'Abdullāh Ibn 'Abbās / Muḥammad al-Fīrūzabādī
تفسير : (and he entered the city at a time of carelessness of its folk) when its folk were preoccupied, at the time of the siesta, and it is said after the maghrib prayer, (and he found therein) in the city (two men fighting, one of his own caste) of the caste of moses, i.e. an israelite, (and the other of his enemies) of the enemies of moses, i.e. a copt; (and he who was of his caste) moses' caste (asked him for help against him who was of his enemies) moses' enemies. (so moses struck him with his fist and killed him. he said) moses said: (this is of the devil's doing) by the devil's command. (lo! he is an enemy, a mere misleaders) whose enmity is quite manifest. and he felt remorse for killing him.
Jalāl al-Dīn al-Maḥallī
تفسير : and he, moses, entered the city, pharaoh’s city, memphis, having been absent from it for a while, at a time when its people were oblivious, the time of the afternoon nap, and found therein two men fighting, one of his own faction, namely, an israelite, and the other of his enemies, in other words, an egyptian, who was exploiting an israelite to carry firewood to pharaoh’s kitchen. so the one who was of his faction called to him for help against the one who was of his enemies, and so moses said to him, ‘leave him be!’, and it is said that he replied to moses [thus]: ‘i am truly considering making you carry this [firewood]!’. so moses punched him, that is, he hit him with his fist clenched — he [moses] was a strong man with a powerful strike, and did away with him, that is, he killed him, but he had not intended to kill him. he buried him in the sand. he said, ‘this, killing of him, is of satan’s doing, inciting my anger. indeed he is an enemy, to the son of adam, a manifest misleader’, of him.
