Does Song of Solomon give biblical indicators of beauty? Or skin complexion?

[Pergamum]

Is this the bible verse that should put tanning beds out of business!
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Living in the tropics for the most part, I now sort of hate the sun's effects on our skin.

Does Song of Solomon 1:5 give me biblical indication to view a state of deep sun-tan as less beautiful and deficient when compared to a paler or a more light-skinned state?

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

Look not upon me, because I am black, because the sun hath looked upon me:

Loveliness is contrasted with a dark complexion. Beauty is equated with being paler and not tanned by the sun. The woman is ashamed because of her sun-burned state. The woman is us, in peasant garb and poor and sun-spotted, but beloved of God.

Though this book is about Christ and His Church, can it tell us about beauty as well? Or merely that ancient near east audience's ideals of beauty? And are we free to possess different ideals of beauty from this book if it is Scripture?

This view of beauty held by the "Daughters of Jerusalem" for women seems to be one of feminine beauty not marred by being darkly tanned by working outside. Can we universalize this? Can we say that the bible has given us a glimpse into the nature of true feminine beauty here (say, to use against folks who go and try to get very tanned at tanning beds, etc). Does this explain the Asian fascination with whitening creams?

Here is Clarke's curious commentary on the Bible for this verse:

I am black, but comely - This is literally true of many of the Asiatic women; though black or brown, they are exquisitely beautiful. Many of the Egyptian women are still fine; but their complexion is much inferior to that of the Palestine females. Though black or swarthy in my complexion, yet am I comely - well proportioned in every part.

Furthermore, if Song of Solomon 1:5 puts forth biblical ideals of what true physical beauty is, must we accept the description of the woman in Song of Solomon 7 as the ideal of biblical physical beauty? Long necks as opposed to short necks? Rounder bellies like heaps of wheat as opposed to skinny women? Navels like goblets as opposed to...I don't know what? Taller women over short women? A nice royal head of hair on top of a head like Carmel...

I am not so sure about the "your nose is like a tower" thing...does that merely designate a sharper nose as opposed to a pug nose? But....anyway, are we allowed to universalize these descriptions and say, "This is what the bible says is the standard of preferred beauty?"

How beautiful are thy feet with shoes, O prince's daughter! the joints of thy thighs are like jewels, the work of the hands of a cunning workman.

2 Thy navel is like a round goblet, which wanteth not liquor: thy belly is like an heap of wheat set about with lilies.

3 Thy two breasts are like two young roes that are twins.

4 Thy neck is as a tower of ivory; thine eyes like the fishpools in Heshbon, by the gate of Bathrabbim: thy nose is as the tower of Lebanon which looketh toward Damascus.

5 Thine head upon thee is like Carmel, and the hair of thine head like purple; the king is held in the galleries.

6 How fair and how pleasant art thou, O love, for delights!

7 This thy stature is like to a palm tree, and thy breasts to clusters of grapes.

 

[Pergamum]

Nobody has any thoughts on this? Does the bible indicate any evidences of universal standards of beauty, or is beauty mostly subjective? And does Canticles give us a picture of ideal feminine beauty?

 

[VictorBravo]

Nobody has any thoughts on this? Does the bible indicate any evidences of universal standards of beauty, or is beauty mostly subjective? And does Canticles give us a picture of ideal feminine beauty?

I don't think it sets out a universal standard of beauty any more than it sets out a universal standard of gardening.

If I were required to have a garden of pomegranates, camphire, spikenard, saffron; calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense; myrrh and aloes, with all the chief spices, I'd be pretty much out of luck where I live.

Solomon's Song was written in the context of his culture and surroundings--so, yes, his ideas of beauty are formed by that.

In any event, we know the Bride of Christ is exquisitely beautiful, but not because of the particular merits or physique of any member of her body.

 

[Cymro]

The anatomy of the Shulamite must be spiritually understood as must the anatomy ofChrist in ch5.
If you study the use of black in scripture , where it appears about nine times, it's use always pertains
to persecution, suffering and affliction. See Job, Jeremiah etc.
I am black is to be seen in context with the treatment meted out to her by her mothers children, and
the symbolism of the sun. The sun is often used to denote the smiting by heat of suffering and persecution.
The spiritual context denotes the antagonism of the outward church upon the true body of believers through
history. But though the spouse of Christ is afflicted by suffering, she nevertheless in that state is beautiful to
Her beloved. As far as I can determine, black is never descriptive of sin, but rather coloured as red and crimson.
Some try to say that black means brown, but when we read of the anatomy of Christ,his hair is black as a raven,
and you don't get brown Ravens.! If you literalise the beauty of Shulamith, then you must do the same about
the heavenly Solomon, and that would break the commandment which forbids the making of a likeness.

 

[arapahoepark]

Black skin means one has been out in the sun a lot and therefore it says of a person that they are a low class laborer. Think Cinderella.

 

[Peairtach]

The black skin thing is referring to excessive exsposure to the sun and skin damage which can be unattractive. It's not talking about a natural black skin.

It seems clear that, within certain parameters, there isn't a completely monolithic standard of beauty versus ugliness, although there are certain parameters.

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