וַיִּגַּ֤ע הַדָּבָר֙ אֶל־מֶ֣לֶך נִֽינְוֵ֔ה וַיָּ֙קָם֙ מִכִּסְא֔וֹ וַיַּעֲבֵ֥ר אַדַּרְתּ֖וֹ מֵֽעָלָ֑יו וַיְכַ֣ס שַׂ֔ק וַיֵּ֖שֶׁב עַל־הָאֵֽפֶר׃
Ketika kabar itu sampai kepada raja Niniwe, ia bangkit dari takhtanya, menanggalkan jubah kebesarannya, menyelubungi dirinya dengan kain kabung, lalu duduk di atas abu.
Abarbanel
Additionally, the king of Nineveh(who was the king of Assyria [as well]) when he knew [of] this rose from his throne and removed his [royal] mantle, and sat in ashes, as if Nineveh had already been destroyed(Verse 7), and commanded to announce in Nineveh: "[Coming] from the conception of the king and his nobles," meaning to say his advisors, "[it is decreed] man and animal not taste [food] nor drink [water], and this commandment applied to animals [even] if they did not have owners, because all [of the measures] were based on [the idea] that "the eyes of ever creature are on Him, Blessed is He," and in order that the animals in [danger of] the overturning of the city would cry out and fast before Him so that He would have mercy on them.
Ibn Ezra
"And it reached"- this [was] before the donning of the sackcloth.