With the contribution of philosophical hermeneutics, meaning in Qur’ānic interpretation has been redefined not as a fixed content embedded in the text, but as a dynamic process constructed through the interpreter’s historical context, the evidence they rely on, and the authority they establish. In Qur’ānic verses, the formation of meaning is generally based on one of three foundational elements: language, history, or tradition. In this context, it is observed that the interpretation—or meaning—of verses is determined or varies depending on which of these elements is given priority or emphasis. This study aims to analyze how meaning is formed by tracing the changing interpretive approaches to Surah al-Baqara, verse 2:260 throughout history. It investigates the kinds of evidence used in interpretation and how authority is established within interpretive processes. Meaning is examined both on a micro level—through the interpretation of the verb فَصُرْهُنَّ—and on a macro level, in terms of how it is constructed within broader frameworks such as literal- meaning, exoteric-esoteric interpretation, and intertextual contexts. Methodologically, this study is conducted as a qualitative research using the comparative textual analysis method. Classical exegetes such as Muqâtil, al-Ṭabarî, al-Râzî, al-Zamakhsharî, al-Qushayrî, and al-Thaʿlabî, as well as modern interpreters such as Ibn ʿÂshūr, Tantâwî, Rashîd Riḍâ, Muḥammad Asad, al-Darwaza, and Gabriel Said Reynolds, are examined through conceptual analyses focusing on their linguistic interpretations, their use of transmitted reports, and their methods of justifying their views. The study shows that meaning is a historically constructed process shaped by the interpreter’s historical position, their affiliation with specific sects or traditions, and the evidentiary system they employ. The original contribution of this study lies in demonstrating how choices at the lexical level, and preferences between literal and metaphorical interpretation, have produced opposing interpretations; and how these preferences became prominent depending on their historical contexts, ultimately giving meaning a variable structure within a hermeneutical framework. For instance, exegetes like al-Ṭabarî and al-Farrâ interpreted the verb as “to cut,” establishing their interpretive legitimacy on variant readings (qirâʾât) and narrations from the Companions. In contrast, exegetes like al-Zamakhsharî and al-Bayḍâwî interpreted the same verb as “to accustom,” justifying their preference through linguistic structure, context (siyâq), and rational inference. In terms of literal– metaphorical interpretation, al-Râzî and Tantâwî viewed the act of Abraham as a cosmic miracle and interpreted the verse literally, while Abū Muslim and Rashîd Riḍâ read the scene as symbolic, emphasizing its pedagogical and metaphorical dimensions. On a different level, symbolic interpretations appear, where the birds represent the desires of the soul and the act of dismembering symbolizes spiritual purification. From an intertextual perspective, interpreters such as al-Darwaza and Reynolds relate the verse to narratives in the Torah, drawing conclusions about the Qur’ānic story’s relationship to the broader religious culture of its time. In conclusion, the study clearly shows that meaning in Qur’ānic interpretation is not confined to a single level but possesses a comprehensive structure, and that meaning is the result of a dynamic constructive process. This can be read as a key reflection of the tension between stability and transformation within Qur’ānic hermeneutics.