According to Taberî, this verse informs that every kind of charity and vow made by people is within Allah's knowledge, that Allah counts all of them without missing anything, and that He will punish everyone in return. One who gives charity and makes vows for Allah's pleasure receives manifold reward; one who does so for show and uses their vow in obedience to Satan deserves punishment. The continuation of the verse states that these wrongdoers will have no helper to assist them against Allah on the Day of Judgment.

فمن كانت نفقته منكم وصدقته ونذره ابتغاء مرضاة الله وتثبيتا من نفسه، جازاه بالذي وعده من التضعيف؛ ومن كانت نفقته وصدقته رياء الناس ونذره للشيطان جازاه بالذي أوعده من العقاب وأليم العذاب

Zemahşerî puts forward two possibilities regarding the pronoun usage in the verse: either the people of Noah are specifically meant by this expression, or according to the generality of the wording, they are also included in the scope. In the case where the people of Noah are meant, Zemahşerî states that although it should have been said 'We prepared for them', the explicit noun is used instead of the pronoun in order to emphasize their wrongdoing.

إما أن يعني بهم قوم نوح ، وأصله : واعتدنا لهم ، إلا أنه قصد تظليمهم فأظهر . وإما إن يتناولهم بعمومه

In this text, Râzî discusses the Mu'tazilites' use of the verse 'the wrongdoers have neither a helper nor an intercessor' as evidence for the negation of intercession for those who commit grave sins. According to Râzî, in common usage, an 'intercessor' is not called a 'helper' (nasir), therefore the negation of the helper does not require the negation of intercession; furthermore, he states that the word 'wrongdoer' in its absolute usage refers to an unbeliever. Additionally, the scope of the threat in the verse is explained by dividing it into two categories: one who wrongs himself and one who wrongs others (directing charity away from its rightful owner or corrupting it with show).

واعلم أن العرف لا يسمي الشفيع ناصرا ، بدليل قوله تعالى : وفيه مسألتان : المسألة الأولى : المعتزلة تمسكوا به في نفي الشفاعة للفساق ، وذلك لأن الشفاعة نوع نصرة ، ونفي الجنس يقتضي نفي النوع

Kurtubî focuses on the estimation of the expression in this verse; he states that with an estimation of 'And what you spend, verily Allah knows it', the pronoun refers to the unbelievers. He also dwells on the meaning of the word 'khizyin' (disgrace), saying that this can mean 'shame/embarrassment', and that the shame believers will feel at entering Hell before the followers of other religions on the Day of Judgment is what is meant; for the unbelievers, he explains that 'khizyin' there means their destruction before death, whereas believers will die.

والخزي للكافرين هو إهلاكهم فيها من غير موت والمؤمنون يموتون فافترقوا كذا ثبت في صحيح السنة من حديث أبي سعيد الخدري أخرجه مسلم

According to Ibn Kesîr, this verse refers to the Day of Judgment; on that day there will be no savior to rescue anyone from Allah's punishment and retribution, and there will be no escape from doing whatever He wills to them. The people in this state are the unbelievers who reject Allah, His Messenger, and His Book.

أي يوم القيامة لا مجير لهم منك ولا محيد لهم عما أردت بهم وهم الكافرون بالله ورسوله وكتابه

According to Beydâvî, these verses establish a general principle regarding charity and vows: every kind of charity—whether little or much, hidden or open—and every kind of vow is within Allah's knowledge and the reward will be given accordingly. While giving alms openly is good, giving them secretly to the poor—especially in supererogatory alms—is more beneficial and serves as expiation for sins; however, in obligatory alms, giving openly is more meritorious because it protects a person from suspicion. Furthermore, he states that guiding is not the Messenger's duty but occurs only by Allah's will; charity must be done solely for Allah's pleasure without expectation of return, and its reward will be paid in full.

وهذا في التطوع ولمن لم يعرف بالمال فإن إبداء الفرض لغيره أفضل لنفي التهمة عنه. عن ابن عباس رضي الله عنهما (صدقة السر في التطوع تفضل علانيتها سبعين ضعفا، وصدقة الفريضة علانيتها أفضل من سرها بخمسة وعشرين ضعفا)