According to Taberî, the book mentioned in this verse is the Qur'an revealed to Prophet Muhammad, and it came as a confirmation of the Torah and Gospel that were with them. Before the Prophet was sent, the Jews used to seek victory (istiftah) against the Arab polytheists with it, meaning they asked Allah to send them this prophet. However, when the prophet was sent from among the Arabs (as someone not from their own lineage), although they recognized him and knew what was written about him in the Torah, they did not believe in him and rejected him due to the jealousy they felt toward the Arabs.

كانت اليهود تستفتح بمحمد صلى الله عليه وسلم على كفار العرب من قبل، وقالوا: اللهم ابعث هذا النبي الذي نجده في التوراة يعذبهم ويقتلهم. فلما بعث الله محمدا صلى الله عليه وسلم فرأوا أنه بعث من غيرهم كفروا به حسدا للعرب، وهم يعلمون أنه رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يجدونه مكتوبا عندهم في التوراة

According to Zemahşerî, the disbelievers, despite their superiority in eloquence, became helpless before the Qur'an and denied it immediately upon hearing it without any thought or hesitation; they did not follow the path that intelligent and prudent people follow when they hear a report—to think it over, consider it carefully, and investigate its truthfulness. Additionally, the exegete notes that the expression 'alaysa' (is it not) does not carry the meaning of interrogation but rather of confirmation (tahrir), and that the hamza of denial enters into negation, turning it to this meaning. He mentions two aspects (wajh) regarding this: either it is a repetition that the disbelievers will remain in Hell, or it is that Hell was already known to the disbelievers as a stopping place, and yet they still dared to commit this transgression.

وحقيقته : أن الهمزة همزة الإنكار دخلت على النفي ، فرجع إلى معنى التقرير ، فهما وجهان ، أحدهما : ألا يثوون في جهنم ، وألا يستوجبون الثواء فيها

This text fragment contains different views on multiple verses and topics together; in the story of Moses and Shuayb, it is stated that Moses' reluctance to eat stems from fear that it would be counted as a wage for his work. Furthermore, five different interpretations are transmitted regarding the expressions 'awwal kafirin bihi' and 'lamma jaahum' in Surat al-Baqarah, and it is said that the preferred one is the first of these. The condemnation of the Jews for rejecting the Prophet despite recognizing him is also separately discussed.

وإنما كره أكل الطعام خشية أن يكون ذلك أجرة له على عمله ، ولم يكره ذلك مع الخضر

According to Kurtubî, the 'book' in the verse refers to the Torah and Gospel, the book that was previously with them and was characterized by it; with this book they used to seek from Allah 'yestafzihun' (ask for help/victory) against those who did not believe. According to a narration transmitted from Ibn Abbas, when the Jews of Khaybar were defeated in their war against Ghatafan, they gained victory with a supplication in which they asked Allah for help regarding the right to the unlettered prophet who would be sent in the future; however, when the Prophet (peace be upon him) was sent, they denied this promise and this verse was revealed concerning them.

قال بن عباس : كانت يهود خيبر تقاتل غطفان فلما التقوا هزمت يهود فعادت يهود بهذا الدعاء وقالوا : إنا نسأ يعني اليهود ( كتاب ) يعني القرآن أي بك يا محمد

According to Ibn Kesîr, this verse describes how the Jews previously sought and waited for victory against the polytheist Arabs through a prophet who was announced in the Torah they possessed and whom they knew would come in the end times. However, when this prophet (Prophet Muhammad) was sent from among the Arabs, they did not believe in him and rejected him with jealousy because he was not from among them. This view is based on an incident that occurred between the Ansar and their Jewish neighbors, and on narrations transmitted from sources such as Ibn Abbas and Abu al-Aliyah.

أن يهود كانوا يستفتحون على الأوس والخزرج برسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قبل مبعثه فلما بعثه الله من العرب كفروا به وجحدوا ماكانوا يقولون فيه

According to Beydâvî, the Jews were waiting for the end-times prophet announced in their books, and indeed they were even asking for help against the polytheists in his name and awaiting him; however, when this reality came to them, they rejected him due to their envy and their fear regarding their position of leadership. The expression 'kuffar' (disbelievers) at the end of the verse appears as a definite noun, because it was intended to show that the reason for the curse is disbelief itself; this also makes the Jews primarily included in this general ruling.

فلما جاءهم ما عرفوا من الحق. كفروا به حسدا وخوفا على الرياسة. فلعنة الله على الكافرين أي عليهم، وأتى بالمظهر للدلالة على أنهم لعنوا لكفرهم