he despair of the divine messengers is one of the doubts surrounding the infallibility of the prophets, as mentioned in verse 110 of Surah Yusuf. Some commentators and thinkers argue that due to their human aspect, prophets may experience despair and hopelessness concerning God in various events. Regardless of the origins of such viewpoints, it is essential to accurately explain this verse because it contains multiple pronouns and ambiguous references; thus, a precise interpretation based on the existing context and correct readings is necessary.



This article, through a descriptive-analytical method, reached the conclusion that although the verse is absolute in expressing the despair of the messengers, based on the context of other verses and narrations, its subject pertains to the faith of the people. Furthermore, the subject of the verb (ظنوا) and the variant reading (کذبوا) supported by the context of the verses and narrations following this verse confirm that the despair and denial in the verse are mutual, meaning that both the prophets became despondent regarding the faith of their people, and their people despaired of the punishment descending upon them due to their denial of the prophet. The literary structure of the noble verse accommodates both meanings, and the wise speaker, by creating structural ambiguity, aims to express the idea that the despair from both the prophets and their opponents corresponds with divine aid for the prophets and divine punishment for the wrongdoers.