And when it was that perhaps someone thought that in the verses there is something that accepts a part of that, He clarified its state, glorified and exalted is He, by saying: ﴿And there is not﴾ meaning, while the case is that we do not ﴿show them﴾ according to what we have of grandeur, exaltation, and perfection. And He emphasized the negation by affirming the preposition and the tool of restriction for the sake of those who may assume that they are excused in their laughter. So He said: ﴿of a sign except that it is greater﴾ meaning, in rank ﴿than its sister﴾ meaning, that which preceded it in relation to the knowledge of those who observe it. For indeed, since humans have forgetfulness, when the second comes to him from the equals, he sees all who came to him as forgetful, and not some of those who came to the first, and he concludes that it is greater than it, or that this is a metaphor for that all of them are at the end of greatness, as their poet said: "Whoever you meet from them, say, I met their master." Or that between them in greatness is generality and specificity from a perspective. And better than that is what Ibn Jarir indicated, that every verse is clearer in the proof against them and more confirmed than what came before it, because it indicated what it indicated and added what the support of its magnitude provided, so it became, along with what preceded it, greater than what came before it at the time of its arrival and the establishment of the proof by it.

And when the estimation was: so they continued in their disbelief and did not return to anything from the verses because we made them deaf and blind and surrounded them with misguidance due to our knowledge of their state, He added to it His saying: ﴿And We seized them﴾ meaning, a seizing of might and dominance ﴿with punishment﴾ meaning, all of it, because we struck them with its blows in a way that made it clear that we are capable of what we will from it. So We sent upon them the flood, the locusts, the lice, the frogs, and the blood ﴿as detailed signs﴾ [Al-A'raf: 133]. And the pieces are the great hail that has not been known like it, burning with fire, and the death of the firstborn. So they were signs of the truthfulness of Musa, blessings and peace be upon him, due to what it has of miracles, and a punishment for them in this world connected with the punishment of the Hereafter. So what a manifest power and clear wisdom ﴿that perhaps they may return﴾ meaning, so that their state is at the sight of those who are ignorant of the consequences, like the state of one whose return is hoped.