1:5, 6 The girl responds to criticism of her complexion (v. 5, “I am very dark”) by the daughters of Jerusalem (5:10–16 note). She is deeply tanned because her brothers have made her work in the vineyards, and consequently she has not been able to care properly for her “own vineyard” (her body, v. 6).

tents of Kedar. The Bedouin tribes living on the edge of the deserts east of Israel made their tents of dark goat hair.