وَقَطَّعْنَاهُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ أُمَمًا مِنْهُمُ الصَّالِحُونَ وَمِنْهُمْ دُونَ ذَلِكَ وَبَلَوْنَاهُمْ بِالْحَسَنَاتِ وَالسَّيِّئَاتِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ ﴿۱۶۸﴾ فَخَلَفَ مِنْ بَعْدِهِمْ خَلْفٌ وَرِثُوا الْكِتَابَ يَأْخُذُونَ عَرَضَ هَذَا الْأَدْنَى وَيَقُولُونَ سَيُغْفَرُ لَنَا وَإِنْ يَأْتِهِمْ عَرَضٌ مِثْلُهُ يَأْخُذُوهُ أَلَمْ يُؤْخَذْ عَلَيْهِمْ مِيثَاقُ الْكِتَابِ أَنْ لَا يَقُولُوا عَلَى اللَّهِ إِلَّا الْحَقَّ وَدَرَسُوا مَا فِيهِ وَالدَّارُ الْآخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ لِلَّذِينَ يَتَّقُونَ أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُونَ ﴿۱۶۹﴾ وَالَّذِينَ يُمَسِّكُونَ بِالْكِتَابِ وَأَقَامُوا الصَّلَاةَ إِنَّا لَا نُضِيعُ أَجْرَ الْمُصْلِحِينَ ﴿۱۷۰﴾

﴾168﴿ Wa qatta'naahum fil ardi umaman min humus saalihoona wa min hum doona zaalika wa balawnaahum bil hasanaati was saiyi'aati la'allahum yarji'oon
﴾169﴿ Fakhalafa min ba'dihim khalfunw warisul Kitaaba ya'khuzoona 'arada haazal adnaa wa yaqooloona sayughfaru lanaa wa iny ya'tihim 'aradun misluhoo ya'khuzooh; alam yu'khaz 'alaihim meesaaqul Kitaabi an laa yaqooloo 'alal laahi illal haqqa wa darasoo maa feeh; wad Daarul Aakhirtu khairul lil lazeena yattaqoon; afalaa ta'qiloon
﴾170﴿ Wallazeena yumas sikoona bil Kitaabi wa aqaamus Salaata innaa laa nudeeu'ajral musliheen

﴾168﴿ And We dispersed them throughout the earth as separate communities—some of them righteous, and some otherwise. And We tested them with both prosperity and adversity, so that they might return (from disobedience).
﴾169﴿ Then there came after them a generation of successors who inherited the Book. They take the fleeting gains of this lowly life and say, “We will (still) be forgiven.” But if similar worldly gains come to them again, they will take them. Was not a solemn covenant taken from them in the Book that they would not say anything about Allah except the truth? And they have studied what is in the Book. And the Hereafter is better for those who are mindful (of Allah). Do you not then understand
﴾170﴿ And those who hold fast to the Book of Allah and establish prayer—surely We do not let the reward of those who set things right go to waste.

[168] In this verse as well, there is a worldly warning—that after committing this sin, divisions arose among them, and they were scattered across different regions of the earth so they would not remain united or become one group again. This too was a form of punishment. Additionally, they were tested through alternating blessings and hardships.
[169] From this point until the end of the third section, this part addresses one claim of the Jews, refuting it in four different ways. Afterward, there are verses that relate to all three central themes of the Surah, referred to as the seven warnings (zawājir). There is also a detailed refutation of shirk (polytheism), and finally, the etiquettes of calling to Allah (ādāb al-da‘wah ilā Allāh) are mentioned.
Here, the verse speaks about the later generations of the Jews, after describing the condition of their earlier leaders.
(خَلْفٌ) with a silent lām refers to corrupt successors. The meaning is that these later scholars and religious figures consumed unlawful wealth through religion and claimed it was permissible for them due to their elevated status.
The commentator Al-Wāsiṭī, in explaining this, even compared it to the condition of some so-called pīrs and Sufis who acted similarly.
(عَرَضٌ) with fatḥa (zabar) refers to all worldly possessions. With sukūn (jazm), it refers specifically to lesser goods—not including coins like rupees or gold.
(أَلَمْ يُؤْخَذْ) – This is the first refutation of their claim. If they were truly forgiven and permitted to act as they said, then why was this covenant taken from them in the first place?
[170] In this verse, the righteous are mentioned, and it serves as proof that whoever acts upon the Book of Allah Most High, explains it, and remains steadfast in prayer—such a person is considered a reformer (muṣliḥ).
This is the clear sign of true adherence to the Book. Such a person is indeed a doer of good, even if the opponents—those inclined to corruption—label him as evil.