[4:155] So, for their breaking their covenant and disbelieving in the signs of God, and slaying the prophets wrongfully, and for their saying, 'Our hearts are covered up' - nay, but God sealed them for their disbelief; so they do not believe, except for a few.
Its meaning is: Because of their committing these prohibited acts (manāhī) and because of their being marked by these requitals (majāzī), We have caused them to alight at the dwellings of ignominy (hawān) and inflicted on them punishments of all kinds (alwān).
It is said that the terrible misfortune of oppositional acts afflicted them cumulatively. Among the consequences of disobedient acts is being left to commit even more prohibited acts. By violating the covenant and not repenting, they were pulled towards their disbelief in the signs. Then, because of the misfortune of their disbelief, they were left to themselves until they slew the prophets (ʿa) wrongfully. Then, because of the misfortune of that, they had the audacity to claim fullness in comprehension, saying "Our hearts are the vessels for all kinds of knowledge". God replied to them: but God sealed them for their disbelief, and He veiled them from the site of deep knowledge (ʿirfān) so they wandered about in their errors.