According to Taberî, Yusuf's brothers admitted that Allah had made Yusuf superior to them in knowledge, forbearance, and virtue, and they accepted that their behavior toward him (such as separating him from his father and brother) was a mistake. This admission occurred after Yusuf revealed himself to them.

وما كنا في فعلنا الذي فعلنا بك في تفريقنا بينك وبين أبيك وأخيك، وغير ذلك من صنيعنا الذي صنعنا بك، إلا خاطئين: يعنون مخطئين

According to this text, Yusuf's brothers admitted that Allah had granted Yusuf superiority through piety, patience, and righteousness, while they acknowledged themselves as people who deliberately committed errors and were distant from piety and patience. As a result of this admission, it is stated that Allah honored Yusuf with kingship and cast them into a state of humiliation before him.

وإن شأننا وحالنا أنا كنا خاطئين متعمدين للإثم ، لم نتق ولم نصبر ، لا جرم أن الله أعزك بالملك وأذلنا بالتمسكن بين يديك

This text addresses Yusuf's brothers' statement 'Allah has made you superior to us' and indicates that this superiority was in terms of knowledge, forbearance, intellect, virtue, beauty, and kingship; it also reports that some exegetes took this verse as evidence that the brothers were not prophets, because they would not have spoken thus if they shared the rank of prophethood. The text further notes that the word 'hâtîn' refers to someone who deliberately commits error, and according to most exegetes, what the brothers were apologizing for was throwing Yusuf into the well, selling him, and separating him from their father. The view of Abû Ali al-Jubbâ'î that this incident occurred before puberty and therefore would not be considered sinful, and that the apology actually stems from their failure to explain this to their father, is rejected as being weak from various perspectives.

وقال أبو علي الجبائي : إنهم لم يعتذروا إليه من ذلك ، لأن ذلك وقع منهم قبل البلوغ فلا يكون ذنبا فلا يعتذر منه ، وإنما اعتذروا من حيث إنهم أخطؤا بعد ذلك بأن لم يظهروا لأبيهم ما فعلوه

Kurtubî first addresses this expression from a lexicographical and morphological perspective; he explains that the word âthârak originally consisted of two hamzas, the second of which was lightened, and he clarifies the derivation of the verb. In terms of meaning, he states that the brothers made the following admission to Yusuf: they accepted that Allah had made him superior to them and chosen him with knowledge, forbearance, judgment, intellect, and kingship. Furthermore, when explaining the word 'hâtîin', he notes that sin committed deliberately is also in a sense considered a deviation from truth (error), and he reports that Ibn Abbas clarified this matter.

والمعنى : لقد فضلك الله علينا واختارك بالعلم والحلم والحكم والعقل والملك أي مذنبين من خطىء يخطأ إذا أتى الخطيئة وفي ضمن هذا سؤال العفو وقيل لابن عباس : كيف قالوا وإن كنا لخاطئين وقد تعمدوا لذلك قال : وإن تعمدوا لذلك فما تعمدوا حتى أخطئوا الحق

According to Beydâvî, the brothers' question 'Are you truly Yusuf?' was not for the sake of mockery but rather a rhetorical question for the purpose of affirmation; they recognized Yusuf from his face, his character, the appearance of his teeth, or from a sign that appeared when a crown on his head was removed. When Yusuf identified himself, he also mentioned his brother, thereby honoring him, and expressed the blessing and honor that Allah had bestowed upon them. Furthermore, the substitution of 'muhsinîn' for a pronoun indicates that the true doer of good is one who combines piety with patience.

استفهام تقرير ولذلك حقق بأن ودخول اللام عليه. وقرأ ابن كثير على الإيجاب. قيل عرفوه بروائه وشمائله حين كلمهم به، وقيل تبسم فعرفوه بثناياه.