"So when the promise of the first of them came," meaning: the first of the two punishments, "We sent against you servants of Ours of great military might, and they entered the innermost parts of the homes." Qatada said: The people were punished for their haughtiness and corruption, so He sent against them in the first instance Goliath the Khazarian, who took captives, killed, and they entered the innermost parts of the homes.
﴿فَإِذا جَاءَ وعد أولاهما﴾ يَعْنِي: أُولَى الْعُقُوبَتَيْنِ ﴿بَعَثْنَا عَلَيْكُمْ عِبَادًا لَنَا أُولِي بَأْسٍ شَدِيدٍ فجاسوا خلال الديار﴾ قَالَ قَتَادَةُ: عُوقِبَ الْقَوْمُ عَلَى عُلُوِّهِمِ وَفَسَادِهِمْ، فَبَعَثَ عَلَيْهِمْ فِي الْأُولَى جَالُوتَ الْخَزَرِيَّ، فَسَبَى وَقَتَلَ وَجَاسُوا خِلَالَ الدِّيَارِ.
