And the situation is that you ﴿have settled﴾ [that is] in the world ﴿in the dwellings of those who wronged﴾ meaning by placing things in other than their proper places, as you did yourselves ﴿to yourselves﴾. So allow your people to be like you in the abode of ruin. "And it became clear" meaning the utmost clarity "to you" through news and observation.

And when the situation of one of them was in utmost wonder, he alerted by questioning that he is worthy to ask about it, so he said: ﴿How did we act﴾ meaning regarding our greatness "against them" when we took vengeance upon them [so do not] take heed of their conditions. ﴿And We struck﴾ [that is] regarding what we have of greatness ﴿for you are given examples﴾ that clarify that the way of Allah has proceeded - and you will not find any alteration for the way of Allah - that the wrongdoers, just as they were gathered by the name of wrongdoing, they are gathered by the mark of destruction. So We gathered for you between the two paths of consideration: hearing and sight, yet you did not benefit from either of them.