Compare with this passage Art. XLIX. (Sura XXI., v. 105), where a quotation is made from these same Psalms.

"Wherefore do thou enquire; i.e. oh, Mahomet!"— فأسأل يا محمد —Jelalooddeen. Mahomet is in this passage desired by God to refer to the Children of Israel for attestation of the narrative of the nine miracles shown by Moses to Pharaoh. Such attestation would of course be derived from their Scriptures; —which are therefore in effect here referred to as evidence of the truth of this verse.

"Those unto whom the knowledge of Divine Revelation hath been given anterior to it; i.e. the learned who read the preceding Scriptures, and recognize the reality of (Mahomet's) inspiration, and the signs of prophecy,"— الذين أوتوا العلم من قبله وهو العلماء الذين قرأوا الكتاب السابقة وعرفوا حقيقة الوحي واماراة النبوة Baidhâwi. "And these were believers from amongst the people of the Book"; وهم مومنوا أهل الكتاب Jelalooddeen.

Mahomet is here directed by God to tell the unbelieving Meccans "that they might believe or not as they pleased;—those who were better able to judge, because they had the previous Divine Revelations in their hands,—they believed in the Corân, and rejoiced in its tidings as a confirmation of their own Scriptures."

This accords with the notices in previous passages (see Arts. VII., XIII., &c.) regarding the recognition of the Corân and the doctrines of Islâm, by certain of the people of the Book, from their correspondence with the contents of their Scriptures.