Surah Al A'raf Tafseer

The Children of Israel safely cross the Sea, but still held on to the Idea of Idol Worshipping

Allah tells;

وَجَاوَزْنَا بِبَنِي إِسْرَايِيلَ الْبَحْرَ

And We brought the Children of Israel (with safety) across the sea,

Allah mentions the words that the ignorant ones among the Children of Israel uttered to Musa after they crossed the sea and witnessed Allah's Ayat and great power.

فَأَتَوْاْ عَلَى قَوْمٍ يَعْكُفُونَ عَلَى أَصْنَامٍ لَّهُمْ

And they came upon a people devoted to some of their idols (in worship).

Some scholars of Tafsir said that the people mentioned here were from Canaan, or from the tribe of Lakhm.

Ibn Jarir commented,

"They were worshipping idols that they made in the shape of cows, and this influenced the Children of Israel later when they worshipped the calf."

They said here,

قَالُواْ يَا مُوسَى اجْعَل لَّنَا إِلَـهًا كَمَا لَهُمْ الِهَةٌ

They said:"O Musa! Make for us a god as they have gods."

قَالَ إِنَّكُمْ قَوْمٌ تَجْهَلُونَ

He said:"Verily, you are an ignorant people."

Musa replied, you are ignorant of Allah's greatness and majesty and His purity from any partners or anything resembling Him