number of them together made a fine appearance, as Dr. Shaw relates they now do;[3347] and that Solomon's curtains or hangings had an outward covering, which was not so rich and valuable as that within; and so are both designed by the church to represent unto us, that though she was mean and abject in the eyes of the world, yet she was rich, glorious, and beautiful within: the outside of a believer is only seen by the world, and they judge of him accordingly; his inside is hid from them, as the riches of Kedar's tents, and the fineness of Solomon's curtains were from those who viewed the outside only; though I rather think her blackness is designed by the one, and her comeliness by the other.
1. For her blackness she compares herself to the tents of Kedar. Kedar was the second son of Ishmael (Genesis 24:13), whose posterity dwelt in the deserts of Arabia (Isaiah 42:11), and their employment being to feed cattle (Isaiah 60:7), they dwelt in tents (Psalm 120:4, 5), which were made of hair-cloth, and that of goats hair; which being always exposed to the sun and rain, were very black, looked very mean and contemptible:[3348] they had no other houses but these; and because they always, dwelt in them, removing and pitching them at pleasure, therefore they were called Scenites.[3349] Now the church compares herself to these mean, black and despicable tents, on the account of the sins and infirmities of herself, the carnality and hypocrisy of others, the many errors and heresies she was vexed with, as well as the persecutions and reproaches of men, which oftentimes oppressed her, as has been already observed.
2. For her comeliness, she compares herself to the curtains of Solomon. The Septuagint read it, ὼς δερρεις Σαλωμὼν, as the skins of Solomon; and so the Vulgate Latin likewise; which version Gilbert Foliot[3350] following, in his Exposition of this place, says, it is not to be understood of the skins of sheep, goats, or any other animal, but of the very skin of Solomon himself; who being a rich king, and living deliciously, he supposes was very comely and beautiful; to whose fine skin he thinks the church here compares herself, to set forth her comeliness: but this is much better referred by Alcuin, his countryman, to the skins of slain beasts, of which, he thinks, Solomon made tents for himself; though it seems rather to intend those rich hangings of tapestry, which Solomon had, either about his bed, or in the several apartments of his house; which, no doubt, were very rich, costly, and glorious, he being so great and wealthy a prince: or his garments, as Theodoret, see Matthew 6:29; and therefore the church, on the account of her perfect comeliness, thro" Christ's righteousness put upon her, and the curious and embroidered work of the Spirit of God in her, as also her walk in gospel-order, compares herself to these curtains or hangings. Moreover, by a metonymy, may be understood, both in this and the preceding comparison, the persons who dwelt in Kedar's tents, and Solomon's courtiers, who lived in those apartments of his which were so richly hung; the former being black, and the latter dwelling in the palace of a wealthy king, and faring deliciously, were no doubt, plump and comely: though neither Solomon nor any of his courtiers, could come near the church for beauty and comeliness; and to this sense agrees Junius's version of the text.[3351] But,