“When the news reached
The king of Nineveh,
He arose
From his throne.
He removed
His robe.
He covered himself
With sackcloth.
He sat in ashes.”
When the king of Nineveh heard about the proclamations of Jonah, he rose from his throne and took off his royal robes. He then covered himself with sackcloth and sat in ashes. The use of the common sack cloth used for carrying vegetables instead of better clothes was a sign of mourning and repentance. Like a good king, he was going along with his subjects who took the warnings of Jonah very seriously.
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 