"Indeed, those are but a small band"—meaning: they are a small group among many.
Muhammad said: The meaning of "shirdhma" (a small band) is: a faction, and the root of the word denotes fewness.
Qatadah said: It was mentioned to us that the Children of Israel with whom Moses crossed the sea were six hundred thousand fighting men.
Al-Hasan said: Excluding the baggage attendants. And the vanguard of Pharaoh consisted of one million and two hundred thousand horses.
﴿إِن هَؤُلَاءِ لشرذمة قَلِيلُونَ﴾ أَيْ: هُمْ قَلِيلٌ فِي كَثِيرٍ.
قَالَ مُحَمَّد: معنى ﴿شرذمة﴾: طَائِفَةٌ، وَأَصْلُ الْكَلِمَةِ: الْقِلَّةُ.
قَالَ قَتَادَةُ: ذُكِرَ لَنَا أَنَّ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ الَّذِينَ قَطَعَ مُوسَى بِهِمُ الْبَحْر كَانُوا سِتّمائَة أَلْفَ مُقَاتِلٍ.
قَالَ الْحَسَنُ: سِوَى الْحَشَمِ. وَكَانَ مُقَدِّمَةُ فِرْعَوْنَ أَلْفَ أَلْفِ حِصَانٍ، وَمِائَتَيْ أَلْفِ حِصَانٍ
