Then He said: [Listeners to falsehood, devourers of the illicit] (5:42), meaning: [the Jews], and the "suht" (illicit gain) refers to bribes.
[So if they come to you, judge between them] (5:42), to the end of the verse. Qatadah said: He was permitted in this verse to judge between them or to turn away from them, then that was abrogated afterwards. He then said: [And We have revealed to you the Book with truth, confirming that which is before it of the Scripture and as a witness over it. So judge between them by what Allah has revealed and do not follow their desires] (5:48). Thus, this verse abrogated the first verse.
Muhammad (Ibn Abi Zamanin) said: The meaning of His saying: [Listeners to falsehood], i.e., speakers of it. And the meaning of [from after its places], i.e., from after Allah had placed it in its proper position; for they permitted its lawful (halal) and forbade its prohibited (haram).
ثُمَّ قَالَ: ﴿سَمَّاعُونَ لِلْكَذِبِ أَكَّالُونَ للسحت﴾ يَعْنِي: [الْيَهُودَ] وَالسُّحْتُ الرُّشَا.
﴿فَإِنْ جاءوك فاحكم بَينهم﴾ الْآيَةَ. قَالَ قَتَادَةُ: رُخِّصَ لَهُ فِي هَذِهِ الْآيَةِ أَنْ يَحْكُمَ بَيْنَهُمْ، أَوْ يُعْرِضَ عَنْهُمْ، ثُمَّ نُسِخَ ذَلِكَ بَعْدُ؛ فَقَالَ: ﴿وَأَنْزَلْنَا إِلَيْك الْكتب بِالْحَقِّ مُصَدِّقًا لِمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ من الْكتب وَمُهَيْمِنًا عَلَيْهِ فَاحْكُمْ بَيْنَهُمْ بِمَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ وَلا تَتَّبِعْ أَهْوَاءَهُمْ﴾ فَنَسَخَتْ هَذِهِ الْآيَةُ الْآيَةَ الْأُولَى.
قَالَ مُحَمَّدٌ: مَعْنَى قَوْلِهِ: ﴿سَمَّاعُونَ للكذب﴾ أَيْ: قَائِلُونَ لَهُ، وَمَعْنَى ﴿مِنْ بعد موَاضعه﴾ مِنْ بَعْدِ أَنْ وَضَعَهُ اللَّهُ مَوْضِعَهُ؛ فَأَحَلَّ حَلَالَهُ، وَحَرَّمَ حَرَامَهُ.
