were sitting,” this circumstance does not qualify one of the two to the exclusion of the other. Rather, it accompanies the act of striking to which it relates, as though one had said: “I struck him at the time when the people were sitting.”

It is thus an adverbial qualification of the action involving both subject and object. This differs from saying: “I struck him while I was sitting,” or “while he was sitting,” where the meaning changes accordingly.

The verse contains the words “one God.” This unquestionably qualifies the One worshipped. It necessarily follows that they worshipped Him only while He was one God, and this is inseparable from Him.

If it is said, “What is meant is: while He is the only One worshipped, with no other object of worship taken alongside Him. This circumstance is not inseparable from Him; rather, it describes the worshippers, not Him,” the reply is:

This contains no praise of Him and does not describe Him as deserving worship; it merely describes them. Moreover, His words “one God” are like His words, “Your God is one God.” He is, in Himself, one God, even if the polytheists set up gods alongside Him through fabrication and love. The intended meaning must therefore be what this designation signifies.

Had they intended that other meaning, they would have said: “We worship Him with sincere devotion to Him alone.” They have already expressed this meaning in the second clause, namely, “and we submit to Him,” especially if this is understood as a circumstantial clause—that is: we worship Him as one God while submitting to Him.