Surah Araf ayat 116 Tafsir Quran 7:116

﴿قَالَ أَلْقُوا ۖ فَلَمَّا أَلْقَوْا سَحَرُوا أَعْيُنَ النَّاسِ وَاسْتَرْهَبُوهُمْ وَجَاءُوا بِسِحْرٍ عَظِيمٍ﴾
[ الأعراف: 116]

7:116 He said, "Throw," and when they threw, they bewitched the eyes of the people and struck terror into them, and they presented a great [feat of] magic.

He said ‘Cast!’ this is a command permitting them to cast first as a means to manifesting the truth. And when they cast their ropes and staffs they put a spell upon the people’s eyes misleading them from perceiving the real state of these ropes and staffs and overawed them scared them by making them appear to be slithering snakes and produced a mighty sorcery.

You cast yours first, said Mussa, and when they did, they fascinated and bewitched the viewers eyes to the extent that they actuated them with the feeling of terror when they manifested forth their glorious performance

إِمَّآ أَن تُلْقِىَ وَإِمَّآ أَن نَّكُونَ نَحْنُ الْمُلْقِينَ ( Either you throw (first ), or shall we have the ( first ) throw) before you.
In another Ayah, they said, وَإِمَّآ أَن نَّكُونَ أَوَّلَ مَنْ أَلْقَى ( Or we be the first to throw ) 20:65.
Musa said to them, you throw first.
It was said that the wisdom behind asking them to throw first, is that - Allah knows best - the people might witness the magicians' sorcery first.
When the magicians had cast their spell and captured the eyes, the clear and unequivocal truth came, at a time when they all anticipated and waited for it to come, thus making the truth even more impressive to their hearts.
This is what happened.
Allah said, فَلَمَّآ أَلْقُوْاْ سَحَرُواْ أَعْيُنَ النَّاسِ وَاسْتَرْهَبُوهُمْ ( So when they threw, they bewitched the eyes of the people, and struck terror into them, ) meaning, they deceived the eyes and made them think that thet trick was real, when it was only an illusion, just as Allah said, فَأَوْجَسَ فِى نَفْسِهِ خِيفَةً مُّوسَى - قُلْنَا لاَ تَخَفْ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ الاٌّعْلَى - وَأَلْقِ مَا فِى يَمِينِكَ تَلْقَفْ مَا صَنَعُواْ إِنَّمَا صَنَعُواْ كَيْدُ سَاحِرٍ وَلاَ يُفْلِحُ السَّـحِرُ حَيْثُ أَتَى ( So Musa conceived fear in himself.
We (Allah ) said: "Fear not! Surely, you will have the upper hand.
And throw that which is in your right hand! It will swallow up that which they have made.
That which they have made is only a magician's trick, and the magician will never be successful, to whatever amount ( of skill ) he may attain") 20:67-69.
Ibn `Abbas commented that the magicians threw, "Thick ropes and long sticks, and they appeared to be crawling, an illusion that they created with their magic."

إِمَّآ أَن تُلْقِىَ وَإِمَّآ أَن نَّكُونَ نَحْنُ الْمُلْقِينَ ( Either you throw (first ), or shall we have the ( first ) throw) before you.
In another Ayah, they said, وَإِمَّآ أَن نَّكُونَ أَوَّلَ مَنْ أَلْقَى ( Or we be the first to throw ) 20:65.
Musa said to them, you throw first.
It was said that the wisdom behind asking them to throw first, is that - Allah knows best - the people might witness the magicians' sorcery first.
When the magicians had cast their spell and captured the eyes, the clear and unequivocal truth came, at a time when they all anticipated and waited for it to come, thus making the truth even more impressive to their hearts.
This is what happened.
Allah said, فَلَمَّآ أَلْقُوْاْ سَحَرُواْ أَعْيُنَ النَّاسِ وَاسْتَرْهَبُوهُمْ ( So when they threw, they bewitched the eyes of the people, and struck terror into them, ) meaning, they deceived the eyes and made them think that thet trick was real, when it was only an illusion, just as Allah said, فَأَوْجَسَ فِى نَفْسِهِ خِيفَةً مُّوسَى - قُلْنَا لاَ تَخَفْ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ الاٌّعْلَى - وَأَلْقِ مَا فِى يَمِينِكَ تَلْقَفْ مَا صَنَعُواْ إِنَّمَا صَنَعُواْ كَيْدُ سَاحِرٍ وَلاَ يُفْلِحُ السَّـحِرُ حَيْثُ أَتَى ( So Musa conceived fear in himself.
We (Allah ) said: "Fear not! Surely, you will have the upper hand.
And throw that which is in your right hand! It will swallow up that which they have made.
That which they have made is only a magician's trick, and the magician will never be successful, to whatever amount ( of skill ) he may attain") 20:67-69.
Ibn `Abbas commented that the magicians threw, "Thick ropes and long sticks, and they appeared to be crawling, an illusion that they created with their magic."

( He ) Moses ( said: Throw ) first whatever you are going to throw! ( And when they threw ) 70 staffs and 70 ropes ( they cast a spell upon the people’s eyes, and overawed them ) scared them, ( and produced a mighty spell ) it is also said that this means: a clear lie.

He [Musa (Moses)] said: "Throw you (first)." So when they threw, they bewitched the eyes of the people, and struck terror into them, and they displayed a great magic.

Page 164 English transliteration