And when the listener yearned for what was from their response, He, the Exalted, indicated that their anxiety had reached a limit where there was no patience with it by saying, beginning: ﴿They said﴾. And since the painful thing is the harm, not its being from a specific person, they based their saying for the affected: ﴿We were harmed﴾, meaning: by killing and enslavement.

And since their harm was not extensive in time, they affirmed the preposition and said: ﴿Before you came to us﴾, meaning: as you know, ﴿and after you came to us﴾, meaning: so what benefit did your coming bring us? ﴿He said﴾, comforting them and calling them to hope with what He hinted at before: ﴿Perhaps your Lord﴾, meaning: the One who was good to your forefathers with what you know and to you by sending Me to you, ﴿will destroy your enemy﴾, so do not let what you see frighten you, ﴿and will make you successors﴾, meaning: and will establish your succession to them, firmly, so that none other than you will rule over you ﴿in the land﴾, meaning: its kind if you are pious. Then He caused to follow from the succession His saying, reminding them and warning them of His, glorified and exalted is He, might: ﴿And He will see﴾, meaning: while you are successors firmly established, ﴿how you will act﴾, meaning: He will deal with you as the tester does, and He knows in eternity what you will do after you perform the deeds. However, He does this so that the proof may be established against you regarding the course of your customs.