According to Taberî, different narrations have been transmitted concerning the cutting of women's hands; some explain it as them actually cutting and dropping their hands, some as menstruation (the state of womanhood), and some as scratching wounds from distraction. The exegete notes that the most correct way is to submit to the precise wording of what Allah has informed us of, and that the cutting operation could be either complete cutting or scratching/light wounding. Furthermore, it has been transmitted that the word 'muttaka' means prepared food, drinks, and cushions to recline upon in the gathering, and the phrase 'hasha lillah' means 'ma'azallah' (may Allah protect us).

والصواب من القول في ذلك أن يقال: إن الله أخبر عنهن أنهن قطعن أيديهن، وهن لا يشعرن لإعظام يوسف، وجائز أن يكون ذلك كان قطعا بإبانة، وجائز أن يكون كان قطع حز وخدش، ولا قول في ذلك أصوب من التسليم لظاهر التنزيل

According to Zemahşerî, the women cutting their hands with knives results from them becoming bewildered and distracted upon seeing Yusuf's beauty, and unknowingly placing and cutting the hands that held the knives upon the hands they were leaning on. Furthermore, for the word 'muttaka', numerous different narrations and linguistic explanations such as a banquet gathering, a reclining cushion, food to be cut (citrus fruits, bananas, watermelons, etc.) have been listed. Yusuf's beauty has been compared to the moon on a full moon night, and hadiths and narrations related to this have been transmitted.

لأن المتكىء إذا بهت لشيء وقعت يده على يده ، ولا يبعد أن تقصد الجمع بين المكر به وبهن ، فتضع الخناجر في أيديهن ليقطعن أيديهن ، فتبكتهن بالحجة

According to this exegete, Yusuf's comparison to an angel is not from the perspective of appearance/beauty, but from the perspective of conduct (sīrah); for an angel is only an angel through his approved demeanor, not merely through appearance. Although the women's saying 'akbarnahu' (made him great) is connected by the majority to his unparalleled beauty, Râzî, on the contrary, suggests as a possibility on his part that the women might have seen in Yusuf the light of prophethood, the state of angelhood, namely the state of not paying attention to eating, drinking, and desire.

الأولى أن يكون التشبيه واقعا في السيرة لا في الصورة لأنه قال فشبهه بالملك الكريم والملك إنما يكون كريما بسيرته المرضية لا بمجرد صورته

According to Kurtubî, in this verse Zuleikha, in response to the women's gossip about Yusuf and their slandering him, invited them to a banquet to ensnare them. She adorned her house, placed knives and citrus fruits (utrujj) before them, and suddenly presented Yusuf before them, informing that the women cut their hands in bewilderment. The women's saying 'akbarnahu' has been interpreted in different ways such as exalting/counting him, expressing amazement, or being terrified to the point of menstruation; different readings of the word 'hasha' and its linguistic usage have also been separately addressed.

فقال مجاهد عن بن عباس : إن امرأة العزيز قالت لزوجها إني أريد أن أتخذ طعاما فأدعو هؤلاء النسوة فقال لها : افعلي فاتخذت طعاما ثم نجدت لهن البيوت

According to Ibn Kesîr, this verse narrates a gathering where Zuleikha invited the women through deception and placed before them citrus fruits to be cut with knives; when the women saw Yusuf, they cut their hands from amazement and terror, thinking they were actually cutting citrus fruit. According to this exegete, behind the event lies a detailed narration transmitted by Zeyd b. Eslem and hadiths informing of the extraordinary beauty given to Yusuf (half or a third of all beauty).

وجعلن يقطعن أيديهن دهشا برؤيته وهن يظنن أنهن يقطعن الأترج بالسكاكين والمراد أنهن حززن أيديهن بها قاله غير واحد

According to Beydâvî, the behavior of the women characterized as 'kayd' (deceit/stratagem) is related to Zuleikha's desire to show Yusuf to them or the women spreading her secret despite her concealing it. Furthermore, the arrangement of the gathering (muttaka, knives, the invitation of forty women) is explained both as a trap for Yusuf and as a scene leading to the women cutting their hands in bewilderment. The women's saying 'akbarnahu' upon seeing Yusuf expresses their amazement at his beauty or, according to some views, may carry a metaphorical meaning (menstruation); the phrase 'hasha lillah' is for glorifying Allah and freeing Him from deficiency and to indicate that Yusuf possessed a beauty so exalted that he could not be merely human.

سماه مكرا لأنهن أخفينه كما يخفي الماكر مكره، أو قلن ذلك لتريهن يوسف أو لأنها استكتمتهن سرها فأفشينه عليها.