Commentaire sur La Genèse 9:16

בין אלהים ובין כל נפש חיה BETWEEN GOD AND EVERY LIVING SOUL — Between Divine Justice and you; for otherwise it should have written “between Me and every living thing”. But this is its explanation: when Justice will come to accuse and condemn you I will look upon the sign and remember the covenant (see Genesis Rabbah 35:3).

והיתה הקשת בענן, it will be there as a sign, וראיתיהו לזכור, a figure of speech, as already commented upon by us elsewhere. Rabbi Avraham Ibn Ezra writes that actually, the rainbow is not a passing phenomenon but is in the clouds or sky at all times but at times is visible only to G’d.

וראיתיה לזכור ברית עולם, I will take a close look at how the righteous of that time call the ordinary people to order, and whether their prayers are on behalf of their contemporaries. If they make their weight felt, I, in turn, will remember My covenant in their favour, and My wrath at them will be turned aside.

בין אלוקים, as if the Torah had written this in the first person, i.e. ביני as earlier in verse 12. This formulation of G’d speaking of Himself in the third person is also found in Exodus 24,1 ואל משה אמר עלה אל ה', “and to Moses He had said: “ascend to G’d, etc.” The word אלוקים is used as G’d’s attribute when He wants to be perceived as judge and leader. It is usually found when the generation concerning whom this attribute is used was found wanting, was disobedient.