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 Musa, may peace be upon him, there are indeed oppressors in that people, and surely we will never enter it, until they come out of it, then if they come out of it, then surely we will enter
﴾23﴿ They said that two men from among them, who were afraid, had been rewarded by Allah, enter to them at the gate, and when you enter, then surely you are victorious, and put your trust in Allah, the Most High, if you are believers
﴾24﴿ They said, O Musa, peace be upon him: Surely we will never enter this land, ever, as long as they are there, So go, you and your Lord, so fight, both of you, we are the ones who sit here
﴾25﴿ Musa (peace be upon him) said: O my Lord, I have no authority except over myself and my brother, so decide between us and the disobedient 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.