Muhammad said: The meaning is: it was introduced into their hearts; Ibn Abbas said the same. From the speech of the Arabs is the expression 'ishrab minni ma aqul' (imbue/receive what I say from me); meaning: accept it and hold it in your mind.
Yahya said: Al-Hasan said: Not all of them repented. It was said: Those who did not repent are the ones in whose hearts the love of the calf remained; they are the ones of whom Allah said: 'Indeed, those who took the calf [for worship] will obtain anger from their Lord and humiliation in the life of this world,' [up to] the end of the verse. 'Say, "How wretched is that which your faith enjoins upon you, if you should be believers,"' meaning: if faith were truly in your hearts, it would have restrained you from worshiping the calf. Then He returned to them regarding their statement: 'None will enter Paradise except one who is a Jew or a Christian,' and their statement: 'The Fire will never touch us, except for a few numbered days,' and similar claims. So He said: 'Say, "If the home of the Hereafter with Allah is for you exclusively and not the [other] people, then wish for death, if you should be truthful,"' that you are among the people of Paradise.
قَالَ مُحَمَّد: الْمَعْنى: أُدْخِلَ فِي قُلُوبهم؛ كَذَلِك قَالَ ابْن عَبَّاس. وَمن كَلَام الْعَرَب اشرب عني مَا أَقُول؛ أَي: اقبله وَعِهِ.
قَالَ يَحْيَى: قَالَ الحَسَن: لَيْسَ كلهم تَابَ. وَقيل: فَالَّذِينَ لم يتوبوا هم الَّذين بَقِي حب الْعجل فِي قُلُوبهم؛ وهم الَّذين قَالَ اللَّه: ﴿إِنَّ الَّذِينَ اتَّخَذُوا الْعِجْلَ سَيَنَالُهُمْ غَضَبٌ مِنْ رَبِّهِمْ وَذِلَّةٌ فِي الحيوة الدُّنْيَا﴾ الْآيَة. ﴿قل بئس مَا يَأْمُرُكُمْ بِهِ إِيمَانُكُمْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُؤمنين﴾ أَي: لَو كَانَ الإِيمَان فِي قُلُوبكُمْ، لحجزكم عَنْ عبَادَة الْعجل. ثمَّ رَجَعَ إِلَيْهِم لقَولهم: ﴿لَنْ يَدْخُلَ الْجَنَّةَ إِلا مَنْ كَانَ هوداً أَو نصرى﴾ ولقولهم: ﴿لَنْ تَمَسَّنَا النَّارُ إِلا أَيَّامًا مَعْدُودَة﴾ وَأَشْبَاه ذَلِكَ فَقَالَ: ﴿قُلْ إِنْ كَانَتْ لَكُمُ الدَّارُ الآخِرَةُ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ خَالِصَةً مِنْ دُونِ النَّاسِ فَتَمَنَّوُا الْمَوْتَ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ صَادِقِينَ﴾ أَنكُمْ من أهل الْجنَّة