Who determines what is beautiful? And while we’re at it, let’s talk about ideals of beauty that perpetuate toxicity, such as unrealistic ideas of being fit or skinny, which can easily lead to eating disorders. And can we also discuss beauty standards being eurocentric, as blonde is the most popular hair dye for women in the United States?
Song of Solomon 1:1-9 causes us to ask “what is beautiful?” Song of Solomon is love poetry, written with two characters, a man and a woman. And a controversial verse, “I am black, but lovely,” (NASB, v.5), raises eyebrows.
“Black, I am, but lovely,” the verse stands out because the word “but” was a choice of many when translating. In Biblical Hebrew, all conjunctions, that is “and” “or” “but,” whatever binds two clauses together, is the same word, technically the same letter. The conjunction, a “vav” is placed in front of the word lovely. Thus, this text can also be translated as “I am black and lovely.”
We are not foreign to the idea of “black but lovely,” because we live in a predominately white society, in which whiteness is the beauty standard. Black curly hair is straightened, and school dress codes say, “no dreads,” as they are viewed as unprofessional.
“Black” is another choice, as “dark” is also common in translations. It is clear from the sixth verse, “Do not stare at me because I am dark, For the sun has tanned me. My mother’s sons were angry with me; They made me caretaker of the vineyards, But I have not taken care of my own vineyard. (NASB)” that the original author of the text is not talking about race, as our character is dark from working in the sun. The character is not saying, “My ancestors are from Africa, but I am beautiful.” She is saying, “I am dark from working out in the sun, and I am beautiful.”
But again, translators chose to make a statement, as “black.” along with “but,” makes a rancid assertion about black women that is not in the text.
King James Version: I am black but comely.
New International Version: Dark I am, yet lovely.
American Standard Version: I am dark, but comely.
New American Standard Bible: I am black, but lovely.
But we know who our God is, who created all persons in their divine image, for it says in Genesis 1,
“God created humanity in God’s own image,
in the divine image God created them,
male and female God created them” (CEB, Genesis 1:27).
And once the Creator Almighty made humanity, God blessed them, blessed all people of all races and all sex, and then looked upon creation and saw that it was very good as God put the divine image into all of whom God made.
Created in the image are the thick curls of black girls. Dreads of black boys. Beautiful and lovely are black women as they are created in the image of God. Created in the image of God are working-class women darkened by their labor in the sun; they’re beautiful as dirt lingers under their nails.
Redeeming the opening verses of Song of Solomon is not simply for black women and working-class women. We can find solidarity in the reality that all of us are subjected to standards of beauty as we apply retinol over our wrinkles, cover up parts of our body that we deem as unflattering, and as I place whitening strips on my teeth. We may find it hard to believe, but the psalmist is right when they proclaim you are “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14). Sometimes, our beauty is hard to see, as we feel shame and are uncomfortable in our own skin, but God isn’t giving us an unrealistic beauty expectation. God made you and saw that you were, “supremely good” (CEB, Genesis 1:31).
Your sibling in Christ,
Pastor Alec Brock, Seminary Intern