The Gold Adornments
وَقَالُوٓا۟ ءَأَـٰلِهَتُنَا خَيْرٌ أَمْ هُوَ ۚ مَا ضَرَبُوهُ لَكَ إِلَّا جَدَلًۢا ۚ بَلْ هُمْ قَوْمٌ خَصِمُونَ
And they said, "Are your gods better, or is he?" They did not present the comparison except for [mere] argument. But, [in fact], they are a people prone to dispute.
Nearby ayahs help place verse 43:58 in sequence and meaning.
فَجَعَلْنَـٰهُمْ سَلَفًا وَمَثَلًا لِّلْـَٔاخِرِينَ
And We made them a precedent and an example for the later peoples.
۞ وَلَمَّا ضُرِبَ ٱبْنُ مَرْيَمَ مَثَلًا إِذَا قَوْمُكَ مِنْهُ يَصِدُّونَ
And when the son of Mary was presented as an example, immediately your people laughed aloud.
إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا عَبْدٌ أَنْعَمْنَا عَلَيْهِ وَجَعَلْنَـٰهُ مَثَلًا لِّبَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ
Jesus was not but a servant upon whom We bestowed favor, and We made him an example for the Children of Israel.
وَلَوْ نَشَآءُ لَجَعَلْنَا مِنكُم مَّلَـٰٓئِكَةً فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ يَخْلُفُونَ
And if We willed, We could have made [instead] of you angels succeeding [one another] on the earth.