According to Taberî, in this verse the reason for the Jews' rejection of the verses revealed to Prophet Muhammad is jealousy and envy, and their opposition to Allah giving prophethood and wisdom to someone from the Arabs rather than from their own lineage. Due to this rejection, they have sold themselves to something evil; that is, by choosing disbelief instead of faith and the reward of the hereafter, they have made a bad transaction for themselves. For these deniers there is a humiliating (muhin) punishment in the hereafter, which is a punishment that keeps its sufferer in disgrace eternally, leaving no possibility for them to attain dignity and honor.

وهذه الآية وما أخبر الله فيها عن حسد اليهود محمدا صلى الله عليه وسلم وقومه من العرب، من أجل أن الله جعل النبوة والحكمة فيهم دون اليهود من بني إسرائيل، حتى دعاهم ذلك إلى الكفر به مع علمهم بصدقه، وأنه نبي لله مبعوث ورسول مرسل

According to this exegete, the text indicates that these verses which are not followed and acted upon remove the dignity and pride of those who do not follow them and do not act upon them. That is, the stubborn arrogance and claim of dignity shown against the verses are rendered futile by the effect of these verses.

الذي لا يتبعونها ولا يعملون عليها بهذه الآيات يذهب بعزهم وكبرهم

According to this text, the term 'shira' (buying/selling oneself) can have two meanings: first, the person's preference for disbelief is likened to exchanging one possession for another; second, the responsible person performs deeds thinking they will save him from punishment, as if he has bought himself. Râzî finds the second view more sound in his opinion and states that the Jews believed that what they did would save them from punishment, and therefore Allah condemned them. Furthermore, he explains that the reason for their choosing this disbelief is 'baghya' (envy/insolence), and that they became jealous upon the emergence of prophethood expected from an Arab.

الوجه الثاني : وهو الأصح عندي أن المكلف إذا كان يخاف على نفسه من عقاب الله يأتي بأعمال يظن أنها تخلصه من العقاب فكأنه قد اشترى نفسه بتلك الأعمال ، فهؤلاء اليهود لما اعتقدوا فيما أتوا به أنها تخلصهم من العقاب ، وتوصلهم إلى الثواب فقد ظنوا أنهم اشتروا أنفسهم بها

According to Ibn Kesîr, the Jews, while they should have disclosed the truth that Prophet Muhammad brought, instead concealed it and bought falsehood; this preference manifested itself as choosing disbelief instead of confirming what Allah had revealed, helping it, and supporting it. The main cause driving them to this attitude is baghya (envy), jealousy, and the pride that is its source. As a result, they were met with disgrace and humiliation in this world and the hereafter.

وإنما حملهم على ذلك البغي والحسد والكراهية ولا حسد أعظم من هذا

According to Beydâwî, this verse condemns the Jews' disbelief in what Allah revealed because they were jealous of Allah giving revelation and prophethood to whomever He willed (Prophet Muhammad). This denial stems from an unjust request (demanding something that does not belong to them) and from envy, which is why with the phrase 'ba'u bi ghadabin ala ghadab' it is indicated that they incurred double wrath both because of disbelief and because of the envy felt toward the most virtuous of creatures. The humiliating punishment prescribed for the disbelievers, unlike the punishment of sinners, aims to make them disgraced.

بغيا طلبا لما ليس لهم وحسدا، وهو علة أن يكفروا دون اشتروا للفصل

Kurtubî analyzes the linguistic interpretation of the phrase 'bissa ma shtarau bihi anfusahum' in the verse; he states that prophethood is exclusive to whomever Allah wills, and that this is a refutation of the Arabs' saying 'if only this Qur'an had been revealed to a great man from one of the two cities.' He also explains the Jews' incurring wrath twice: the first being their worship of the calf, the second being their rejection of Prophet Muhammad.

وهذا رد لقولهم : لولا نزل هذا القرآن على رجل من القريتين عظيم