According to this source, Joseph's brothers convinced their father Jacob that they feared a wolf would eat Joseph, while they themselves were a strong group of eleven (asabe), and thus persuaded him to let them take Joseph to the countryside. Then when they went out to the field, it is reported that the brothers showed enmity toward Joseph, beat him, stripped off his shirt, and attempted to lower him into a well; it is narrated that Judah prevented him from being killed and brought him food.

قال إخوة يوسف لوالدهم يعقوب: لئن أكل يوسف الذئب في الصحراء، ونحن أحد عشر رجلا معه نحفظه، وهم العصبة؛ يقول: إنا إذا لعجزة هالكون

According to Zemahşerî, in the expression 'قالوا لئن أكله الذئب' there is an oath clause that has been omitted (mahzuf); its assumed form is 'والله'. The lâm here is the lâm that prepares this oath (muvattıe). The response clause in the verse serves as both the answer to the oath and the apodosis of the conditional clause.

القسم محذوف تقديره : والله واللام موطئة للقسم . وقوله : جواب للقسم مجزىء عن جزاء الشرط

In this section, Râzî examines two linguistic elements in the verse (the lâm and vâv letters) through the question-and-answer method. He notes that the lâm letter comes to strengthen the necessity between the condition and the apodosis, and furthermore, following Zemahşerî, that this could be an omitted oath particle (kasem). He explains that the word 'Hâsirûn' means destruction and ruin due to weakness and incapacity.

أن كلمة إن تفيد كون الشرط مستلزما للجزاء ، أي إن وقعت هذه الواقعة فنحن خاسرون ، فهذه اللام دخلت لتأكيد هذا الاستلزام

According to Kurtubî, the brothers' statement 'we are a community' shows that although they could not even keep the wolf away from their sheep, they would be unable to protect their brother from it, and thus they confess their own incapacity. Regarding the expression 'İnne lehâsirûn', interpretations are transmitted meaning not only 'those who cause harm' but also 'those ignorant of his right' and 'those who are incapable'.

أي إذا كنا لا نقدر على دفع الذئب عن أخينا فنحن أعجز أن ندفعه عن أغنامنا وقيل : لخاسرون لجاهلون بحقه وقيل : لعاجزون

Ibn Kesîr states that Joseph's brothers took him from his father with his permission and after persistent requests; they assured their father regarding the possibility that the wolf might eat Joseph. In this situation, although they were together as a group, they said that if the wolf were to eat him, they would be considered incapable and deserving of destruction.

فلما ذهب به إخوته من عند أبيه بعد مراجعتهم له في ذلك

According to Beydâvî, Jacob's sorrow stems from his inability to bear Joseph's separation and his impatience toward him; his fear of the wolf is based on the region being a wolf's den. Furthermore, according to one narration, Jacob saw in his dream a wolf attacking Joseph, and therefore warned him against this danger. The expression 'and we are a community' in the brothers' response is a circumstantial clause, expressing that if the wolf were to eat Joseph, they would be considered weak and harmed.

وأخاف أن يأكله الذئب لأن الأرض كانت مذأبة. وقيل رأى في المنام أن الذئب قد شد على يوسف وكان يحذره عليه