Allah tells us, 'before these idolators, We tested the people of Fir'awn, the copts of Egypt.'

means, Musa, peace be upon him, the one to whom Allah spoke.

{Deliver to me the servants of Allah.} This is like the Ayah,

{So let the Children of Israel go with us, and torment them not; indeed, we have come with a sign from your Lord! And peace will be upon him who follows the guidance!"} (20:47)

means, 'what I convey to you is trustworthy.'

{And exalt not yourselves against Allah.} means, 'and do not be too arrogant to follow His signs. Accept His proof and believe in His evidence.' This is like the Ayah:

{Verily, those who scorn My worship they will surely enter Hell in humiliation!} (40:60)

means, with clear and obvious proof. This refers to the clear signs and definitive evidence with which Allah sent him.

Ibn 'Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, and Abu Salih said, "This refers to a verbal assault, which means insults." Qatadah said, "Meaning 'stoning' in the literal sense, so that the meaning is: 'I seek refuge with Allah, Who created me and you, from your making any harmful words or actions reach me.'"

means, 'let us leave one another alone and live in peace until Allah judges between us.' When Musa stayed among them for a long time, and the proof of Allah was established against them, this only increased them in their disbelief and stubborn resistance. So Musa prayed to his Lord against them, a prayer which was answered.
Allah says:

{And Musa said: "Our Lord! You have indeed bestowed on Fir'awn and his chiefs splendor and wealth in the life of this world, our Lord! That they may lead men astray from Your path. Our Lord! Destroy their wealth, and harden their hearts, so that they will not believe until they see the painful torment." Allah said: "Verily, the invocation of you both is accepted. So you both keep to the straight way."} (10:88-89)

And Allah says here:

Thereupon Allah commanded him to leave Egypt with the Children of Israel, without the knowledge of Fir'awn or his people. Allah said:

This is like the Ayah:

{And indeed We revealed to Musa (saying): "Travel by night with My servants and strike a dry path for them in the sea, fearing neither to be overtaken nor being afraid (of drowning in the sea)."} (20:77)

When Musa and the Children of Israel has crossed the sea, Musa wanted to strike it with his staff so that it would go back as it had been, and it would form a barrier between then and Fir'awn and prevent him from reaching them. But Allah commanded him to leave it as it was, quiet and divided, and gave him the glad tidings that they were a host to be drowned, and that he should not fear either being overtaken by Fir'awn or drowning in the sea. Ibn 'Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said:

means, leave it as it is and keep moving. Mujahid said:

{as it is} means, a dry path, as it is. 'Do not command it to go back; leave it until the last of them have entered it.' This was also the view of 'Ikrimah, Ar-Rabi' bin Anas, Ad-Dahhak, Qatadah, Ibn Zayd, Ka'b Al-Ahbar, Simak bin Harb and others.

this refers to rivers and wells.

{and goodly places,} means, fine dwellings and beautiful places. Mujahid and Said bin Jubayr said:

{and goodly places,} means elevated places.

means, a life which they were enjoying, where they could eat whatever they wanted and wear what they liked, with wealth and glory and power in the land. Then all of that was taken away in a single morning, they departed from this world and went to Hell, what a terrible abode!

namely the Children of Israel.

means, they had no righteous deeds which used to ascend through the gates of the heavens, which would weep for them when they died, and they had no places on earth where they used to worship Allah which would notice their loss. So they did not deserve to be given a respite, because of their disbelief, sin, transgression and stubbornness.

Ibn Jarir recorded that Said bin Jubayr said, "A man came to Ibn 'Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, and said to him: 'O Abu Al-'Abbas, Allah says,

- do the heavens and the earth weep for anybody?' He, may Allah be pleased with him, said, 'Yes, there is no one who does not have a gate in the heavens through which his provision comes down and his good deeds ascend. When the believer dies, that gate is closed; it misses him and weeps for him, and the place of prayer on earth where he used to pray and remember Allah also weeps for him. But the people of Fir'awn left no trace of righteousness on the earth and they had no good deeds that ascended to Allah, so the heavens and the earth did not weep for them.'" Al-'Awfi reported something similar from Ibn 'Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him.

Here Allah reminds them of how He saved them from their humiliation and subjugation at the hands of Fir'awn, when they were forced to do menial tasks.

{From Fir'awn; verily, he was arrogant} means, he was proud and stubborn. This is like the Ayah:

{Verily, Fir'awn exalted himself in the land} (28:4).

{but they behaved insolently and they were people self-exalting} (23:46).

He was one of the excessive and held a foolish opinion of himself.

Mujahid said, "This means that they were chosen above those among whom they lived." Qatadah said, "They were chosen above the other people of their own time, and it was said that in every period there are people who are chosen above others."
This is like the Ayah:

(7:144),

which means, above the people of his time. This is also like the Ayah.

{(Allah has) chosen you (Maryam) above the women of the nations (Al-'Alamin).} (3:42),

i.e., Maryam was chosen above the women of her time. For Khadijah, may Allah be pleased with her, is higher than her in status or is equal to her, as was Asiyah bint Muzahim, the wife of Fir'awn. And the superiority of 'A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, over all other women is like the superiority of Tharid over all other dishes.

{And granted them signs} means clear proofs and extraordinary evidence.

{in which there was a plain trial.} means, an obvious test to show who would be guided by it.