Tafsir of Saba' 34:45

وكذب الذين من قبلهم

And those before them denied; meaning, other nations.

وما بلغوا معشار ما آتيناهم

these have not received even a tenth of what We had granted to those (of old); Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "Of the power of this world.'' This was also the view of Qatadah, As-Suddi and Ibn Zayd. This is like the Ayat:

ولقد مكنهم فيما إن مكنكم فيه وجعلنا لهم سمعا وأبصرا وأفيدة فما أغنى عنهم سمعهم وﻻ أبصرهم وﻻ أفيدتهم من شء إذ كانوا يجحدون بايت الله وحاق بهم ما كانوا به يستهزءون

And indeed We had firmly established them with that wherewith We have not established you! And We had assigned them the hearing, seeing, and hearts; but their hearing, seeing, and their hearts availed them nothing since they used to deny the Ayat of Allah, and they were completely encircled by that which they used to mock at! (46:26)

أفلم يسيروا فى اﻻرض فينظروا كيف كان عقبة الذين من قبلهم كانوا أكثر منهم وأشد قوة

Have they not traveled through the earth and seen what was the end of those before them They were more in number than them and mightier in strength. (40:82) but that did not protect them from the punishment of Allah, and Allah destroyed them because they denied His Messengers. Allah says:

فكذبوا رسلي فكيف كان نكير

yet they denied My Messengers. Then how (terrible) was My denial! meaning, `how severe was My wrath and how great was My avenging of My Messengers.'