Kommentar zu Bereschit 9:9

ואני הנני AND I BEHOLD I — “I am in agreement with you”; He said this because Noah feared to fulfil the duty of propagating the species until the Holy One, blessed be He, promised him that he would not again destroy the world and this promise God made (Midrash Tanchuma, Noach 11). Ultimately He said to him, “If you are still anxious I am willing to give to My promise the permanence and strength of a covenant and I will give you a sign.”

ואני הנני מקים את בריתי, this promise is conditional on man keeping his part of the bargain, bringing murderers to justice. If, however, innocent blood will be shed in the manner it had been before the deluge, this may lead to destruction of the earth (not necessarily by water). This is what is meant in Numbers 35,33 הדם הוא יחניף את הארץ ולארץ לא יכופר לדם אשר שפך בה כי אם בדם שפכו “for blood turns the earth into a hypocrite and there will be no atonement for the land except through the blood of him who has spilled it.”

ואני הנני מקים, the letter ו before the word אניintroduces an addition to the previous words ואתם פרו ורבו, meaning if you will do your part in trying to populate the earth, I for My part promise to keep My covenant with you, making sure that life on earth will not again be drastically disrupted. G’d can be relied upon to keep His promises and assurances, as distinct from man, as has been pointed out already by Bileam in Numbers 23, 19.

Hashem did so eventually... Meaning, Hashem did so a second time. Although Hashem had already promised Noach, he was still concerned. For Hashem’s promises are conditional: if they fulfill His will [and do not sin as the generation of the Flood did,] He will keep His promise; and if not, not. Therefore Noach was concerned, until Hashem promised him again that He would never bring another Flood. This also explains why Noach was commanded to have children. For even though Adam had already been commanded — Hashem needed to command Noach again because Noach was concerned. We need not ask: Why was Noach concerned? Hashem already swore He would never again smite mankind! As Rashi explained (8:21), “Never again, never again” serves as an oath. The answer is: It says (ibid), “And Adonoy said in His heart, ‘Never again...’” I.e., Hashem thought this [oath], but Noach knew nothing of it. (Re’m) It seems that Rashi deduced [that Noach was concerned] from the fact that Noach was permitted marital relations when he left the ark, as it says (8:16), “Depart from the ark, yourself and your wife” — yet he did not engage in relations. Rather, they left in separation (ibid v. 18): “Noach departed from the ark together with his sons, his wife and son’s wives.” So we see that Noach did not wish to have children. Therefore Hashem said, “I agree with you...” (Nachalas Yaakov)

ואני הנני, “and as far as I am concerned, etc;” according to Rashi, this is G-d’s way of saying that He agreed with Noach who had not wanted to resume normal marital relations until specifically encouraged by G-d to do so. He waited for G-d’s promise not ever again to bring on the kind of destruction of the human race that he had just been a witness to.