When Mordecai perceived all that was done
By the king, at the instigation of Haman, against the Jews; which he came to the knowledge of, either by some of the conflicts or by common fame, or on the sight of the edicts which were published in Shushan; though the Jews think it was made known to him in a supernatural way, either by Elijah, as the former Targum F24, or by the Holy Ghost, as the latter:
Mordecai rent his clothes:
both behind and before, according to the same Targum; and this was a custom used in mourning, not only with the Jews, but with the Persians also, as Herodotus F25 relates:
and put on sackcloth with ashes;
upon his head, as the former Targum; which was usual in mourning, even both; ( Job 2:12 ) ( Daniel 9:3 )
and went out into the midst of the city;
not Elam the province, as Aben Ezra, but the city Shushan:
and cried with a loud and bitter cry;
that all the Jews in the city might be alarmed by it, and inquire the reason of it, and be affected with it; and a clamorous mournful noise was used among the Persians, as well as others, on sad occasions F26.