"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.