﴿To Pharaoh and his chiefs﴾ meaning and his people.

And when the common people do not oppose the nobles, he counted them as nothing. It is clear that the implication is: worship Allah, you have no deity other than Him. And he indicated by saying: ﴿So they were arrogant﴾ that they manifested arrogance against following what they were called to after the message, without reflection or verification, and they sought not to be under the authority of the one who called them. And he indicated by their nature to the corruption of their disposition, so he said: ﴿And they were a people﴾ meaning strong ﴿who were exalted﴾ over all who opposed them from their like.