˹They were condemned˺ for breaking their covenant, rejecting Allah’s signs, killing the prophets unjustly, and for saying, “Our hearts are unreceptive!”44—it is Allah Who has sealed their hearts for their disbelief, so they do not believe except for a few—
(They have incurred divine 659 displeasure): In that they broke their covenant; that they rejected the signs of Allah. that they slew the Messengers in defiance 660 of right; that they said, "Our hearts are the wrappings 661 (which preserve Allah.s Word; We need no more)";- No, Allah have set the seal on their hearts for their blasphemy, and little is it they believe;-
659 In verses 155, 156, 157, 160 (latter half), and 161 with parenthetical clauses including those in verses 158-159, and 160 (first half), there is a catalogue of the iniquities of which the Jews were guilty, and for these iniquities we must understand some such words as: "They are under divine displeasure." Each clause of the indictment I have indicated by prefixing the word "that."
660 Cf. 3:21 , and nn. 363 and 364.
661 Cf. 2:88, and n. 92, where the full meaning is explained. Note the crescendo (heightening effect) in the argument. Their iniquities were: (1) that they broke their Covenant; (2) that they rejected Allah's guidance as conveyed in His signs; (3) that they killed Allah's Messengers and incurred a double guilt, viz., that of murder and that of a deliberate defiance of Allah's law; and (4) that they imagined themselves arrogantly self-sufficient, which means a blasphemous closing of their hearts forever against the admission of Allah's grace. Then begins another series of iniquities from a different point of view. (1) that they rejected Faith; (2) that they made false charges against a saintly woman like Mary, who was chosen by Allah to be the mother of Jesus; (3) that they boasted of having killed Jesus when they were victims of their own self-hallucination; (4) that they hindered people from Allah's way; and (5) that by means of usury and fraud they oppressed their fellow-men.
And so, [We punished them 168 ] for the breaking of their pledge, and their refusal to acknowledge God's messages, and their slaying of prophets against all right, and their boast, "Our hearts are already full of knowledge"- nay, but God has sealed their hearts in result of their denial of the truth, and [now] they believe in but few things - ; 169
168 The statement relating to their punishment - clearly implied here - is made explicit in verse.
169 See 2:88 and the corresponding notes.
44 Their hearts are unreceptive because they claim they have enough knowledge already.