How can we determine the subject of 「彼{かれ}が来{こ}ないことを知{し}りませんでした。」?


Consider the following sentence.

> 彼{かれ}が来{こ}ないことを知{し}りませんでした。

I really get confused in determining the subject. Which is the correct
translation?

  1. I did not know that he will not come.

  2. He did not know about the absence.

# Edit

Roughly speaking, most of the available answers said that _the speaker is the
person knows about that thing_.

However, today I found almost the same sentence quoted from

_A Handbook of Japanese Grammar Patterns for Teachers and Leaners on page
317-318,_

as follows.

[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/C0lmX.jpg)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/C0lmX.jpg)

[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/STo8s.jpg)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/STo8s.jpg)

Its translation is apparently contrary to the analysis given in the existing
answers. I am now in a critical position but committing suicide is not my
option.




This sentence can technically mean both, but it usually (or almost always)
means 1.

To mean 2., we normally say

> 彼 **は** 来ないことを知りませんでした。 = He didn't know about the (someone else's) absense.

because 彼 is the topic of the whole sentence.

In other words, the use of が after 彼 more or less indicates that "彼がこない" is
the relative clause which modifies こと.




This sentence can technically mean both, but it usually (or almost always)
means 1.

To mean 2., we normally say

> 彼 **は** 来ないことを知りませんでした。 = He didn't know about the (someone else's) absense.

because 彼 is the topic of the whole sentence.

In other words, the use of が after 彼 more or less indicates that "彼がこない" is
the relative clause which modifies こと.

