فَلَمَّآ ءَاسَفُونَا ٱنتَقَمۡنَا مِنۡهُمۡ فَأَغۡرَقۡنَٰهُمۡ أَجۡمَعِينَ
So when they angered Us, We punished them, and drowned them all.
فَجَعَلۡنَٰهُمۡ سَلَفٗا وَمَثَلٗا لِّلۡأٓخِرِينَ
And We made them a precedent (as a lesson for those coming after them), and an example to later generations.
۞وَلَمَّا ضُرِبَ ٱبۡنُ مَرۡيَمَ مَثَلًا إِذَا قَوۡمُكَ مِنۡهُ يَصِدُّونَ
And when the son of Maryam (Mary) is quoted as an example [i.e. 'Iesa (Jesus) is worshipped like their idols), behold! Your people cry aloud (laugh out at the example).
وَقَالُوٓاْ ءَأَٰلِهَتُنَا خَيۡرٌ أَمۡ هُوَۚ مَا ضَرَبُوهُ لَكَ إِلَّا جَدَلَۢاۚ بَلۡ هُمۡ قَوۡمٌ خَصِمُونَ
And say: "Are our aliha (gods) better or is he ['Iesa (Jesus)]?" They quoted not the above example except for argument. Nay! But they are a quarrelsome people. [(See VV. 21:97-101) - The Quran.]
إِنۡ هُوَ إِلَّا عَبۡدٌ أَنۡعَمۡنَا عَلَيۡهِ وَجَعَلۡنَٰهُ مَثَلٗا لِّبَنِيٓ إِسۡرَـٰٓءِيلَ
He ['Iesa (Jesus)] was not more than a slave. We granted Our Favour to him, and We made him an example to the Children of Israel (i.e. his creation without a father).
وَلَوۡ نَشَآءُ لَجَعَلۡنَا مِنكُم مَّلَـٰٓئِكَةٗ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ يَخۡلُفُونَ
And if it were Our Will, We would have [destroyed you (mankind) all, and] made angels to replace you on the earth. [Tafsir At-Tabari, Vol: 25, Page 89].