Generally Accepted Translations of the Meaning
Muhammad Asad
Why-did they not see that [the thing] could not give them any response, and had no power to harm or to benefit them
M. M. Pickthall
See they not, then, that it returneth no saying unto them and possesseth for them neither hurt nor use
Yusuf Ali (Saudi Rev. 1985)
Could they not see that it could not return them a word (for answer), and that it had no power either to harm them or to do them good
The Clear Quran, Dr. Mustafa Khattab
Did they not see that it did not respond to them, nor could it protect or benefit them?
Safi Kaskas
Did they not see that it did not respond to them and that it had no power to either harm or benefit them?
Wahiduddin Khan
Why did they not see that it could not give them any response and had no power to harm or benefit them
Shakir
What! could they not see that it did not return to them a reply, and (that) it did not control any harm or benefit for them
Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar
Then, see they not that it returns not to them a saying and it possesses for them neither hurt nor profit?
T.B.Irving
Did they not consider it would not talk back to them, nor control any harm or advantage for them?
Abdul Hye
Did they not see that it could not return to them a word (for answer), nor it had power for them to harm nor help?
The Study Quran
Have they not considered that it does not respond to them with words, and that it has no power over what harm or benefit may come to them
Talal Itani & AI (2024)
Didn’t they see that it could neither respond to them nor bring them harm or benefit?
Talal Itani (2012)
Did they not see that it cannot return a word to them, and has no power to harm them or benefit them
Dr. Kamal Omar
Do they then not mark that it does not return them a word and it does not possess for them any harm and nor a benefit
What! Could they not see that it did not respond to them and that it could neither harm them nor help them
Muhammad Mahmoud Ghali
Do they not then see that it does not return any speech to them, neither does it possess (any power) for harm or profit to them
Muhammad Sarwar
Did they not consider that the calf could not give them any answer, nor it could harm or benefit them
Muhammad Taqi Usmani
Have they not been seeing that it did not respond to them (even) with a word, nor did it have power to harm or benefit them
Shabbir Ahmed
They knew full well that, like all false deities, the golden calf could not respond to queries, and had no control over their harm or benefit
Dr. Munir Munshey
Did they not see that it did not respond to them at all? Nor did it have the ability to hurt them, or help them
Syed Vickar Ahamed
Could they not see that it could not reply a word to them, and that it had no power either to harm them or to do them (any) good
Did they not see that it could not return to them any speech and that it did not possess for them any harm or benefit
[The Monotheist Group] (2011 Edition)
Did they not see that it did not respond to them, nor did it possess for them any harm or benefi
Abdel Haleem
Did they not see that [the calf] gave them no answer, that it had no power to harm or benefit them
Abdul Majid Daryabadi
Observed they not that it returned not unto them a word, and owned not for them hurt or profit
Ahmed Ali
Did they not see that it did not give them any answer, nor had it power to do them harm or bring them gain
Aisha Bewley
Could they not see that it did not reply to them and that it possessed no power to either harm or benefit them?
Ali Ünal
Did they not see at all that (even) it could not return to them a word (for answer), and had no power to harm or benefit them
Ali Quli Qara'i
Did they not see that it did not answer them, nor could it bring them any benefit or harm
Hamid S. Aziz
What! Do they not see that it does not answer them in speech, and cannot control for them harm or profit
Ali Bakhtiari Nejad
Did they not see that it does not respond to them a word, and it does not have power of any harm or any benefit for them?
A.L. Bilal Muhammad et al (2018)
Could they not see that it could not return a word to them, and that it had no power either to harm them or to do them good
Musharraf Hussain
Why didn’t they realise the calf couldn’t answer them, and neither harm nor benefit them?
Maududi
Did they not see that it did not return a word to them, and had no power either to hurt them or to cause them any benefit
[The Monotheist Group] (2013 Edition)
Did they not see that it did not respond to them? Nor did it possess for them any harm or benefit?
Mohammad Shafi
Could they not see that it did not respond to them at all, and that it did have no power to do any harm or to bring any benefit to them
Controversial or status undetermined works
Ahmed Raza Khan (Barelvi)
Do they then not see that it does not return reply to them of any word and nor possess any power to hurt or profit them?
Could they not see that it neither responded to them, nor possessed any power to harm them, or benefit them?
Hasan Al-Fatih Qaribullah
What! Did they not see that it did not speak a word to them in return, and for them it could own neither harm nor benefit
Maulana Muhammad Ali
Could they not see that it returned no reply to them, nor controlled any harm or benefit for them
Muhammad Ahmed & Samira
So do they not see/understand that it (does) not return to them a saying/words , and nor own/possess for them harm, and nor benefit/usefulness
Bijan Moeinian
Were they not able to see that the statue could neither communicate with them nor had the power to do something (good or bad) for them
Faridul Haque
So do they not see that it does not answer to any of their speech? And has no power to cause them any harm or benefit
Sher Ali
Could they not see that it returned to them no answer, and had no power to do them either harm or good
Dr. Mohammad Tahir-ul-Qadri
Well, did they not see (even this much) that this (calf) could not answer them a word, nor had it any power to cause them any loss or profit
Amatul Rahman Omar
Could they not see that this (calf) made them no answer and could neither avoid harm to them nor do good (to any)
Muhsin Khan & Muhammad al-Hilali
Did they not see that it could not return them a word (for answer), and that it had no power either to harm them or to do them good
New, Partial, or In Progress Translations
Fode Drame
Do they not see that it does not speak back to them a word and does not have control over any harm or any benefit for them?
Munir Mezyed
Did they not see that it could not return to them a word (for answer), and had no power to hurt or benefit them?
Sahib Mustaqim Bleher
Do they not see that it does not talk back to them nor has any control over harm or good for them?
Linda “iLHam” Barto
Could they not see that it could not respond a word? [Could they not see] that it had neither power to harm them nor benefit them?
Fadel Soliman, Bridges‘ Translation
Do they not see that it cannot return a word to them, nor does it possess for them harm or benefit?
Irving & Mohamed Hegab
Did they not consider it would not talk back to them, nor control any harm or advantage for them?
Samy Mahdy
Were they not seen that it did not return a saying to them, and did not own a harm for them or a benefit?
Sayyid Qutb
Why! Did they not see that it could not give them any response, and that it could neither harm nor benefit them?
Ahmed Hulusi
Do they not see that it (the calf) cannot give them any response and has no power to harm or benefit them!
Sayyed Abbas Sadr-Ameli
Do they not see then that it (the Calf) returns to them no saying and possesses neither harm nor profit for them
Did they not see that it was mute, unable to respond to their discourse nor could it cause them harm nor afford them help
Mir Aneesuddin
Then could they not see, that it did not return to them (even) a word (in reply) and it had no control on harming or benefiting them? (R 4)