( وَإِذْ قِيلَ لَهُمُ اسْكُنُوا هَٰذِهِ الْقَرْيَةَ) (And [mention, O Muhammad], when it was said to them, “Dwell in this city): The Holy Quran does not specify any city; a (city) refers to a residential settlement.
( وَكُلُوا مِنْهَا حَيْثُ شِئْتُمْ ) (and eat from it wherever you will): Allah (swt) provided them with various fruits and foods in abundance.
( وَقُولُوا حِطَّةٌ ) (and say, ‘Relieve us of our burdens,’): This is a supplication, praying to Allah (swt) to forgive them for their sins and wrongdoings.
( وَادْخُلُوا الْبَابَ سُجَّدًا) (and enter the gate bowing humbly): Each city had a door, upon entering that door, they were ordered to bow down humbly in submissiveness to Allah (swt).
( نَّغْفِرْ لَكُمْ خَطِيئَاتِكُمْ) (We will [then] forgive you your sins): A similar verse is found in Surah Al-Baqara. When reading the Holy Quran, one might think that certain verses are repeated, but there is a difference in meaning between both verses. Indeed, a single word or even a conjunction would make a difference in meaning.
- At times, Allah (swt) says: (We said), indicating it is the revelation to Prophet Moses (PBUH). And at other times: (it was said to them), implying that Prophet Moses (PBUH) told them and conveyed the Message that was revealed to him (PBUH).
- (“Dwell in this city): In Surah Al-Baqara, Allah (swt) says:
ادْخُلُوا هَٰذِهِ الْقَرْيَةَ فَكُلُوا مِنْهَا حَيْثُ شِئْتُمْ رَغَدًا
(“Enter this city and eat from it wherever you will in [ease and] abundance) (Al-Baqara: 58)
When they entered the city, they were hungry. Therefore, they ate with delight and joy because of the hunger. As for: (Dwell), it implies that they entered, and afterwards, there was a settlement with dwelling. Hence, Allah (swt) says here: (and eat from it wherever you will). The term (in [ease and] abundance) is not mentioned because it does not correspond to dwelling but rather to the initial entry where they ate with joy and pleasure for the food.
- In this verse, it says: (We will [then] forgive you your sins): the Arabic text of the verse, the word literally used for (sins) is in the regular plural form with a feminine marker, suggesting a lesser or smaller number of errors. While in Surah Al-Baqara, the Arabic word used is in the irregular plural form indicating a large number of sins, emphasizing the multitude of sins. Thus, these two verses encompass various nuances related to forgiveness, acknowledging sins of varying magnitudes.
( سَنَزِيدُ الْمُحْسِنِينَ ) (We will increase the doers of good [in goodness and reward]): Those who have done good will received increased forgiveness and generous rewards .
This verse along with the verse of surah al-Baqara encompass various states among the people of Israel, acknowledging that there are those of them with many sins and others with fewer sins. (We will increase the doers of good [in goodness and reward]): because their sins were numerous.