Wherefore the king said unto me, why is thy countenance
sad,
seeing thou art not sick?
&c.] He had no disorder upon him to change his countenance
and make him sorrowful, and therefore asks what should be the
reason of it:
this is nothing else but sorrow of heart;
this is not owing to any bodily disease or pain, but some inward
trouble of mind; or "wickedness of heart" F16, some
ill design in his mind, which being conscious of, and thoughtful
about, was discovered in his countenance; he suspected, as Jarchi
intimates, a design to kill him, by putting poison into his cup:
then I was very sore afraid;
lest the king should have suspicion of an ill design on him; or
lest, since he must be obliged to give the true reason, he should
not succeed in his request, it being so large, and perhaps many
about the king were no friends to the Jews.