His saying, exalted and majestic is He:

"And We certainly sent Noah to his people, and he said, 'O my people, worship Allah. You have no deity other than Him. So will you not fear Him?'" "And the elite of those who disbelieved among his people said, 'This is not but a man like you who intends to assert his superiority over you. And if Allah had willed, He would have sent down angels. We have not heard of this among our forefathers.'" "He is not but a man possessed with madness, so wait for him for a time.'" "He said, 'My Lord, support me because they have denied me.'"

This is the beginning of a representation of the disbelievers of Quraysh with nations that disbelieved in their prophets and were destroyed. Within that is a warning that calamity may befall them similar to what befell those.

And Noah, peace be upon him, is the first prophet sent to the people, and Idris, peace be upon him, is the first to receive revelation but was not sent.

And "the elite" refers to the nobles because they are from whom the elite originates, and it is the gathering of the people. In the saying "these," there is a rejection of the mission of a human. They are a people who acknowledge the angels, and that is certainly established among them from the remnants of the prophethood of Adam and Idris, peace be upon them, and others. And it was not based on correct knowledge or understanding of the news of prophethood.

And "madness" refers to insanity, and "wait for him" means: be patient and wait for his destruction, and "for a time" means: until a time, and they did not assist him, but rather they intended: until a time when fate relieves you of him.

Then indeed, Noah, peace be upon him, called upon his people when he despaired of them, and although his supplication in this verse is not explicit, it is evident from his words: "because they have denied me," as it implies a request for punishment. As for support in its mere form, it would have been by their return to faith.

And Abu Ja'far and Ibn Muhaisin read: "My Lord, support me" with the letter 'ba' raised, and likewise "My Lord, judge" and similar phrases.