"And We have already seized them with the punishment," meaning: that hunger during the seven years. "Yet they did not humble themselves to their Lord, nor did they supplicate [humbly]," meaning: they did not believe. Even though they had asked Him to remove that from them so that they would believe, as they said: "Our Lord, remove the punishment from us," and that refers to that hunger, "indeed, we are believers." So He removed it from them, yet they did not believe.
﴿وَلَقَد أَخَذْنَاهُم بِالْعَذَابِ﴾ يَعْنِي: ذَلِكَ الْجُوعِ فِي السَّبْعِ السِّنِينَ) ﴿فَمَا اسْتَكَانُوا لِرَبِّهِمْ وَمَا يَتَضَرَّعُونَ﴾ يَقُولُ: لَمْ يُؤْمِنُوا، وَقَدْ سَأَلُوا أَنْ يَرْفَعَ ذَلِكَ عَنْهُمْ فَيُؤْمِنُوا، فَقَالُوا: ﴿رَبَّنَا اكْشِفْ عَنَّا الْعَذَابَ﴾ وَهُوَ ذَلِكَ الْجُوعُ ﴿إِنَّا مُؤْمِنُونَ﴾ فكشف عَنْهُم، فَلم يُؤمنُوا
