Does the phrase "Then Allah said to them, 'Die'" (فقال لهم الله موتوا) imply their demise through the enemy's ability to overcome them, and does their restoration to life signify the return of independence and unity until their cohesion was restored? Is this interpretation permissible?

These people died a real death, and then Allah brought them back to life. The reason for their exodus, as mentioned by the exegetes, was either fleeing from diseases or from an enemy. No one mentioned that the enemy overpowered them while they were alive. Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with both of them, mentioned that there were four thousand of them who fled from the plague. So, Allah commanded them to die, and they died. Then, a prophet brought them back to life after supplicating to his Lord. Some exegetes have gone to the opinion that their exodus was to flee from the plague, while others have gone to the opinion that it was to flee from jihad.