Stay in your homes
And abide in your houses and do not display yourselves as [was] the display of the former times of ignorance (tabarrujal jaahiliiyah ). And establish prayer and give zakah and obey Allah and His Messenger. Allah intends only to remove from you the impurity [of sin], O people of the [Prophet's] household, and to purify you with [extensive] purification.
Ibn Kathiir (paraphrase) writes:
وقوله : ( وقرن في بيوتكن ) أي : الزمن بيوتكن فلا تخرجن لغير حاجة ومن الحوائج الشرعية الصلاة في المسجد بشرطه ، كما قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم : " لا تمنعوا إماء الله مساجد الله ، وليخرجن وهن تفلات " وفي رواية : " وبيوتهن خير لهن "
Allaah's saying - And abide in your houses – means that they (the women) are to stay in their homes and not leave them unless there is a need or an Islamic reason like praying in the masjid in accordance with its conditions like the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said:
Narrated Ibn `Umar:
One of the wives of `Umar (bin Al-Khattab) used to offer the Fajr and the `Isha' prayer in congregation in the masjid. She was asked why she had come out for the prayer as she knew that `Umar disliked it, and he has great ghaira (protective jealousy). She replied, "What prevents him from stopping me from this act?" The other replied, "The statement of Allah's Messenger (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) : 'Do not stop Allah's women-slaves from going to Allah's masaajid' prevents him."
[Sahiih al-Bukhaari Hadiith No. 900]
Imaam al-Qurtubi says:
معنى هذه الآية الأمر بلزوم البيت ، وإن كان الخطاب لنساء النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم فقد دخل غيرهن فيه بالمعنى
The meaning of this portion of the Verse is that they should stay at home and even though the wives of the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) have been addressed other women are also included (i.e. this command is not only specific to the wives of the Messenger of Allaah (salllallaahu alayhi wa sallam).
“...and do not display yourselves as [was] the display of the former times of ignorance (tabarrujal jaahiliiyah)”
قال مجاهد : كانت المرأة تخرج تمشي بين يدي الرجال ، فذلك تبرج الجاهلية
Mujaahid said (regarding this portion of the Ayah): A woman would leave (her home) and walk in front of men. This was the displaying of the former times of ignorance (tabarrujal jaahiliiyah).
Reference(s):
Tafsir al-Qurtubi
Tafsir Ibn Kahtiir