وَقَضَيْنَآ إِلَىٰ بَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ فِى ٱلْكِتَٰبِ لَتُفْسِدُنَّ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ مَرَّتَيْنِ وَلَتَعْلُنَّ عُلُوًّا كَبِيرًا
Commentary:
This verse shows that it was foretold in the Book of Moses that the Israelites would disobey and defy Divine commandments twice and twice would they be visited with punishment. The word الکتاب (the Book) here means, the Book of Moses—the Bible.
The dreadful fate that befell the Israelites on account of their repeated defiance of the commandments of God was mentioned in the Quran to serve as a timely warning for Muslims, but they did not profit by it and followed in the footsteps of the Jews and were punished as the Israelites were punished before them. This slavish imitation of Jews by Muslims was foretold by the Holy Prophet in the well-known tradition viz. لتتبعن من کان قبلکم i.e. Surely, you will follow the ways of those before you (Bukhari, Kitabul-I‘tisam bil-Kitab was Sunnah). The Quran refers to the two transgressions of the Israelites in the words: Those amongst the children of Israel who disbelieved were cursed by the tongue of David and of Jesus, son of Mary (5:79).
The two transgressions of the Israelites mentioned in the Book of Moses (Deut. 28:15. 49-53, 63, 64 & 30: 15) are referred to in this verse. Those amongst the Children of Israel who disbelieved were cursed twice by David and Jesus, son of Mary (5:79) and consequently were punished twice.