This text explains the words spoken by the witness in the story of Yusuf to the woman and Yusuf; it states that the witness spoke to the woman in the sense of 'do not tell your husband this, apologize to him for this crime from you, and ask him to conceal it.' Additionally, it explains that the use of 'من الخاطئين' (the male plural form of those who err) instead of 'من الخاطئات' (the female plural) refers not to a matter specific to women, but to those who commit this act and err in general.

يقول: إنك كنت من المذنبين في مراودة يوسف عن نفسه، يقال منه: خطئ في الخطيئة يخطأ خطأ وخطئا، كما قال جل ثناؤه: إنه لم يقل: من الخاطئات، لأنه لم يقصد بذلك قصد الخبر عن النساء، وإنما قصد به الخبر عمن يفعل ذلك فيخطئ

According to Zemahşerî, the woman's statement with the expression 'كنتِ من الخاطئين' addresses a person who commits sin knowingly/intentionally; the word 'خطئ' means to commit intentional sin. The use of the masculine plural (الخاطئين) is according to the rule that men are considered superior/predominant over women. Furthermore, it is reported that the Aziz (the master) was a patient/gentle-natured man and one who was little jealous.

يقال : خطىء ، إذا أذنب متعمدا ، وإنما قال : بلفظ التذكير تغليبا للذكور على الإناث ، وما كان العزيز إلا رجلا حليما . وروي أنه كان قليل الغيرة

According to Kurtubî, the expression 'Yûsuf' is used as a vocative in the singular form (yâ Yûsuf); the phrase 'a'riḍ 'an hâzâ' is an order to him not to tell anyone about this matter and to keep it secret. Subsequently, the speech turned toward the woman and with the address 'استغفري' (ask forgiveness), she was told to seek forgiveness from her husband for her sin; the preference for the masculine form instead of 'el-hâtîâtu' (the erring woman) is because the masculine and feminine are intended together and the masculine predominates. Furthermore, according to some views, the one who spoke this sentence was Yûsuf himself, and he told the woman to seek forgiveness from her husband (that is, from the ruler); in this case, the matter concerns the ruler's lack of jealousy or Allah removing his jealousy from him, thus bestowing a favor on Yûsuf in this way.

يوسف نداء مفرد أي يا يوسف فحذف أعرض عن هذا أي لا تذكره لأحد واكتمه ثم أقبل عليها فقال : وأنت يقول : استغفري زوجك من ذنبك لا يعاقبك

According to Ibn Kesîr, in this verse, Yusuf's master (Kitfîr/the Aziz) told his wife to forget about the matter and not tell anyone about it, to cover up the issue. This stemmed from the man being gentle-natured and devoted to his wife, or from him excusing her; because he saw that the woman had become overwhelmed by an irresistible desire toward this young man. Thereupon he said to her 'seek forgiveness for your sin'; this sin is the woman's intention to harm Yusuf and then accusing him of something he was innocent of.

أي اضرب عن هذا صفحا أي فلا تذكره لأحد يقول لامرأته وقد كان لين العريكة سهلا أو أنه عذرها لأنها رأت ما لا صبر لها عنه فقال لها استغفري لذنبك

According to Beydâvî, the pronoun 'إنه' in the expression 'إنه من كيدكن' refers to the woman's previous statement (the accusation she made referring to her husband) or to the matter itself; 'كيدكن' means the woman's cunning/stratagem, and the address is directed both at that woman and at her like or to all women. The characterization of women's cunning as 'azîm' (mighty/great) stems from this cunning being more subtle, more adhering to the heart, and having a more severe effect on the soul; furthermore, it occurs through direct confrontation with men and through the devil's secret whispers. Additionally, in the address 'يوسف' the omission of the vocative particle is due to closeness and familiarity with the matter; the expression 'استغفري' is directed at the Râîl (the woman) and the word 'الخاطئين' comes from the root 'خطئ' meaning those who commit intentional sin, and is used in the masculine form through predominance (tağlîb).

من كيدكن من حيلتكن والخطاب لها ولأمثالها أو لسائر النساء. إن كيدكن عظيم فإن كيد النساء ألطف وأعلق بالقلب وأشد تأثيرا في النفس ولأنهن يواجهن به الرجال والشيطان يوسوس به مسارقة.

According to Râzî, the apparent meaning of this expression is a request for forgiveness; if this came from the husband, forgiveness means pardon and forgiveness, and in this case the one who spoke the statement is the witness. Furthermore, it is also possible that the seeking of forgiveness was from Allah, because those communities, while accepting the Creator, were worshipping idols. The fact that the husband knew from the beginning that the sin belonged to the woman is also one of the matters supporting this view.

وظاهر ذلك طلب المغفرة