Taberî states that the angels' statement 'they will cause corruption on earth and shed blood' should not be understood as a general ruling that encompasses all of Adam's progeny, but rather as a characteristic specific to some of Adam's descendants (the khalifah). He also conveys that there is disagreement among exegetes regarding the 'names taught to Adam'; some say it concerns only the names of his progeny and the angels, while others say it encompasses the names of all things such as animals and vessels. Taberî prefers the view that appears most consistent with the literal wording of the Quranic recitation and closest to correctness: that Allah taught Adam the names of all things.

وأولى هذه الأقوال بالصواب وأشبهها بما دل على صحته ظاهر التلاوة قول من قال في قوله

According to Zemahşerî, the agent mentioned in the verse is either the angels (angels of death or punishment), with 'yidribun' being their predicate, or there is a pronoun referring to Allah in the verb 'yatawaffá', with the angels as the grammatical subject in nominative case and 'yidribun' as the predicate. Citing Mujahid, it is stated that the word 'adbáruhum' refers to their backs (the places to be covered), but since Allah is merciful, it is expressed euphemistically; the face and back are specifically mentioned because striking these places causes the most severe humiliation and punishment. The expression 'zúkú' (taste) is connected to 'yidribun' by an implied statement; that is, the angels say to them: 'Taste—the reward that was promised to you at the gates of Paradise has now arrived.'

وعن مجاهد : وأدبارهم : استاههم ، ولكن الله كريم يكنى ، وإنما خصوهما بالضرب . لأن الخزي والنكال في ضربهما أشده

In this text, Râzî conveys that the angels' admission of not knowing the names demonstrates that obligation is only directed at beings (humans) who possess both universal and particular cognition. He also relates the view that angels perceive the universal but cannot perceive particulars (the pleasures Adam experienced), whereas animals perceive only particulars and are devoid of the universal; humans, perceiving both, are therefore addressed with genuine obligation. At the end of the text, alluding to the matter of the 'trust' in the verse, it is noted that Adam accepted and became secure with the trust, while those coming after him must renew the covenant and trust anew.

وقال بعضهم في تفسير الآية إن المخلوق على قسمين مدرك وغير مدرك ، والمدرك منه من يدرك الكلي والجزئي مثل الآدمي ، ومنه من يدرك الجزئي كالبهائم ثم تدرك الشعير الذي تأكله ولا تتفكر في عواقب الأمور ولا تنظر في الدلائل والبراهين ، ومنه من يدرك الكلي ولا يدرك الجزئي كالملك يدرك الكليات ولا يدرك لذة الجماع والأكل

According to Kurtubî, the names that Allah taught Adam mentioned in this verse encompass a broad and comprehensive knowledge including the names of all things. Citing Ibn Abbas, Ikrimah, Qatadah, Mujahid, and Ibn Jubayr, it is conveyed that these names include the names of every small and great thing. Furthermore, discussions are also related regarding whether the teaching occurred through a kind of inspiration or through Gabriel's mediation, and whether what was presented to the angels were the names themselves or the named entities. It is also noted that Sufi scholars interpreted this teaching as knowledge and protection bestowed by the Truth upon Adam.

وأختلف أهل التأويل في معنى الأسماء التي علمها لآدم عليه السلام فقال أبن عباس وعكرمة وقتادة ومجاهد وأبن جبير : علمه أسماء جميع الأشياء كلها جليلها وحقيرها

Ibn Kesîr lists different views among the predecessors regarding the nature of the 'names' taught by Allah to Adam: names of animals, all conceptual names by which people communicate with one another, names ranging from vessels to scratches, the names of every living creature and object, the names of angels, the names of stars, or the names of his progeny, as such reports are transmitted. He relates Ibn Jarir's preference for the names of angels and progeny, but does not consider this preference's reasoning (the use of an expression specific to possessors of intellect) as binding, noting that this expression could encompass non-rational beings through the method of prevalence (taghlib).

واختار ابن جرير أنه علمه أسماء الملائكة وأسماء الذرية لأنه قال وهذا عبارة عما يعقل وهذا الذي رجح به ليس بلازم فإنه لا ينفي أن يدخل معهم غيرهم ويعبر عن الجميع بصيغة من يعقل للتغليب

According to Beydâwî, Allah's teaching of the names to Adam occurred either through directly creating necessary knowledge or by casting it into his heart; this requires no prior linguistic convention (istilah). What was taught to Adam is comprehensive knowledge such as the essences of things, their characteristics, their names, the principles of sciences, and the laws of crafts. What was presented to the angels is not the names themselves, but the named entities to which those names refer; the request directed at the angels to 'state the names' carries the purpose of exposing their incapacity in the matter of the khalifate.

والمعنى أنه تعالى خلقه من أجزاء مختلفة وقوى متباينة، مستعدا لإدراك أنواع المدركات من المعقولات والمحسوسات، والمتخيلات والموهومات. وألهمه معرفة ذوات الأشياء وخواصها وأسمائها وأصول العلوم وقوانين الصناعات وكيفية آلاتها.