Regarding His saying: "And when Moses said to his young man," and he is Joshua son of Nun, "I will not cease," meaning: I will not stop, "until I reach the junction of the two seas," meaning: where they met. Qatada said: He means the sea of Persia and the sea of Rome. "Or I will continue for a long age (huquba)." The 'huqb' is seventy years, and it is also said: eighty.
﴿وَإِذ قَالَ مُوسَى لفتاه﴾ وَهُوَ يُوْشَعُ بْنُ نُونٍ ﴿لَا أَبْرَح﴾ أَيْ: لَا أَزُولُ ﴿حَتَّى أَبْلُغَ مجمع الْبَحْرين﴾ يَعْنِي: حَيْثُ الْتَقَيَا. قَالَ قَتَادَةُ: يَعْنِي: بَحْرَ فَارِسَ وَالرُّومِ ﴿أَوْ أمضي حقبا﴾ الْحِقْبُ: سَبْعُونَ سَنَةً، وَقِيلَ: ثَمَانُونَ.
