4وَما تَفَرَّقَ الَّذينَ أوتُوا الكِتابَ إِلّا مِن بَعدِ ما جاءَتهُمُ البَيِّنَةُMuhammad AsadNow those who have been vouchsafed revelation aforetime1 did break up their unity [of faith] after such an evidence of the truth had come to them.2This definition is general, comprising the followers of all religious teachings revealed before the advent of the Prophet Muhammad (lbn Kathir), and not - as some commentators assume- only the Jews and the Christians. (See also notes 12 and 13 on 3:19.)I.e., most of them strayed from the teachings of the prophets sent to them, all of whom had preached the same fundamental truths (see next verse and note 6 below).