Fir`awn and His People suffer Years of Drought
Allah said,
وَلَقَدْ أَخَذْنَآ ءالَ فِرْعَوْنَ
(And indeed We punished the people of Fir`awn) We tested and tried them,
بِالسِّنِينَ
(with years of drought) of famine due to little produce,
وَنَقْصٍ مِّن الثَّمَرَاتِ
(and lack of fruits), which is less severe, according to Mujahid. Abu Ishaq narrated that Raja' bin Haywah said, "The date tree used to produce only one date!"
لَعَلَّهُمْ يَذَّكَّرُونَفَإِذَا جَآءَتْهُمُ الْحَسَنَةُ
(That they might remember (take heed). But whenever good came to them) such as a fertile season and provisions,
قَالُواْ لَنَا هَـذِهِ
(they said, "This is for us."), because we deserve it,
وَإِن تُصِبْهُمْ سَيِّئَةٌ
(and if evil afflicted them) drought and famine,
يَطَّيَّرُواْ بِمُوسَى وَمَن مَّعَهُ
(they considered it an omen Musa and those with him. ) saying that this hardship is because of them and what they have done.
أَلاَ إِنَّمَا طَائِرُهُمْ عِندَ اللَّهِ
(Verily, their omens are with Allah) `Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn `Abbas commented on the Ayah,
أَلاَ إِنَّمَا طَائِرُهُمْ عِندَ اللَّهِ
(Verily, their omens are with Allah) "Allah says that their afflictions are with and from Him,
وَلَـكِنَّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ لاَ يَعْلَمُونَ
(but most of them know not.)"
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged, English).