Translation of the meanings Ayah 68 Surah An-Nahl - English Translation - Dr. Waleed Bleyhesh Omary - The Noble Qur'an Encyclopedia

Ayah: 68

وَأَوۡحَىٰ رَبُّكَ إِلَى ٱلنَّحۡلِ أَنِ ٱتَّخِذِي مِنَ ٱلۡجِبَالِ بُيُوتٗا وَمِنَ ٱلشَّجَرِ وَمِمَّا يَعۡرِشُونَ

(68) ^[3339]Your Lord ˹O Muhammad˺ inspired^[3340] the bees that: “Take up homes in mountains, and in trees and in what they ˹people˺ raise!^[3341]”

[3339] Although the mentioned favours are enough as compelling evidence of the existence of an Omnipotent and Wise Creator of the world, the wounderous creation of the bees, out of which honey comes, is even more evidence of that (cf. al-Rāzī). The care being taken of this particular Sign/favour reflects in the style in which it is recounted; the mention of how God Almighty inspired the bees indicates the magnificence and uniqueness of it (cf. al-Biqāʿī, Naẓm al-Durar).
[3340] Although the word used here is awḥā (lit. He revealed) exegetes unanimously agree that here it means alhama (lit. inspired) (cf. al-Qurṭubī, Ibn ʿAṭiyyah). Such is the ‘inspiration’ of animals and insects to do what is beneficial and avoid what is harmful for themselves (cf. al-Shawkānī).
[3341] What people prepare and build for bees to establish their hives in, i.e. apiaries (cf. Ibn ʿAṭiyyah, al-Qurṭubī).