And it came to pass, when the king heard the words of the woman, that he rent his clothes; and he passed by upon the wall, and the people looked, and, behold, he had sackcloth within upon his flesh.
Had sackcloth ... upon his flesh. The horrid recital of this domestic tragedy led the king soon after to rend his garment, in consequence of which it was discovered that he wore a penitential shirt of haircloth. Mourners (2 Samuel 3:31) and the prophets (Matt. 3:24) wore sackcloth-a large square piece of coarse cloth, wrapped round the person and fastened at the waist by a girdle. The common practice was to wear the sackcloth over the underdress-the more closely fitting tunic; and accordingly the words signifying putting on or off the sackcloth are the same which are used to gird or to loosen any external article of dress. This rough material was sometimes worn next the skin, and as it is affirmed here of the king of Israel, the fact seems to betoken the depth of his mental distress. It is more than doubtful, however, if he was truly humbled on account of his own and the nation's sins, otherwise he would not have vowed vengeance on the prophet's life. The true explanation seems to be, that Elisha having counseled him not to surrender, with the promise, on condition of deep humiliation, of being delivered, and he having assumed the signs of contrition without receiving the expected relief, regarded Elisha, who had proved false and faithless, as the cause of all the protracted distress.