( فَخَلَفَ مِن بَعْدِهِمْ خَلْفٌ ) (And there followed them successors): After that came their successors. The Arabic word used for (successors) in the Quranic verse implies that they were corrupt in themselves.

( وَرِثُوا الْكِتَابَ يَأْخُذُونَ عَرَضَ هَٰذَا الْأَدْنَىٰ ) (who inherited the Scripture [while] taking the commodities of this lower life): They took the fleeting gains of this lower life. Here, (lower) life means the worldly life.

( وَيَقُولُونَ سَيُغْفَرُ لَنَا وَإِن يَأْتِهِمْ عَرَضٌ مِّثْلُهُ يَأْخُذُوهُ ) (and saying, “It will be forgiven for us.” And if an offer like it comes to them, they will [again] take it): They said ’We shall be forgiven’, and indeed they took them again if other such gains came their way.

( أَلَمْ يُؤْخَذْ عَلَيْهِم مِّيثَاقُ الْكِتَابِ أَن لَّا يَقُولُوا عَلَى اللَّهِ إِلَّا الْحَقَّ ) (Was not the covenant of the Scripture taken from them that they would not say about Allah except the truth): The covenant refers to what was mentioned in the Torah.

( وَدَرَسُوا مَا فِيهِ ) (and they studied what was in it): They studied the Torah until they knew the knowledge it contained.

( وَالدَّارُ الْآخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ لِّلَّذِينَ يَتَّقُونَ ۗ أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُونَ ) (And the home of the Hereafter is better for those who fear Allah, so will you not use reason?): The pleasure in this worldly life is temporal. If the human beings weight things by using intelligence, they will see that doing what is good for the Hereafter is better because it is a permanent abode that does not perish, it is the eternal residency. Therefore, the Hereafter is better for those who fear Allah (swt), who have placed a barrier and protection between themselves and the wrath of Allah (swt) by obeying His (swt) commands and staying clear from His (swt) prohibitions.