28:17-18
28:17:
He said: “O my Lord! For that Thou hast bestowed Thy Grace on me, never shall I be a help to those
who sin!”
28:18 when behold, the man who had, the day before, sought his help called aloud for his
help (again)
The Qurʾānic narrative describes how Moses entered the city the following morning while remaining alert and apprehensive about the consequences of the previous day’s incident. The verse portrays him as cautious and watchful, reflecting concern about the possible repercussions after he had struck and killed the Egyptian. At that moment, the same individual who had sought Moses’ assistance the previous day once again called out for help. Observing this repeated dispute, Moses rebuked him, indicating that the man appeared to be habitually involved in quarrels and wrongdoing.
Some commentators note that the phrase describing Moses as fearful may also be interpreted simply as indicating that he had become apprehensive or cautious. His vigilance suggests that he was attentive to the possible outcomes of the earlier event in which the Egyptian had been killed. According to classical exegetical interpretations, Moses’ rebuke of the man was prompted by the realization that this was the same person who had previously been involved in a conflict, indicating a pattern of contentious behavior.
Comparisons are sometimes made with the Biblical narrative in the Book of Exodus (2:13), which states that Moses encountered two Israelites fighting. The Biblical account does not clearly identify the second individual, describing him only as an adversary. In contrast, some Qurʾānic commentators suggest that the individual with whom the Israelite was arguing in the Qurʾānic narrative may have been another Egyptian, thus providing additional context for the dispute.
References:
Nasr, Hossein (2015). Study Quran.