2/246-248 — The people who asked for a king
"Have you not seen the chiefs of the Children of Israel after Moses? They said to their prophet, 'Send us a king and we will fight in God's way.'"
The story proceeds in three stages, and at each stage the distance between word and deed is measured:
| Stage | What was said | What happened |
|---|---|---|
| 246 | "We will fight, give us a king" | Tawallaw illā qalīlan minhum — they turned away, except a few of them |
| 247 | "How can he be king over us, we are worthier" | The measure is objected to |
| 249 | "Today we have no strength" | The army is sifted |
أَنَّىٰ يَكُونُ لَهُ ٱلْمُلْكُ عَلَيْنَا وَنَحْنُ أَحَقُّ بِٱلْمُلْكِ مِنْهُ وَلَمْ يُؤْتَ سَعَةً مِّنَ ٱلْمَالِ — the ground of the objection is stated plainly: "he has not been given ampleness of wealth."
And the answer changes the measure: وَزَادَهُۥ بَسْطَةً فِى ٱلْعِلْمِ وَٱلْجِسْمِ — "He has given him ampleness in knowledge and in body."
The order is worth recording: knowledge first, then body. The objection had spoken of wealth; in the answer wealth is not named at all. The measure is changed, the dispute is not continued.
وَٱللَّهُ يُؤْتِى مُلْكَهُۥ مَن يَشَآءُ — and the ground of the choice is taken out of the measure of those objecting.