'Abdullāh Ibn 'Abbās / Muḥammad al-Fīrūzabādī
تفسير : (the jews) finhas ibn 'azura', the jew (say: allah's hand is fettered) and cannot give. (their hands are fettered) they neither do good nor spend in good causes (and they are accursed) they are punished by the imposition of the capitation tax on them (for saying so. nay, but both his hands are spread out wide in bounty) his hands are wide open for both the righteous and the sinner. (he bestoweth as he will) if he wishes, he gives, and if he wishes, he withholds. (that which hath been revealed unto thee from thy lord) i.e. the qur'an, by allah it (is certain to increase the contumacy) constancy upon disbelief (and disbelief) firmness in disbelief (of many of them) of the disbelievers, (and we have cast among them) the jews and christians (enmity) manifested in killing and destruction (and hatred) in their hearts (till the day of resurrection. as often as they light a fire for war) whenever they unite to kill muhammad out of disobedience, (allah extinguisheth it) allah makes them disunite and oppose each other. (their effort is for corruption in the land) they cause corruption in the land through preventing people from muhammad and by inviting to other than allah, (and allah loveth not corrupters) the jews and their religion.
Jalāl al-Dīn al-Maḥallī
تفسير : the jews said, when their circumstances became straitened, on account of their denial of the prophet (s), after having been the wealthiest of people: ‘god’s hand is fettered’, withholding the sending forth of provision upon us — this was their metaphor for niggardliness — may god be exalted above this. god, exalted be he, says: fettered be, withheld be, their hands, from the performance of good deeds, as an invocation against them; and they are cursed for what they have said. nay, but his hands are extended out wide — a hyperbole for the attribute of generosity — the use of [yadā] the dual for yad, ‘hand’, is intended to imply abundance, since the utmost that an affluent person can give freely of his wealth is when he gives it with both hands. he expends how he will, in giving abundantly or straitening, and there can be no objection to this. and what has been revealed to you from your lord, of the qur’ān, will surely increase many of them in insolence and disbelief, because of their [very] disbelief in it; and we have cast between them enmity and hatred until the day of resurrection, and so every sect among them is opposed to the other. every time they light the fires of war, that is, for war against the prophet (s), god extinguishes them, that is, every time they desire it [war], he repels them. and they hasten about the earth in corruption, that is, [they hasten about] corrupting, through acts of disobedience, and god does not love corrupters, meaning that he will punish them.
