قَالُوا يَا مُوسَى إِنَّ فِيهَا قَوْمًا جَبَّارِينَ وَإِنَّا لَنْ نَدْخُلَهَا حَتَّى يَخْرُجُوا مِنْهَا فَإِنْ يَخْرُجُوا مِنْهَا فَإِنَّا دَاخِلُونَ ﴿۲۲﴾ قَالَ رَجُلَانِ مِنَ الَّذِينَ يَخَافُونَ أَنْعَمَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِمَا ادْخُلُوا عَلَيْهِمُ الْبَابَ فَإِذَا دَخَلْتُمُوهُ فَإِنَّكُمْ غَالِبُونَ وَعَلَى اللَّهِ فَتَوَكَّلُوا إِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُؤْمِنِينَ ﴿۲۳﴾ قَالُوا يَا مُوسَى إِنَّا لَنْ نَدْخُلَهَا أَبَدًا مَا دَامُوا فِيهَا فَاذْهَبْ أَنْتَ وَرَبُّكَ فَقَاتِلَا إِنَّا هَاهُنَا قَاعِدُونَ ﴿۲۴﴾ قَالَ رَبِّ إِنِّي لَا أَمْلِكُ إِلَّا نَفْسِي وَأَخِي فَافْرُقْ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَ الْقَوْمِ الْفَاسِقِينَ ﴿۲۵﴾

﴾22﴿ Qaaloo yaa Moosaaa innaa feehaa qawman jabbaareena wa innaa lan nadkhulahaa hattaa yakhrujoo minhaa fa-iny yakhrujoo minhaa fa innaa daakhiloon
﴾23﴿ Qaala rajulaani minal lazeena yakhaafoona an'amal laahu 'alaihimad khuloo 'alaihimul baab, fa izaa dakhaltumoohu fa innakum ghaaliboon; wa 'alal laahi fatawakkalooo in kuntum mu'mineen
﴾24﴿ Qaaloo yaa Moosaaa innaa lan nadkhulahaa abadam maa daamoo feehaa fazhab anta wa Rabbuka faqaatilaaa innaa haahunaa qaa'idoon
﴾25﴿ Qaala Rabbi innee laaa amliku illaa nafsee wa akhee fafruq bainanaa wa bainal qawmil faasiqeen

﴾22﴿ They said, “O Moses, surely there are powerful people in it, and we will never enter it until they leave it. But if they leave it, then we will surely enter.”
﴾23﴿ Two men from among them, who feared Allah and whom Allah had favored, said, “Enter upon them through the gate, and when you enter it, you will surely be victorious. And put your trust in Allah, if you are believers.”
﴾24﴿ They said, “O Moses, we will never enter it as long as they are there. So go, you and your Lord, and fight—indeed, we will sit here.”
﴾25﴿ Moses (peace be upon him) said, “O my Lord, I have no control except over myself and my brother, so judge between us and the rebellious people.”

[22] In this act of corruption, their breach of covenant and cowardice are mentioned. (Qālū)—ten of the appointed chiefs said this, and all the Children of Israel followed them in imitation. Thus, they gave preference to the word of others over the word of their Prophet. (Jabbārīn)—"Jabbār" refers to someone who forcibly compels others to follow his will. It implies coercion involving unwillingness. Alternatively, it may derive from "jabr", meaning to reform or restore, but it is used for someone who draws benefit toward themselves, whether rightfully or wrongfully. According to Zajjāj, when used for people, "jabbār" refers to a tyrant or rebellious person. (Wa Innā Lan Nadkhulahā)—first, they stated the reason (the presence of giants), and this is the resulting decision: they would not enter. This shows that they did not explicitly deny the command to fight but used an excuse to avoid it.
[23] (Rajulāni)—These two men are known as Yūshaʿ and Kālib. (Yakhāfūn)—They were from the group who feared the giants, or they were those who feared disobeying the command of Allah. (Anʿama Allāhu ʿAlayhimā)—This means they were distinguished from the others by a special favor from Allah, which was divine enablement, patience, and certainty. Some have said it refers to prophethood that was granted to them after Moses (peace be upon him). (Al-Bāb)—Refers to the gate of the city, meaning the city had a single gate, and by entering through it, a sense of awe and fear would fall upon the inhabitants. (Wa ʿAlā Allāhi Fatawakkalū)—This expresses the key to attaining victory: faith along with exclusive reliance upon Allah.
[24] This passage highlights the wickedness of the Children of Israel, where, through denial, they dishonored Allah and Moses (peace be upon him). Here, they abandoned the advice of the two righteous men and instead followed the majority. (Fa Idhhab Anta wa Rabbuka)—"Then go, you and your Lord"—this statement reflects their boldness and disrespect toward Allah, or it reflects the beliefs of those who liken Allah to His creation (according to Qurtubi). Because of this statement, they became disbelievers. Imam Bukhari and Imam Muslim both narrate the hadith of Miqdād ibn ʿAmr (may Allah be pleased with him), in which the Prophet (May Allah bless him and give him peace), on the day of Badr, encouraged fighting in the path of Allah. Miqdād said, "We will not say to you what the Children of Israel said to Moses (peace be upon him): ‘Go, you and your Lord, and fight; we are sitting here.’ Rather, we say: Go wherever you wish, we are with you.”
[25] This is the supplication of hardship by Moses (peace be upon him) against his people, and it reflects the harmful consequence of abandoning obligatory jihad. (Lā Amliku Illā Nafsī)—(Question:) A person does not have full ownership over even their own self, as they cannot sell themselves or take their own life—so what does this mean? (Answer:) It refers only to external control or authority. (Wa Akhī)—(Question:) A person also cannot have control over their brother—so what is meant here? (Answer:) It refers to the authority of mutual obedience and unity in purpose. (Fafruq)—The intended meaning is separation in the Hereafter.