It is perceived from the phrase: ‘ and a party among them indeed.

It is perceived from the phrase: ‘ and a party among them indeed...", that not all of them but a party, who probably formed the majority of them, were of those who perverted Allah's Words. It is cited in 'Asbab-un-Nuzul ' that when some of the Jews returned from Mount Sinai, they told their people: "We heard that Allah ordered Moses,' whenever you can do My instructions do them, but when you cannot, leave them ", and this was the first perversion.

However, at the advent of the Prophet of Islam (S), it was expected that the Jews would accept this religion before others embraced it, because they were the followers of the Book, whereas the pagans were not. Besides that, they had learnt the epithets of the Prophet of Islam (S) from their own books. But the Holy Qur'an says that, considering their previous bad reputation, your hope is of no avail.

The reason is that some deviated characteristics which dominated the spirits of this group caused them to separate from truth, though it was well within the realm of their ability to embrace it. The next verse uncovers another bitter fact about this deceitful hypocritical group.

It says: "And when they meet those who have Faith, they say: 'We believe'..." “...but when they are alone with one another, they say: 'Do you speak to them of what Allah has revealed to you….'" “...that they may thereby dispute with you about this before your Lord ? Have you then no sense?

' " In commenting on this very verse, this probability also exists that the initial words of the verse are about the hypocritical Jews who pretended to be believers in the presence of the Muslims but in their absence they denied it. They even scorned those pure-hearted Jews who had conveyed the secrets of the Turah to the Muslims.

At any rate, this is a confirmation to what was said in the previous verse that a group with such attributes governing their spirits should not be expected to become faithful. The phrase: / fatahallahu 'alaykum / ' what Allah has revealed to you' may mean: ‘the Divine command which was in the authority of the Children of Israel’. Or, the phrase may refer to the idea that Allah had opened the doors of the divine secrets and the prophecies about the coming religion unto them.