And when they declared what they believed in clearly, Pharaoh prevented him from misleading his people with what he could use to deceive them. He began to threaten them in a way that he could scheme against his people and confuse them, stopping them from hastening to believe - as the magicians had hastened - for a time. So, he resumed the news about him, glorified and exalted is He, by saying [declaring his name explicitly, not implying it as in other parts of this Surah; for the purpose of the Surah is warning, and he is the best of people to call upon in that situation, and his story is conveyed to clarify the corruption of the majority, who are the most corrupt of the people of that era]: 'Pharaoh said,' denying them [rebuking them] by saying: 'Have you believed?' meaning: 'Have you confirmed [in] him?' meaning: 'In Moses, confirming that you will return from him.' And whoever informed wanted to inquire, and Pharaoh implied to those who understood from the Copts the desire for faith due to what they saw of the signs of the truthfulness of Moses, peace be upon him, and following the magicians [by saying: 'Before I give you permission'] to stop them from the danger of opposing him by what he hoped for them from his permission. So, when he thought that they had stopped their horses from that thought altogether, he confirmed the negation of what was on his words from the signs of falsehood by saying: 'Indeed, this is a great scheme,' and he prolonged the speech to clarify what they intended and to distract from the thought of faith, so he said: 'You plotted it in the city,' meaning: 'On an appointment between you and Moses, and a scheme you devised before your gathering, and your faith is not because his truthfulness appeared to you; then he justified what relates to their thoughts and confuses their hearts by saying: 'To expel from it its people,' meaning: 'You and Moses, peace be upon him, from it, and you will dwell in it, you and the Children of Israel.'

And when what he wanted from the subtlety of the scheme was established for him, he began to threaten them with what would prevent others and perhaps turn them back, so he said, causing that: 'Soon you will know,' meaning: 'By a promise that there is no contradiction in it, what I will do to you of unbearable punishment.'