And in every province, wherever the king’s command and his decree reached, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting and weeping and lamenting, and many of them lay in sackcloth and ashes.
Here we have an account of the general sorrow that there was among the Jews upon the publishing of Haman's bloody edict against them. It was a sad time with the church. 1. Mordecai cried bitterly, rent his clothes, and put on sackcloth, Est 4:1, Est 4:2.
Commenting on Esther 4:1-4
And in every province whithersoever the king's commandment and his decree came,.... For destroying the Jews on such a day, in every place where they were to be found: there was great mourning among the Jews, and weeping, and wailing; which continued all day: and many lay in sackcloth and ashes: all night; made use of no other bed to lie on, nor clothes to cover them with.
Fasting, and weeping, and wailing - How astonishing, that in all this there is not the slightest intimation given of praying to God!