John Trapp on Jonah 3:7

Verſe 7. And he cauſed it to be proclaimed] by ſound of trumpet as Ioel 2.12. or otherwiſe as 2 Chron. 20.3, 4, 18, 19, 20. and 22, 6, 7. at which times he that obeyeth not, is culpable before God and man Lev. 23.29.

by the decree of the King and his Nobles] who all unanimouſly conſenting to ſo good a work, iis quibus praeerant, praeibant became a preſident to their inferiours; who looked upon them (no doubt) as their looking-glaſſes, by which moſt men dreſſed themſelves. When Criſpus the chief Ruler of the Synagogue beleeved,Tertull. many Corinthians beleeved alſo Act. 18.8. The Primitive Chriſtians were wont to pray that their emperours might have good counſellours. Of a certaine Prince in Germany it was ſaid, that Eſſet alius, ſi eſſet apud alios, Bucholc. He would havs been a farr better man, had he had better ſervants and officers about him.

let neither man nor beaſt, herd nor flock taſt any thing] The whole action of Faſting hath it's name both in Hebrew and Greek, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. from abſtinence and forbearance of meates and drinks: à toto if it may be, at leaſt à tanto & à tali, as Dan. 10.2, 3. and as it might be here, till the forty dayes were expired; beſides, that one or more ſolemne dayes of totall faſting, wherein neither man nor beaſt &c. But why is the beaſt abridged of ſuſtenance? both to teſtify and increaſe the peoples humiliation by their lowings and bellowings. Alexander the great, at the death of his favourite Epheſtion, clipped his horſes and mules haire, and cut them ſhort,Plutarch. in token of his great grief: he pulled down alſo the battlements of the walles, that they might ſeem to mourn with him. So Virgil ſpeaking of the generall grief for Caeſars death ſaith.

Non vlli paſtos illis egêre diebus Frigida Daphni boves ad flumina,Eclog. 5. nulla nec amnem Libavit quadrupes, nec graminis attigit herbam.

Let them not feed, nor drink water] But what they get of themſelves without mans care, who is to be wholy intent and taken up in Gods ſervice; and ſo to begin the heavenly life here, the ſweetneſſe whereof makes him forbeare both meate and thirſt. Beſides, they took pride in their palfryes, covering them with purple and rich trappings. See Judg. 8.26. they catered for the fleſh by fatting cattle and other creatures to pleaſe their palate. This they were now forbidden to do by an edict from the king, who intereſſeth himſelf in matters of religion; as did alſo Artexerxes Ezra. 7.26. (for which Ezra ſeeth cauſe to bleſſe God) and Nebuchadnezzar Dan. 3.29. which the ſcripture commendeth, and recordeth as a work of his repentance.