According to this exegete, Jacob's words 'I only complain of my sorrow and my grief to Allah' express that he complained about his difficulty not to people but only to Allah; the word 'bess' means 'to reveal one's pain/sorrow' and is also explained as intense grief. Furthermore, it is narrated that Jacob's sorrow for his son lasted eighty years, he lost his eyesight, yet his good opinion of Allah was never damaged, and due to this patience he received a reward equivalent to the merit of one hundred martyrs.

وقيل: إن البث أشد الحزن، وهو عندي من بث الحديث، وإنما يراد منه: إنما أشكو خبري الذي أنا فيه من الهم، وأبث حديثي وحزني إلى الله

According to Zemahşerî, Jacob's words 'I only complain' express that he presented his difficulty not to people but only to Allah, turning to Him and beseeching Him. In this context, the word 'al-bess' refers to the most intense sorrow that a person spreads to people because they cannot bear it; Jacob, however, stated that he complained of this not to people but to his Lord. The text also transmits certain narrations regarding this situation (the words of his neighbor, the coming revelation, the news of the bearer of good tidings) and explains that seeking healing through patience and seeking refuge in Allah does not contradict this, clarifying it also with the example of Job.

ومعنى إني لا أشكو إلى أحد منكم ومن غيركم ، إنما أشكو إلى ربي داعيا له وملتجئا إليه ، فخلوني وشكايتي .

According to this exegete, Jacob's sorrow and complaint do not contradict the fact that patience against Allah's decree and predestination is obligatory; because Jacob presented his complaint not to people but only to Allah, which shows that his patience was not damaged. Furthermore, since Jacob's sorrow and weeping are not voluntary acts, these states do not fall within the scope of responsibility and therefore are not counted as disobedience. The reproaches made by Allah mentioned in the narrations are not in the manner of return, but are explained by the principle of 'the good deeds of the righteous being counted as the evil deeds of those brought near to Allah.'

وأيضا فاستيلاء الحزن على الإنسان ليس باختياره ، فلا يكون ذلك داخلا تحت التكليف وأما التأوه وإرسال البكاء فقد يصير بحيث لا يقدر على دفعه ، وأما ما ورد في الروايات التي ذكرتم فالمعاتبة فيها إنما كانت لأجل أن حسنات الأبرار سيئات المقربين

According to Kurtubî, the real meaning of the word 'bess' in language refers to destructive things that befall a person and whose concealment is impossible; the word comes from the root 'bassasahu' (he scattered/spread it) and calamity is metaphorically called 'bess.' Ibn Abbas interpreted this word as 'my grief,' while Hasan interpreted it as 'my need'; according to one view it means 'the most intense sorrow.' According to the text, the word 'sorrow' is also a connecting element that repeats the same meaning in different wording.

حقيقة البث في اللغة ما يرد على الإنسان من الأشياء المهلكة التي لا يتهيأ له أن يخفيها وهو من بثثته أي فرقته فسميت المصيبة بثا مجازا

Ibn Kesîr states that the response in this verse is an answer given in response to what his addressees said; he expresses that a person's response is his own pain and the state in which he finds himself.

أي أجابهم عما قالوا بقوله أي همي وما أنا فيه

According to Beydâvî, Jacob's words 'I know from Allah what you do not know' express knowledge about Joseph being alive; this knowledge is explained in two narrations as being learned from the angel of death in a dream or deduced from Joseph's dream. His calling out to his sons commands them to make inquiries about Joseph and his brother and not to despair of Allah's mercy. The text states that losing hope in Allah is only the characteristic of disbelievers, and a true believer and one who knows Allah will never lose hope in His mercy under any circumstances.

قيل رأى ملك الموت في المنام فسأله عنه فقال هو حي. وقيل علم من رؤيا يوسف أنه لا يموت حتى يخر له إخوته سجدا.