Quran Universe
7:167

وَإِذۡ تَأَذَّنَ رَبُّكَ لَيَبۡعَثَنَّ عَلَيۡهِمۡ إِلَىٰ يَوۡمِ ٱلۡقِيَٰمَةِ مَن يَسُومُهُمۡ سُوٓءَ ٱلۡعَذَابِۗ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَسَرِيعُ ٱلۡعِقَابِ وَإِنَّهُۥ لَغَفُورٞ رَّحِيمٞ

Waith taaththana rabbuka layabAAathanna AAalayhim ila yawmi alqiyamati man yasoomuhum sooa alAAathabi inna rabbaka lasareeAAu alAAiqabi wainnahu laghafoorun raheemun

And [mention] when your Lord declared that He would surely [continue to] send upon them until the Day of Resurrection those who would afflict them with the worst torment. Indeed, your Lord is swift in penalty; but indeed, He is Forgiving and Merciful.

Word by word
  1. وَإِذۡAnd when
  2. تَأَذَّنَdeclared
  3. رَبُّكَyour Lord
  4. لَيَبۡعَثَنَّthat He would surely send
  5. عَلَيۡهِمۡupon them
  6. إِلَىٰtill
  7. يَوۡمِ(the) Day
  8. ٱلۡقِيَٰمَةِ(of) the Resurrection
  9. مَن(those) who
  10. يَسُومُهُمۡwould afflict them
  11. سُوٓءَ(with) a grievous
  12. ٱلۡعَذَابِۗ[the] punishment
  13. إِنَّIndeed
  14. رَبَّكَyour Lord
  15. لَسَرِيعُ(is) surely swift
  16. ٱلۡعِقَابِ(in) the retribution
  17. وَإِنَّهُۥbut indeed,He
  18. لَغَفُورٞ(is) surely Oft-Forgiving
  19. رَّحِيمٞMost Merciful
Al-A'raf · 7:167Makkah

Swift in penalty, and Forgiving, Merciful, in one breath.

Warning and hope placed side by side

The verse's ending
swift in penaltyfor those who defy
and
Forgiving, Mercifulfor those who return
How to hold it
only fearleads to despair
fear and hopeheld together

Allah declared that those who kept defying His law and using tricks around it would face hardship until the Day of Resurrection. Then the verse ends: your Lord is swift in penalty, and He is Forgiving, Merciful. Ibn Kathir says Allah mentions warning and encouragement together so hearts always have hope and fear.

You might live only on fear: every mistake feels like the end. Or only on hope: nothing you do really matters. This verse holds both. Take sin seriously, and never stop believing He forgives.

Either Allah is strict with me, or He is merciful, not both.

Allah's justice keeps me careful, and His mercy keeps me from despair.

Try this

Tonight, name one sin to stay away from and one hope to hold on to.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

And (remember) when your Lord declared that He would certainly keep on sending against them, till the Day of Resurrection, those who would afflict them with a humiliating torment. Verily, your Lord is quick in retribution and certainly He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful (167)

Eternal Humiliation placed on the Jews

تَأَذَّنَ 

(Ta'dhdhana) means 'declared', according to Mujahid, or 'ordained', according to others. This part of the Ayah indicates a vow,

لَيَبْعَثَنَّ عَلَيْهِمْ

(that He will keep on sending against them) against the Jews,

إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ مَن يَسُومُهُمْ سُوءَ الْعَذَابِ

(till the Day of Resurrection, those who would afflict them with a humiliating torment.) on account of their disobedience, defying Allah's orders and Law and using tricks to transgress the prohibitions. It was reported that Musa required the Jews to pay the production tax for seven or thirteen years, and he was the first to do so. Also, the Jews fell under the humiliating rule of the Greek Kushdanin, Chaldeans and later on the Christians, who subjugated and disgraced them, and required them to pay the Jizyah (tribute tax). When Islam came and Muhammad ﷺ was sent, they became under his power and had to pay the Jizyah, as well. Therefore, the humiliating torment mentioned here includes disgrace and paying the Jizyah, as Al-'Awfi narrated from Ibn 'Abbas. In the future, the Jews will support the Dajjal (False Messiah); and the Muslims, along with 'Isa, son of Mary, will kill the Jews. This will occur just before the end of this world. Allah said next,

إِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَسَرِيعُ الْعِقَابِ

(Verily, your Lord is quick in retribution), with those who disobey Him and defy His Law,

وَإِنَّهُ لَغَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ

(and certainly He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.) for those who repent and go back to Him. This Ayah mentions both the mercy, as well as, the punishment, so that no despair is felt. Allah often mentions encouragement and warning together, so that hearts always have a sense of hope and fear.