Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Sforno · Torah

Sforno on Genesis 16:9/ספורנו על בראשית ט״ז:ט׳

אוְהִתְעַנִּי. לְהוֹרוֹת לֶעָתִיד עַל דֶּרֶךְ "יְרֵה וַיּוֹר" (מלכים ב יג:יז), "כִּי כֵן יִסַּד הַמֶּלֶךְ" (אסתר א:ח).
1והתעני, the additional comment after telling Hagar to return to her mistress, was an allusion to the future; it would be Hagar's destiny, as well as that of her offspring to submit to the authority of the Jewish people. Kings II 13,17 where the prophet Elisha instructs the king to shoot arrows [which are ostensibly not intended to hit anyone. Ed.] is similarly an allusion to the future, foreshadowing events yet to occur. The words כן כן יסד המלך in Esther 1,8 are also to be understood in a similar fashion. The king's decree to let everyone enjoy the feast according to the laws of his own religion was a cornerstone of the policy which enabled Achashverosh to rule over so many diverse cultures as existed in the 127 provinces of his empire.