Surah Al Imran ayat 78 Tafsir Quran 3:78

﴿وَإِنَّ مِنْهُمْ لَفَرِيقًا يَلْوُونَ أَلْسِنَتَهُم بِالْكِتَابِ لِتَحْسَبُوهُ مِنَ الْكِتَابِ وَمَا هُوَ مِنَ الْكِتَابِ وَيَقُولُونَ هُوَ مِنْ عِندِ اللَّهِ وَمَا هُوَ مِنْ عِندِ اللَّهِ وَيَقُولُونَ عَلَى اللَّهِ الْكَذِبَ وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ﴾
[ آل عمران: 78]

3:78 And indeed, there is among them a party who alter the Scripture with their tongues so you may think it is from the Scripture, but it is not from the Scripture. And they say, "This is from Allah," but it is not from Allah. And they speak untruth about Allah while they know.

And there is a group a party of them the People of the Scripture like Ka‘b b. al-Ashraf who twist their tongues with the Book altering it by reciting it not according to the way in which it was revealed but according to the way in which they have distorted it as in the case of the descriptions of the Prophet s and other similar matters; so that you may suppose it such distortion as part of the Book that God revealed; yet it is not part of the Book; and they say ‘It is from God’ yet it is not from God and they speak falsehood against God while they know that they are liars.

Among Ahl al-Kitab are some who seem to recite divine revelations documented in the Quran in jest to distort the words from common use. They expect to imprint on your minds that these are verses of the Quran, while in fact they are not. They relate them to Allah when in fact they are not Allah’s words and they relate to Allah falsehood and they admit it into their minds

The Jews Alter Allah's Words Allah states that some Jews, may Allah's curses descend on them, distort Allah's Words with their tongues, change them from their appropriate places, and alter their intended meanings.
They do this to deceive the ignorant people by making it appear that their words are in the Book of Allah.
They attribute their own lies to Allah, even though they know that they have lied and invented falsehood.
Therefore, Allah said, وَيَقُولُونَ عَلَى اللَّهِ الْكَذِبَ وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ ( and they speak a lie against Allah while they know it. ) Mujahid, Ash-Sha`bi, Al-Hasan, Qatadah and Ar-Rabi` bin Anas said that, يَلْوُونَ أَلْسِنَتَهُم بِالْكِتَـبِ ( who distort the Book with their tongues, ) means, "They alter them ( Allah's Words )." Al-Bukhari reported that Ibn `Abbas said that the Ayah means they alter and add although none among Allah's creation can remove the Words of Allah from His Books, they alter and distort their apparent meanings.
Wahb bin Munabbih said, "The Tawrah and the Injil remain as Allah revealed them, and no letter in them was removed.
However, the people misguide others by addition and false interpretation, relying on books that they wrote themselves.
Then, وَيَقُولُونَ هُوَ مِنْ عِندِ اللَّهِ وَمَا هُوَ مِنْ عِندِ اللَّهِ ( they say: "This is from Allah," but it is not from Allah; ) As for Allah's Books, they are still preserved and cannot be changed." Ibn Abi Hatim recorded this statement.
However, if Wahb meant the books that are currently in the hands of the People of the Book, then we should state that there is no doubt that they altered, distorted, added to and deleted from them.
For instance, the Arabic versions of these books contain tremendous error, many additions and deletions and enormous misinterpretation.
Those who rendered these translations have incorrect comprehension in most, rather, all of these translations.
If Wahb meant the Books of Allah that He has with Him, then indeed, these Books are preserved and were never changed.

(3:78) And there is a party among them who twist their tongues while reciting the Book to make you think that it is part of the Book when in fact it is not. *66 They say: 'It is from Allah', when in fact it is not from Allah. They falsely fix a lie upon Allah, and do so wittingly.

And indeed, there is among them a meaning

*66).
This could mean that they either distort the meaning of the Scriptures or twist the words of the text in order to misinterpret it.
Its real meaning, however, seems to be that when, during their reading of the Scriptures, they encounter any word or sentence which goes against their interests, and the beliefs and notions which they cherish, they distort the meaning of it by deliberately twisting their tongues.
Instances of such tongue-twisting are not altogether wanting among those who, despite their belief in the Qur'an, share some of these people's characteristics.
For instance, some people who stress the superhuman character of the Prophet ( peace be on him ) misread the following verse: innama ana basharun mithlukum ( Qur'an 18: 110 ) ( I am nothing but a human being like you ), replacing innama by inna ma ana and translate it: '( O Prophet ), say to them: " I am not a human being like you. "
 

The Jews Alter Allah's Words Allah states that some Jews, may Allah's curses descend on them, distort Allah's Words with their tongues, change them from their appropriate places, and alter their intended meanings.
They do this to deceive the ignorant people by making it appear that their words are in the Book of Allah.
They attribute their own lies to Allah, even though they know that they have lied and invented falsehood.
Therefore, Allah said, وَيَقُولُونَ عَلَى اللَّهِ الْكَذِبَ وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ ( and they speak a lie against Allah while they know it. ) Mujahid, Ash-Sha`bi, Al-Hasan, Qatadah and Ar-Rabi` bin Anas said that, يَلْوُونَ أَلْسِنَتَهُم بِالْكِتَـبِ ( who distort the Book with their tongues, ) means, "They alter them ( Allah's Words )." Al-Bukhari reported that Ibn `Abbas said that the Ayah means they alter and add although none among Allah's creation can remove the Words of Allah from His Books, they alter and distort their apparent meanings.
Wahb bin Munabbih said, "The Tawrah and the Injil remain as Allah revealed them, and no letter in them was removed.
However, the people misguide others by addition and false interpretation, relying on books that they wrote themselves.
Then, وَيَقُولُونَ هُوَ مِنْ عِندِ اللَّهِ وَمَا هُوَ مِنْ عِندِ اللَّهِ ( they say: "This is from Allah," but it is not from Allah; ) As for Allah's Books, they are still preserved and cannot be changed." Ibn Abi Hatim recorded this statement.
However, if Wahb meant the books that are currently in the hands of the People of the Book, then we should state that there is no doubt that they altered, distorted, added to and deleted from them.
For instance, the Arabic versions of these books contain tremendous error, many additions and deletions and enormous misinterpretation.
Those who rendered these translations have incorrect comprehension in most, rather, all of these translations.
If Wahb meant the Books of Allah that He has with Him, then indeed, these Books are preserved and were never changed.

( And Lo! there is ) of the Jews ( a party of them ) Ka’b and his fellow men ( who distort the Scripture with their tongues ) by reading the traits of the anti-Christ in their Scripture, ( that ye may think ) that the lowly may think ( that what they say is from the Scripture, when it is not from the Scripture. And they say: It is from Allah ) in the Torah, ( when it is not from Allah ) in the Torah; ( and they speak a lie concerning Allah knowingly ) fully aware that this is not in their Scripture.

And verily, among them is a party who distort the Book with their tongues (as they read), so that you may think it is from the Book, but it is not from the Book, and they say: "This is from Allah," but it is not from Allah; and they speak a lie against Allah while they know it.

Page 60 English transliteration