`Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn `Abbas commented on the Ayah,

﴿وَإِذ نَتَقْنَا الْجَبَلَ فَوْقَهُمْ﴾

(And (remember) when We Nataqna the mountain over them), "We raised the mountain, as Allah's other statement testifies,

﴿وَرَفَعْنَا فَوْقَهُمُ الطُّورَ بِمِيثَـقِهِمْ﴾

(And for their covenant, We raised over them the mountain) ﴿4:154﴾.'' Also, Sufyan Ath-Thawri narrated that Al-A`mash said that, Sa`id bin Jubayr said that Ibn `Abbas said, "The angels raised the Mount over their heads, as reiterated by Allah's statement,

﴿وَرَفَعْنَا فَوْقَهُمُ الطُّورَ﴾

(We raised over them the mountain) ﴿4:154﴾.'' Al-Qasim bin Abi Ayyub narrated that Sa`id bin Jubayr said that Ibn `Abbas said, "Musa later on proceeded with them to the Sacred Land. He took along the Tablets, after his anger subsided, and commanded them to adhere to the orders that Allah ordained to be delivered to them. But these orders became heavy on them and they did not want to implement them until Allah raised the mountain over them,

﴿كَأَنَّهُ ظُلَّةٌ﴾

(as if it had been a canopy), that is, when the angels raised the mountain over their heads.'' An-Nasa'i collected it.

﴿وَإِذْ أَخَذَ رَبُّكَ مِن بَنِى ءَادَمَ مِن ظُهُورِهِمْ ذُرِّيَّتَهُمْ وَأَشْهَدَهُمْ عَلَى أَنفُسِهِمْ أَلَسْتَ بِرَبِّكُمْ قَالُواْ بَلَى شَهِدْنَآ أَن تَقُولُواْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَـمَةِ إِنَّا كُنَّا عَنْ هَـذَا غَـفِلِينَ - أَوْ تَقُولُواْ إِنَّمَآ أَشْرَكَ ءَابَاؤُنَا مِن قَبْلُ وَكُنَّا ذُرِّيَّةً مِّن بَعْدِهِمْ أَفَتُهْلِكُنَا بِمَا فَعَلَ الْمُبْطِلُونَ - وَكَذَلِكَ نُفَصِّلُ الآيَـتِ وَلَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ ﴾

(172. And (remember) when your Lord brought forth from the Children of Adam, from their loins, their seed and made them testify as to themselves (saying): "Am I not your Lord'' They said: "Yes! We testify,'' lest you should say on the Day of Resurrection: "Verily, we were unaware of this.'') (173. Or lest you should say: "It was only our fathers aforetime who took others as partners in worship along with Allah, and we were (merely their) descendants after them; will You then destroy us because of the deeds of men who practiced falsehood'') (174. Thus do We explain the Ayat in detail, so that they may turn (unto the truth).)