The news reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and took off his royal robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.
"It must be remembered that an Assyrian king, as a syncretist, would hardly wish automatically to deny the validity of any god or any prophet. And does not an outsider often command far more respect than those with whom one regularly deals-even in the case of prophets and other clergy (cf. Melchizedek and Abraham, Genesis 14:17-24; Moses and Pharaoh, Exodus 5-14; Balaam and Balak, Numbers 22-24; the Levite from Bethlehem and the Danites, Judges 17-18; etc.)?" [Note: Stuart, p. 491.] 