(And to show you the ways of those before you,) meaning their righteous ways and how to adhere to the commandments that He likes and is pleased with.
(and accept your repentance) from sin and error,
(and Allah is All-Knower, All-Wise.) in His commands, decrees, actions and statements. Allah’s statement,
(but those who follow their lusts, wish that you (believers) should deviate tremendously away from the right path)) indicates that the followers of Shaytan among the Jews, Christians and the adulterous, wish that you would take the horrendous path of falsehood instead of the truth.
(Allah wishes to lighten (the burden) for you”) His legislation, orders, what He prohibits and what He decrees for you. This is why Allah has allowed free men to marry slave girls under certain conditions, as Mujahid and others have stated.
(and man was created weak.) and this is why it is suitable in his case that the commands are made easy for him, because of his weakness and feebleness. Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Tawus said that,
(and man was created weak), “Concerning women”. Waki` said, “Man’s mind leaves when women are involved.”