According to Zemahşerî, when Jacob's caravan departed from Egypt and crossed its walls, he said to his sons and people around him that he smelled the scent of Joseph; this scent was created when Allah made him smell the shirt from a distance of eight days' journey. The word 'tafnîd' carries the meaning of senility and weakness of intellect resulting from old age, and this attribute applies only to men ('shaykh mufannad') and is not applied to women, because a woman does not possess judgment in her youth and therefore is not accused of 'tafnîd' in her old age. The meaning of the verse is thus 'if you had not denied me (had not shown tafnîd), you would have believed me.'

والتفنيد : النسبة إلى الفند ، وهو الخرف وإنكار العقل من هرم . يقال : شيخ مفند ، ولا يقال عجوز مفندة ؛ لأنها لم تكن في شبيبتها ذات رأي فتفند في كبرها

Within this context, Râzî notes in the linguistic analysis of the verse that the verb 'faslet' is actually transitive and its object is elided due to exaggeration, and that Jacob's smelling of the caravan's scent from a distant distance can be explained by the strengthening of the senses (such as smell, taste, touch). Similar examples are cited as extraordinary sensory enhancements such as the Prophet's understanding of poisoned meat and Ibrahim's not being burned in the fire. Furthermore, it is related that Jacob's statement was directed not to his sons but to those who were not present, and it is connected with internal powers such as the strength of memory.

قال صاحب ( الكشاف ) قوله : فصل عن موضع كذا أصله فصل نفسه ، ثم لأجل الكثرة في الاستعمال حذفوا المفعول حتى صار في حكم غير المتعدي كما يقال انفصل

According to Kurtubî, when the caravan set out from Egypt toward Syria, Jacob said to those near him (who did not go to Egypt) that he smelled the scent of Joseph. Regarding how the scent of Joseph's shirt reached him despite the distance between them, different reports have been transmitted such as eight days, ten days, or one month, and this situation has even been compared to how Solomon's throne was brought to him. Furthermore, it is reported that the word 'tufannidûn' has meanings close to each other such as 'foolishness, denial, defamation, considering one's intellect weak, accusing of old age, finding faulty,' and that different philologists interpreted this word in different ways.

قال بن عباس : هاجت ريح فحملت ريح قميص يوسف إليه وبينهما مسيرة ثمان ليال وقال الحسن : مسيرة عشر ليال وعنه أيضا مسيرة شهر

According to Ibn Kesîr, this verse addresses the situation where Jacob, upon the salutations be upon him, said to his sons beside him when the caravan departed from Egypt that he smelled the scent of Joseph from a distance of eight days' journey, and his sons accused him of mental weakness due to senility and old age. The text also transmits that the distance between Jacob and Joseph was eighty farsakh and that eighty years had passed since their separation.

قال خرجت العير هاجت ريح فجاءت يعقوب بريح قميص يوسف فقال قال فوجد ريحه من مسيرة ثمانية أيام وكذا رواه سفيان الثوري وشعبة وغيرهما عن أبي سنان به

Beydâvî notes in this verse that Jacob said when the caravan departed from Egypt that he smelled the scent of Joseph; he transmits that this scent was created by Allah, originating from the scent that had seeped into Joseph's shirt, and was perceived from eighty farsakh away. Furthermore, he explains the word 'tufannidûn' as attribution to weakness of intellect (fend) resulting from old age; he notes that the response to 'lawlâ' is elided, and its estimated meaning is 'you would have confirmed me' or 'I would have said it was near.' He also interprets the expression 'dhalâlka al-qadîm' (your old error), which is the sons' response, as his past deviation from the right path due to excessive love for Joseph, greatly missing him, and waiting for reunion.

لولا أن تفندون تنسبوني إلى الفند وهو نقصان عقل يحدث من هرم، ولذلك لا يقال عجوز مفندة لأن نقصان عقلها ذاتي. وجواب لولا محذوف تقديره لصدقتموني أو لقلت إنه قريب.

According to Taberî, Jacob's words 'I smell the scent of Joseph' indicate that he had not yet forgotten his ancient sorrow and heedlessness regarding Joseph. Furthermore, reports are transmitted that the wind asked permission from its Lord and the scent of Joseph's shirt reached Jacob as a bearer of glad tidings before the messenger; it is noted that the scent was perceived from a distance of eight nights (in some reports seven or eight days).

استأذنت الريح أن تأتي يعقوب بريح يوسف حين بعث بالقميص إلى أبيه قبل أن يأتيه البشير