إِذْ تَسْتَغِيثُونَ رَبَّكُمْ فَٱسْتَجَابَ لَكُمْ أَنِّى مُمِدُّكُم بِأَلْفٍ مِّنَ ٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةِ مُرْدِفِينَ
3:124.
Important Words:
تستغیثون (you implored the assistance) is derived from غاث. They say غاثه, or اغاثه i.e. he helped, assisted or succoured him; He (God) removed from him trouble or affliction. غوث or غواث means, a cry for aid or succour. غیاث means, aid or succour; deliverance from difficulty or distress. استغاثه means, he sought or desired aid or succour of him; or he called for his aid or succour or assistance (Lane & Aqrab).
مردفین (following one another) is derived from اردف which is derived from ردف. They say اردفه i.e. he rode behind him on the same beast; or it followed or came after him or it. اردف signifies the same as ردف. They say اردفه امر i.e. an event happened to him afterwards; or an event came upon him suddenly and unexpectedly so as to overwhelm him. اردف الشیء بشیء means, he made the thing follow another thing. ردیف means, one who rides behind another on the same beast; a star which is rising when its opposite star is setting or vice versa. ردف means, sequence or consequence of a thing or event; followers or assistants or auxiliaries; night and day following each other; the star that follows another star. So مردفین means, following one another (Lane & Aqrab).
Commentary:
For the advent of angels, see 3:125-127 and 6:159. Also see 2:31.