Commentaire sur La Genèse 9:14

בענני ענן WHEN I BRING A CLOUD — When I have it in mind to bring darkness and destruction upon the world.

בענני ענן, a reminder that the rainbow will not be visible unless there are dark clouds in the sky after the atmosphere had been very moist.

והיה בענני ענן, I will place clouds for a variety of reasons.

והיה בענני ענן, “it will be whenever I wish to bring darkness and destruction etc.” This proves that Satan goes into high gear whenever disaster is around.

To bring darkness... Rashi holds that “When I bring clouds” does not means actual clouds, rather: “If you are deserving of a Flood, and it enters My mind to bring darkness and destruction to the world, then the rainbow will be seen in the ‘clouds’ [i.e., the darkness] and I shall remember My covenant.” [And therefore,] “Never again will flood waters destroy all flesh.” But if the verse meant actual clouds, why then would it say, “Never again will flood waters destroy all flesh,” [implying that if not for the rainbow, they would be punished]? Why should they be deserving of a Flood just because there are clouds over the earth? [Alternatively,] it seems that Rashi knew this because it is written, “Clouds over the earth,” connecting the clouds to the earth. But in fact, clouds are not connected to the earth! It should say, “When I bring clouds in the heavens.” Thus Rashi explains that it is not actual clouds, rather “darkness and destruction” regarding the world. (R. Meir Stern)

ונראתה הקשת, “when the rainbow becomes visible;” the fact that the bow appears without arrows appearing at the same time, is to serve as reassurance to the beholder.

בענני, this word, though without the dagesh in the letter נ is in the conjugation kal. It is not at all unusual that it appears without the dagesh. The reason why G’d repeats the word ענןhaving already said that He speaks of having provided clouds, is to underline the importance of that activity, just as the line מרקר קיר, “tumult and din” in Isaiah 22,5 or ותשרש שרשיה in Psalms 80,10 “and uprooted its roots.”

ונראתה, it will be seen by people.