إِنَّ فِرْعَوْنَ عَلَ فِي الاَْرْضِVerily, Fir`awn exalted himself in the land,means, he was an arrogant oppressor and tyrant.وَجَعَلَ أَهْلَهَا شِيَعًاand made its people Shiya`,means, he made them into different classes, each of which he used to do whatever he wanted of the affairs of his state.يَسْتَضْعِفُ طَايِفَةً مِّنْهُمْweakening a group among them.This refers to the Children of Israel, who at that time were the best of people, even though this tyrant king overpowered them, using them to do the most menial work and forcing them to hard labor night and day for him and his people.يُذَبِّحُ أَبْنَاءهُمْ وَيَسْتَحْيِي نِسَاءهُمْ إِنَّهُ كَانَ مِنَ الْمُفْسِدِينَweakening a group among them:killing their sons, and letting their females live. Verily, he was of the mischief-makers.At the same time, he was killing their sons and letting their daughters live, to humiliate them and because he feared that there might appear among them the boy who would be the cause of his destruction and the downfall of his kingdom. So Fir`awn took precautions against that happening, by ordering that all boys born to the Children of Israel should be killed, but this precaution did not protect him against the divine decree, because when the term of Allah comes, it cannot be delayed, and for each and every matter there is a decree from Allah.Allah says:وَنُرِيدُ أَن نَّمُنَّ عَلَى الَّذِينَ اسْتُضْعِفُوا فِي الاَْرْضِ وَنَجْعَلَهُمْ أَيِمَّةً وَنَجْعَلَهُمُ الْوَارِثِينَ