창세기 7:7의 주석

נח ובניו NOAH AND HIS SONS — The men separately and the women separately, because they were forbidden to live together as man and wife since the world was living in a state of distress

"Before the water..." - He went in before they came. And we don't know the reason why he says in his interpretation that he was of little faith. Because the text testifies that he was righteous and pure and that he did everything God commanded!

Since the world was in a state of grief. It seems that Rashi is answering the question: Why does “The flood waters were on the earth” immediately precede “Noach went in...”? It is to tell us why marital relations were prohibited — the Flood came and the world was in a state of grief. Thus it is written right afterwards, “Noach went in, and his sons...” to show why the men entered separately and the women entered separately, and relations were forbidden. But why does it say the same about their departure [from the ark]: “Noach departed with his sons, his wife and son’s wives” (8:18)? Relations were then permitted! It is because, as Rashi explains later (9:9), Noach was afraid to beget children after the Flood until Hashem gave him a sign that He would not bring another Flood. Thus, [since there was still separation at the time of his departure], it is written “Noach departed with his sons, etc.” (Gur Aryeh)

ויבא נח, ובניו, ואשתו ונשי בניו, “Noach, his sons, and his wife and his sons’ wives, with him entered the ark;” Rashi, analysing the sequence in which Noach and his family entered the ark, explains that the men and women did so separately, realising that as long as the deluge would last they would not be allowed to have marital relations. (Based on an ancient version of the Tanchuma)

מפני מי המבול, “on account of the waters of the deluge, and not on account of G-d’s command to enter the ark. [This is why the sages comment that even Noach was not a strong believer as he waited till necessity forced him to take refuge in the ark. Compare Rashi. Ed.]

מפני מי המבול BECAUSE OF THE WATERS OF THE FLOOD — (מפני properly means ‘‘from before”) — Noah, also, was of those people who are wanting in faith: he believed and he did not believe that the Flood would come, and he would not enter the Ark until the waters forced him to do so (Genesis Rabbah 32:6).

מפני מי המבול, these words supply the reason why Noach entered. We do not understand the scholar in Bereshit Rabbah 32,6 who claimed that Noach lacked in faith because he did not enter the ark until after the rain forced him to. After all, the Torah had specifically stated that Noach was perfect and did all that G’d had commanded him.