Tafsir of An-Nahl 16:33-34

{Do they await anything but that the angels should come to them?} It is read with both the tāʾ (feminine) and the yāʾ (masculine). It means: that they come to them to seize their souls.

{And the command of your Lord} This refers to the annihilating punishment, or the Resurrection.

{Like that} Meaning: like that action of polytheism and denial.

{did those who were before them, and Allah did not wrong them} By destroying them.

{but they were wronging themselves} Because they committed that which made them deserving of destruction.

{the evils of what they did} The recompense for the evils of their deeds. Or, it is as He said: {And the recompense of an evil deed is an evil one like it} (Ash-Shūrā: 40).

{And those who associated partners said: "If Allah had willed, we would not have worshipped anything other than Him, neither we nor our forefathers, nor would we have forbidden anything other than Him." Like that did those who were before them. So is there upon the messengers except the clear notification?}