( يا قوم أرهطي أعز عليكم من الله ) أي : مكان رهطي أهيب عندكم من الله ، أي : إن تركتم قتلي لمكان رهطي فالأولى أن تحفظوني في الله . ( واتخذتموه وراءكم ظهريا ) أي : نبذتم أمر الله وراء ظهوركم وتركتموه ، ( إن ربي بما تعملون محيط ) .
Shu’ayb said to his people: O my people, is my family more respectable and honoured to you than Allah, your Lord? Did you throw Allah behind you when you did not accept the prophet He sent to you? My Lord surrounds what you do. No action of yours is hidden from Him. He will repay your behaviour in the world with destruction, and in the Afterlife with punishment.