So Esther's maids and her chamberlains came and told it
her,
&c.] Her maids of honour and eunuchs that attended her, which
they might tell her merely as a piece of news, there being
something shocking in it to tender minds; or perhaps nothing more
than that Mordecai was in sackcloth; and they might have
observed, by some incident or another, that there was some
connection between Mordecai and Esther, and that she had a
peculiar respect for him:
then was the queen exceedingly grieved;
even though she might not know the whole of the matter; but
perceiving whatever it was it greatly affected Mordecai, with
whom she sympathized:
and she sent raiment to clothe Mordecai, and to take away
his sackcloth
from him;
that so he might appear at court, and she get better intelligence
of the cause of all this:
but he received it not;
refusing to be comforted, or appear cheerful under such
melancholy circumstances.
