Contributing to the state of confusion is distraught Mordecai, whose wailing is heard throughout the city, and whose transformed outward appearance—the wearing of sackcloth and ashes—is noticeably out of character for a man of his social status (4:1). In the Bible, sackcloth and ashes typically accompany laments and mourning for the dead, and in certain cases, fasting for the deliverance of a people (e.g., Gen. 37:34; Lam. 2:10–12). Mordecai’s demeanor and unusual garb appropriately reflect the mood of the Susan community.

When Esther hears about Mordecai’s distress, she is deeply troubled and seeks to find out the reason for her cousin’s unusu…