Look not upon me, because I am black, because the sun hath looked upon me: my mother's children were angry with me; they made me the keeper of the vineyards; but mine own vineyard have I not kept.
She feels as if her blackness was so great as to be gazed at by all.
Look not upon me (too closely: contrast Song of Solomon 2:14 ), because I (am black, because the sun - implying that Israel was scorched with God's anger, executed on her by the world-powers, because of her unfaithfulness before Messiah's coming. The blackness of Israel's countenance, by reason of her bondage in the brick-kilns of Egypt, is probably the primary point (Psalms 68:13). Compare subsequently the bondage in Babylon (Lamentations 4:8).
Mother's children - (Matthew 10:36). She is to forget "her own people and her fathers house" - i:e., the worldly connections of her unregenerate state (Psalms 45:10).
Were angry with me - they had maltreated her (Luke 15:15-16). Children of the same mother, but not the same father (Maurer.) (John 8:41-44.) Satan is the father of the ungodly; God is the Father of the godly. Eve is our common mother. "False brethren" (2 Corinthians 11:26). Those who profess to have the Church as their mother, but who have not God for their Father.
Keeper of the vineyards. Israel was reduced to bondage by the world-powers for her apostasy from her God. Since she did not keep the high trust of being the witness for God to the Gentiles, committed to her by God, God gave her over to the Gentile powers to be keeper of vineyards of a very different kind to them-namely, to bear their cruel yoke, instead of the Lord's blessed one. Vinedressing was a menial and laborious work (Isaiah 61:5). They made her a common keeper of vineyards, whereby the sun looked upon, i:e., burnt her: thus she did" not keep her own" vineyard, i:e., fair beauty. So the world and the soul (Matthew 16:26). The believer has to watch against the danger of neglecting self-discipline (1 Corinthians 9:27). So he will be able, instead of the self-reproach here, to say as Song of Solomon 8:12.