According to Taberî, Ya'kub's expression 'ya asfâ' (O my grief/sorrow) is explained as 'ya huzunah' (O my sorrow); he also states that the word 'asaf' expresses the most intense form of grief and regret. The word 'kaẓîm' means someone who is filled with sorrow but does not express it outwardly, keeping it inside; although this word's origin is in the form of 'maf'ûl', it is used in the pattern 'fa'îl'. Additionally, citing Sa'îd b. Jubayr, he notes that no nation before this community was given 'istirjâ' (an expression of returning to God in the face of calamity), and Ya'kub's words serve as evidence for this.

يعني تعالى ذكره بقوله: وأعرض عنهم يعقوب، يعني: يا حزنا عليه، يقال: إن الأسف هو أشد الحزن والتندم، يقال منه: أسفت على كذا آسف عليه أسفا

According to Zemahşerî, Ya'kub's eyes turning white is the result of excessive weeping, whereby the darkening of the pupil becomes blurred and turns white; according to some, his eyes became completely blind, while according to others, weak vision remained. This sorrow stems from weeping caused by longing for Yusuf, and Ya'kub's eyes did not dry from the separation of Yusuf until their reunion after eighty years. The exegete further explains the permissibility of a prophet experiencing such grief by stating it is in human nature to be unable to control oneself in the face of calamity, and this differs from the blameworthy wailing (crying out, lamentation, tearing clothes, etc.).

إذا كثر الاستعبار محقت العبرة سواد العين وقلبته إلى بياض كدر . قيل : قد عمي بصره . وقيل : كان يدرك إدراكا ضعيفا

According to this exegete, Prophet Ya'kub did not express his sorrow in words, did not voice wailing and complaint, but buried his sorrow within himself; the word 'kâẓim' means a person who does not reveal their sorrow but keeps it inside. Regarding the matter of his eyes turning white, he reports two views: the first is that tears accumulating in the eye due to overwhelming weeping cause the eye to turn white, and the second is direct blindness; the exegete prefers the first view because the effect of sorrow is seen in increased weeping, not in blindness.

فيجوز أن يكون بمعنى الكاظم وهو الممسك على حزنه فلا يظهره قال ابن قتيبة : ويجوز أن يكون بمعنى المكظوم ، ومعناه المملوء من الحزن مع سد طريق نفسه

According to Kurtubî, the expression 'tawallâ 'anhum' (he turned away from them) describes Ya'kub turning his face away from them; when news of Binyamin came, Yusuf's calamity was renewed and his sorrow reached its peak. His eyes turning white was due to weeping, and the cause of this was sorrow; the word 'kaẓîm' also expresses a person who does not reveal their sorrow outwardly but keeps it inside, someone full of grief. Furthermore, three views from scholars are reported regarding the reason for Ya'kub's intense sorrow; the most correct one is that sorrow itself is not forbidden, but only wailing, tearing clothes, and speaking inappropriate words are forbidden.

وإنما ابيضت عيناه من البكاء ولكن سبب البكاء الحزن فلهذا قال : من الحزن وقيل : إن يعقوب كان يصلي ويوسف نائما معترضا بين يديه فغط في نومه فالتفت يعقوب إليه ثم غط ثانية فالتفت إليه ثم غط ثالثة فالتفت إليه سرورا به وبغطيطه

According to Beydâwî, when Ya'kub heard the story told by his sons, he said 'bil sawwalat lakum anfusukum amran' (rather your souls have made this seem enticing to you), meaning the brothers set up and facilitated this matter by their own will, otherwise how could they know that the king's law is to enslave the thief with his own property. Subsequently, Ya'kub's feeling of loss regarding Yusuf is more intense than what he felt toward his brothers, because Yusuf's calamity became the foundation of the previous disasters and penetrated his heart more deeply; furthermore, his father had less confidence that he was not dead. The expression of his eyes turning white is also explained as a sign of sorrow resulting from excessive weeping, and this condition is cited as evidence for the permissibility of weeping and regret at the time of misfortune.

وإنما تأسف على يوسف دون أخويه والحادث رزؤهما لأن رزأه كان قاعدة المصيبات وكان غضا آخذا بمجامع قلبه، ولأنه كان واثقا بحياتهما دون حياته